Feb 26 2010 |   |  |
Doors open March 6th, 2010, for the first exhibit at the Guerrero Gallery in San Francisco's Mission District. Andres Guerrero has selected a talented group of contemporary artists to show off their art in the new space. Props to Andres, the space looks amazing and can't wait to see the show! Here's a look at the new gallery and an interview with Andres about his relationship with art and the new space.
Gallery Statement: Coming off of the successful start of White Walls, Andres Guerrero, has established his own with the opening of his gallery, Guerrero Gallery, founded early spring of 2010 in the Mission District of San Francisco, California. The success of his prior gallery prompted him to open up a fresh and larger space perfect for viewing and displaying work. The gallery represents a select group of exciting and challenging emerging and mid-career artists working in a variety of media. With a focus and emphasis on the development of the artists work and career an environment of growth and inspiration is being presented with heart and conviction to an international audience. Challenging viewers, the norms, and itself the gallery creates a space with the notion of exploration, knowing no limits. The Gallery is committed to developing
and maintaining relationships to further the careers of the artists with other contemporary galleries and museums also realizing this through placement in both public and private collections world wide. The participation of well-respected fairs and fostering relations with press are key facets of this commitment.
Guerrero Gallery creates an environment that is inviting and personal to all viewers, providing a clean and open space to enjoy the work without distraction. The gallery encourages all viewers and collectors alike to participate in creating a fresh dialogue with contemporary art and its relevance to the greater culture.
What is art (to you) and why does it matter? Well, I think that this question is pretty subjective. What art to me is, is not what art is to another person. I think at some point this question is really asking about one's personal taste of works. As far as I’m concerned, art’s essential. It’s a form of expression, a challenge, a view, a perspective. it needs to be seen, heard and experienced. I need it in my life.
What was one of the first experiences you had in an art museum or gallery that you think could have possibly influenced your life today?
Honestly, I have a really bad memory and I don't recall my early visits to museums and art galleries being really influential. I do remember going on field trips to museums as a kid, but for me, the thrilling part about those trips was about leaving Watsonville and getting out of school for the day. When I was in high school doing a summer residency at CCAC in Oakland, I remember ditching the classes a lot to go paint and venture into the city. One day, it must have been in the early 90s, a few of us decided to go to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts to see Barry McGee's show. I guess I can recall this being a pretty influential experience - I loved McGee’s street work at that time. Seeing it in a different context and having it translate the way it did, was truly inspiring.
You are a talented artist. On the other side of the fence, as a gallery-owner, how has your perspective of the art world changed, if at all?
My perspective has pretty much stayed the same. However, I've had to learn how important it is for me to draw a line between being and artist and being a gallerist. The gallery world is a much larger monster than most people think. Grinding as a gallerist while at the same time dedicating time to my own art has been a very humbling experience. I try my best to treat the artists in the same way that I’d want to be treated by a gallery. At the end of the day, I recognize that there’s a learning process to be perfected behind that delicate balance between both sides of the fence.
Dumb luck and a lot of hard work. With that, things just kinda grew into what they are today.
Early on, I’d paint at home and show my work at little mom & pop stores. I had hopes of working with some of my favorite artists at the time and eventually found myself putting together shows with them. I approached a lot of galleries to find out if they’d be interested in showing our work, and while some said yes, many said no.
I got the opportunity to work with the Shooting Gallery and while there, I kicked around some ideas, committed to them, then co-founded White Walls with Justin Girala. Through my experiences there and prior, and with the support of my friends and family, I was able to start my own project with Guerrero Gallery.
All I knew from the beginning was that I loved painting and wanted to do something with that. I’ve kept an open mind about where that might take me and here we are today, after 8 years of grinding. None of this was ever planned out; it all just happened, through hard work and dedication. I could never have imagined that this is where I’d be today.
I take with me a lot of valuable ‘learned the hard way’ experiences. I'm truly grateful for having been a part of all that happened there, and am especially happy that I had the opportunity to work with all the artists that went through there. White Walls was a journey that I will never forget.
One of the things that I want to do is expand beyond the program of what I have done in the past. Along with this, I plan on continuing working with a lot of artist that I have worked with and developed good friendships with. I'm putting my best foot forward on this project and with this, there is still a lot of work to be done in the sense of really integrating what will be shown at the gallery and the rest of the art world. Per say, getting involved with art fairs, museums and institutions. Ultimately, the goal or plan is to really develop the career of the artists and provide them with a great venue to achieve those goals and dreams. This space was built for the artist, this is for them.
The space was originally built as an old warehouse, so it’s naturally very spacious. It’s a comfortable 3000 sq ft. space with vaulted ceilings and 12-foot tall walls throughout. Skylights run the entire length of the gallery, providing lots of natural light for optimal viewing conditions for the pieces.
The gallery is located in the Mission/Potrero district of San Francisco. The neighborhood is beautiful. There are lots of great restaurants within walking distance of the gallery, a fun little bar around the corner called Jay ‘n Bee, and parking is abundant. To top it off, last gasp, Southern Exposure and Cell Space are all within two blocks of the gallery.
In the process of looking at gallery space, I knew I wanted something with skylights and tall ceilings. This space had that. What really sold it for me though was the space’s main entryway, which included an industrial roll-down door that opened up to two large glass doors. I felt this entryway could really set the tone for what was in store inside, and also provide a welcoming vibe for gallery visitors. I really owe Andrew Schoultz for this one. He's the one that gave me the insider’s tip on this space.
The inaugural will be a group show featuring the familiar faces of artists I’ve worked with in the past, as well as those of new artists that I haven’t previously worked with. The artists included are: Brian Willmont, Christopher Russell, Richard Colman, Aaron Noble, Ryan Scott Shaffer, Tim Diet, Ryan Wallace, Rogelio Martinez, Adam 5100, Hilary Pecis, Mark Mulroney, Ala Ebtekar, Eric Yahnker, AJ Fosik, Mike Lesage, Allister Lee, Cleon Peterson, Ryan Travis Christian, Marissa Textor, Shepard Fairy and Bill McRight.
This gallery bears my family name. It’s a representation of the consistent support that my family has provided throughout my life, regardless of whether or not they agreed with my choices. It’s also representative of the support from my extended family of friends who’ve stuck by me throughout the process of building this space. Without family, Guerrero Gallery would not be opening its doors on March 6th, 2010
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