111 Minna Gallery Disaster Fund
A Message from Michelle Delaney, David Mabry, & Alex Kivelstadt - Owner Operators of 111 Minna Gallery:
From our late non-profit fundraisers to our art shows, from Sketch Tuesdays to Qool, we here at 111 Minna Gallery have always put our community first. Minna in 2020 has changed a bit since its founding, but we have embraced the varied and wonderful communities that call San Francisco home. With almost 30 years of history in the books, we have had a myriad of different groups that have taken a part in Minna’s life. We’ve always been a home for emerging artists to get a foothold in the scene, and we hope to continue that in these uncertain times. For this new phase of life, we’re moving to try our hands at a digital presence so we can continue to support our various communities. Despite all the changes that have affected us all, personally and professionally, here we are and here we will stay!
A retrospective from Eiming Jung, founder of 111 Minna Gallery:
I realized there was something missing in San Francisco; a more approachable art scene. Believing that most art galleries were catering to an audience outside the average person, I wanted to provide people with awesome local art that was affordable on any budget. My decision on location was, in part, influenced by the soon to come Museum of Modern Art and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in the neighborhood known as the Yerba Buena District. I found a small space, now known as the Zappa Room, and created a place for local artists to show work, have a drink, and dance the night away. Many of these local artists found their stride starting at 111 Minna Gallery, growing into forces within the art world, but never forgetting where they started.
A retrospective from Michelle Delaney:
This is how I fell in love with 111 Minna Gallery. When I was bartending at Steff’s across the street, all the Minna staff would come say hi to me on their breaks. I was working in a different world. Mine was the mix of locals hanging at the bar and talking with construction dudes. Their world was a loud, low light situation with fast paced music. Different types of events were happening at Minna, from dance parties to art shows. I would go over to say hi and just be amazed by this secret world. It was exciting and I loved the energy. Luckily for me, Bethiah, the bar manager at Minna who was Marine Core trained with a heart of gold, eyed me for some new talent. Along with her amazing counterpart Steen, the Kiwi who was a warm and welcoming presence at Minna, ran the show along with Eiming and Eric. One of the coolest things about Minna was most of the staff were artists. Eiming painted, Eric played guitar, Rogelio did polaroid photography and drawings of body anatomy, Brian did fantasy drawings of magical worlds, and Big Dave played music, to name a few, while I was working with film. Everyone was working to support their art dreams; it was powerful. At the time, no one was around this part of town which made it pretty easy to be crazy and loud and do whatever we wanted to do. Being young, having fun, dancing, partying, and being creative was at the top of the menu. What was also nice is that everyone that gravitated towards Minna was caring, socially conscious, and helped create a nurturing environment. Minna supported artists, giving them a platform to express themselves free of censure; it was a beautiful time. Since then, the years at Minna have been as exciting as beautiful. The art shows, live music, dj’s, charity’s, civil and public service, seeing people come together, becoming friends, falling in love, having a safe space to share their stories. 111 Minna Gallery has been a supportive space for the community for 27 years, and will continue to be here, for all, going into the future.
Check out our website for more fun content and information on the upcoming show!