With so many things to do in San Francisco, it's easy to miss the many fantastic art exhibits and shows that pass through smaller galleries, as opposed to big museum shows. While it's nearly impossible for even the most ardent art lover to see it all, we've once again curated a collection of must see exhibits currently (or soon to be) gracing the walls of San Francisco's finest art spaces. Plan accordingly:
"Lisa Solomon: The Keepsake Project" Irving Street Projects
We all hang on to keepsakes for a myriad of weird reasons that may only make sense to us. Oakland's own Lisa Solomon explores this human quality in her "Keepsake Project," inviting the public to participate by contributing their own keepsakes to be photographed and drawn: you can actually make an appointment with Solomon to have your very own keepsake included. Through November 30, Irving Street Projects, 4331 Irving Street
"Kota Ezawa: Boardwalk" Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Kota Ezawa brings the East Coast out west by recreating a side-view of the Seaside Heights Boardwalk in New Jersey. Why? Because it was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. The San Francisco-based artist describes the large sculptural piece as a form of "visual disaster relief." Through November 30, YBCA, 701 Mission Street
"Wish You Were Here" Peephole Cinema
There is a San Francisco cinema available free of charge and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (at least until December 13). If you haven't taken a peek into a peep-hole in an alley off Valencia at 26th, you're missing out on some great art! Viewers literally bend down and look through a hole in the wall to see this month's exhibit of "glamorous places and nostalgic spaces." Through December 13, San Francisco Peephole Cinema, 280 Orange Alley
Cornelius Volker, Hosfelt Gallery
We are big fans of German artist/professor Cornelius Volker and are excited for his first ever West Coast solo exhibition. Volker's work explores classic genres historically used by culture's greatest painters, and nearly everything Volker paints refers (somehow) back to the body. Through December 5, Hosfelt Gallery, 260 Utah Street
"Fallout" The McLoughlin Gallery
SF-based artists Sofia Cordova and Charlie Leese each explore and observe the struggles and aftermath of power dynamics in this two-person exhibit. This intense multimedia exhibit gets almost apocalyptic in its themes, and offers an exciting look at two young and local up-and-comers. Through December 12, McLoughlin Gallery, 49 Geary Street
"Deep Dark Submersion" Romer Young Gallery
You're falling deeper and deeper into a hole. What's it look like? The answer might be found in this four-artist low-lit exhibition exploring our own submersion. The Romer Young Gallery specializes in ambitious and challenging work, and "Deep Dark Submersion" fits the bill. Through December 12, 1240 22nd Street