This is your source for information on San Francisco Bay Area exhibitions, talks, artist receptions, and workshops for people interested in photography. Our focus is on events that are free or are sponsored by non-profit/educational organizations.
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Meanwhile ... last chance to see these events! They will end within the next 2 weeks:
Event Type: SHOW
2023-11-28 to 2024-12-02
SFO Museum
San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 3 Departures Level 2, Gallery 3, San Francisco, CA 94128
Event is Free
Hours: Mon - Sun 12:00 AM-12:00 AM;
For more information:
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the newly established United Nations, setting forth fundamental human rights to be universally protected. December 10th, 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the UDHR. The UDHR enshrined that all people are born free and equal, and among its tenets are the right to work, to free choice of employment, and to protection against unemployment. Yet, despite the strides made towards advancing human rights since 1948, people in many communities worldwide continue to face discrimination and stigmatization based on their professions.
Click HERE to preview the exhibit
In the bustling streets of La Paz and the sprawling suburbs of El Alto, Bolivia, nearly three thousand shoe shiners emerge each day in search of clients. What characterizes this group is the use of ski masks to obscure their identities, combat discrimination, and maintain their anonymity even among family and neighbors. The masks serve as both a unifying symbol and a form of resistance against societal exclusion, empowering them to confront prejudices related to their occupation. Their story, captured in Federico Estol’s series, Héroes del Brillo (Shine Heroes), is a poignant reminder of the daily challenges many face in their pursuit of dignity and respect. Their experience is not isolated but reflects broader global issues of labor discrimination and stigmatization.
For three years, Estol collaborated with a group of sixty shoe shiners through El Hormigón Armado, a local organization and newspaper which advocates for the rights of shoe shiners, and offers educational workshops and financial support. Through a participatory workshop-based process, they created Héroes del Brillo, a special edition of the organization’s newspaper that invited the shoe shiners to imagine a new version of their story. Borrowing from the visual language of comic books and graphic novels, and incorporating elements of daily life in El Alto, the group challenges societal perceptions through a narrative that portrays them as urban superheroes rising to meet the local demand for polished footwear.
Photography and photojournalism have long been powerful tools in highlighting human rights issues. Through the lens, photographers capture moments that evoke empathy, anger, and a call to action. Estol's Héroes del Brillo builds upon this tradition, incorporating a model of collaboration and participation while calling for a more inclusive form of storytelling—one that recognizes and celebrates the agency of its subjects. By making the shoe shiners co-creators of the narrative, Estol ensures that Héroes del Brillo is not just about them but truly belongs to them.
Event Type: SHOW
2024-11-01 9:00 AM to 2024-11-30 5:00 PM
Random Posts
Coldwell Banker, 25 E Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941
Event is Free
For more information:
email: artscommission@cityofmillvalley.org
website: https://www.millvalleyrecreation.org/824/First-Tuesday-ArtWalk
My passion for photography began as a young child, capturing images with a Brownie pinhole camera. I was captivated by the fact that you could create an image of a moment in time and share it for a lifetime. My parents had family photographs from long before I was born, sharing photos at frequent gatherings. I wanted to record my history as I saw & experienced it.”
Training, technology, and maturity, have vastly improved my photography skills through the years. Recording images, as moments in time, has evolved into creation of the art of light…as I envision.
My images are available for sale and licensing, and I would be happy to work with you in developing your own passions.
First Tuesday Art Walk: Tuesday, November 7, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Event Type: OPENING
2024-11-23 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Transmission Gallery
770 West Grand Ave. Suite A, cross street West St., Oakland, CA 94612
Event is Free
For more information:
Exhibit by the Bay Area Photographers Collective.
Meet the artists: Dec 7 and Jan 11 1-4pm.
On view Nov 21, 2024 – Jan 11, 2025.
The curators write about the show:
"Perusing the work of the Bay Area Photographers Collective we were inspired by the remarkable emotional range of the nighttime images. Hovering on the periphery, in the shadows, or boldly exploring an illuminated twilight adventure, the selections for Night Vision invite a complex and layered experience for the viewer."
Event Type: OPEN STUDIO
2024-11-30 11:00 AM to 2024-12-01 4:00 PM
Mary Daniel Hobson
84 Seacape Drive, Muir Beach, CA 94965
Event is Free
For more information:
website: marydanielhobson.com
Come visit my art studio in Muir Beach, learn more about my creative process and see a wide selection of mixed media artworks, including layered collages, fine art prints and bottle sculptures. I will also have a selection of books, notecards and other giftable items. Tea and treats will be served. Please note, my new studio is just up the hill, near the Muir Beach Overlook at 84 Seacape Drive. It would be a delight to have you stop by!
Event Type: SHOW
2024-10-12 to 2024-11-30
Harvey Milk Photography Center
50 Scott Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Event is Free
Hours: Tue - Thu 3:00 PM-8:30 PM; Sat 11:00 AM-4:30 PM; Sun 12:00 AM-12:00 AM;
For more information:
With this small sampling of imagery, we’ve culled photographs from Arthur’s recent projects including his 30 years spent living in and documenting his life in Cambria and his recent project documenting Mare Island. This diamond-shaped body of work captures the essence of his ongoing obsession with shape, line, and composition. Arthur draws inspiration from beach surroundings and the people he encounters on his photographic journey. Many images in this exhibition such as Flags, Mare Island, Ferry Boat Window were photographed during the making of “Arthur Tress: Water’s Edge”, which will be screened in the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts ballroom on November 14, 2024 at 6 PM.
Event Type: ONLINE ARTIST TALK
2024-11-21 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
FootHill College
12345 El Monte Rd, KCI Gallery Bldg 4000, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
Event is Free
For more information:
Click HERE to register to join by Zoom
Fauxliage captures the proliferation of disguised cell phone towers across the American West. By attempting to conceal an unsightly yet essential technology of the modern world, the landscape is now adorned with a quirky and unsettling mosaic of masquerading palms, conifers, flagpoles, crosses, and more. These structures are simulacra. They are water towers that hold no water, windmills that provide no power, and trees that provide no oxygen; yet they all provide five bars of service.
Beneath their often-whimsical camouflage lies a more clandestine narrative of surveillance capitalism, where big tech and government entities commodify our every digital interaction. The environmental repercussions are equally concerning: the aging faux trees shed plastic needles, adding to the ecological toll of our digital age. What began as an attempt to reduce visual pollution is now creating plastic pollution.
Traversing ten western states to document this architectural phenomenon, Fauxliage examines technology's dual role as a disruptor and unifier within the landscape. The disguised towers provoke a crucial question: How much ersatz landscape and manufactured nature are we willing to accept for connectivity?
As fifth-generation (5G) technology advances, these elaborate towers may become architectural relics of the past, and fade into obscurity like drive-up photo kiosks, phone booths, newsstands, and drive-in movie theaters. Coincidentally, those functionalities are now seamlessly integrated into our handheld devices — a poignant reminder of the evolution of the technological landscape.
Event Type: ONLINE VIDEO
2024-10-04 to 2024-11-30
Leica Store and Gallery
463 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
Event is Free
For more information:
We are proud to call Todd Hido a local Bay Area photographer—not just because he is one of the greats of modern photography, but because his unique, introspective perspective on the art of photography has inspired all who have encountered his work, story, and artistic vision. So, it is with great excitement that we get to share with you a little insight into Todd Hido’s life and work in this latest micro-documentary filmed by Carlo Velasquez on the Leica SL3.
Event Type: ONLINE EXHIBIT
2024-10-10 to 2024-11-30
The Image Flow
328 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo, CA 94960
Event is Free
For more information:
Photo of the Month–August: Nonsense Photo of the Month Winner – Madina Baymirzaeva
The Image Flow is pleased to present the results of our August Photo of the Month – Nonsense. You may view more of Madina Baymirzaeva work on Instagram @madelendaniel.
We evaluated a vast array of submissions based on composition, color, contrast, and overall quality. In addition to technical components, we considered the subject of interest, point of view, and whether the image tells a story aligned with our theme.
Under the theme of Nonsense, this monthly competition was open to professional and amateur photographers globally.
Event Type: OPENING
2024-11-23 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Center for Photographic Art
San Carlos at 9th Avenue, At the Sunset Center, Carmel, CA 93921
Event is Free
For more information:
On view: November 23 - December 29, 2024
The Center for Photographic Art (CPA) is excited to announce the 2024 International Juried Exhibition with over $5,000 in awards! Forty-five juror-selected photographs will be exhibited from November 23, 2024 through December 29, 2024 in our historic gallery in Carmel, California, and vie for eight cash awards totaling more than $5,000. These photographs will also be featured in an online gallery on the CPA website along with an additional forty-five juror selected images.
2024 IJE Juror CPA is pleased to announce this year’s International Juried Exhibition juror: Elizabeth Avedon. Elizabeth Avedon is an independent curator, and photography book and exhibition designer. She is a sought after consultant for photographers; editing, sequencing, and advising towards their exhibition, book, and portfolio projects. Former Director of Photo-Eye Gallery, Santa Fe; Creative Director for The Gere Foundation; Art Director for Polo Ralph Lauren national advertising; and Photo Editor for Ralph Lauren Media’s RL Magazine, Elizabeth has received awards and recognition for her curatorial work, exhibition design and publishing projects, including the retrospective exhibition and book "Avedon: 1949-1979" for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, and High Museum, Atlanta; "Avedon: In the American West" for the Amon Carter Museum, Corcoran Gallery, and Art Institute of Chicago. Also from the Leica Gallery, New York; the Menil Collection, Houston, Texas; and for the Estate of Diane Arbus, among others. She is an instructor in the prestigious Masters in Digital Photography program at the School of Visual Arts, New York and proud to have received a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Griffin Museum of Photography.
Elizabeth brings a deep understanding of photography and a broad appreciation of diverse photographic styles, genres and mediums to CPA's 2024 International Juried Exhibition.
Event Type: SHOW
2024-11-01 to 2024-11-30
Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
4th and Guadalupe, Carmel, CA 93921
Event is Free
Hours: Wed - Sat 11:00 AM-4:00 PM; Sun 12:00 PM-4:00 PM;
For more information:
Salon Jane is honored to present its ten-year celebration exhibit at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, an important part of Carmel’s artistic history and culture, set in a vital region of photography. The exhibit opens Friday, November 1st, with a reception from 5-7pm. In addition, a walk through with the artists will be offered from 2-3pm on Saturday, November 9th. The exhibit and events are free and open to the public.
Salon Jane is a six-member artist collective formed in Monterey, California, in 2014. The photographer members are Martha Casanave, Susan Hyde Greene, Jane Olin, Anna Rheim, Robin V. Robinson, and Robin Ward.
Over the past 10 years, the members of Salon Jane have created an intimate bond, facilitating a safe and inspiring environment for their artistic risk-taking and creative evolution. At their regular meetings, they share feedback about their work through hours of in-depth discussion and hold space for art-related life challenges.
The Monterey Peninsula has a long tradition of straight photography set forth by Edward Weston, Ansel Adams and others. However, the artists of Salon Jane inhabit an island of innovation that pushes against these strict boundaries. Each member artist nods to photography but expands on it in diverse and unexpected ways.
From aerial to underwater, abstract to representational, digital to darkroom, wall art to books, the work produced by these artists is wide ranging. In content and process, each artist’s work transcends the ordinary and taps into mystery. While they have evolved beyond formal straight photography, the members are equally concerned with artistic and photographic excellence and are grounded in historical processes. salonjane.com
Event Type: SHOW
2024-11-13 to 2024-11-30
California College of the Arts
1240 Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA 94107
Event is Free
Hours: Mon - Fri 12:00 PM-5:00 PM;
For more information:
Wherever You Go is a poetic document of youth in our culture past and present, featuring work by eight photographers. With the greater Bay Area as a backdrop, these artists explore what it means to be young , exploring fleeting and lasting connections. Scenes ranging from underground raves in the Bayview, to the serene beaches of Marin County, and the ever-changing landscape of the Mission District, this show presents the various experiences of young artists. Organized by a core group, Donovan Fortune, Theo LaBrusciano-Carris, Estella Mora-Lopez and Benjamin Young, each selected one guest artist that speaks to their work: Roy Almanza, Noelle Gaberman, Lauren Heusler, Austin Reynolds respectively.
Grounded in our shared experience, Wherever You Go hopes to thread together moments of intimate connection. With the mixture of black and white diptychs, muted color film, and textile pieces, the group hopes to illustrate the intricacies and nuances that make up our lives. This exhibition is a statement to the time we share and the blurred lines of our memory and nostalgia reaching its way into the present. These fragments collected into one room are an album of our ephemeral collective experience.
Event Type: PHOTO WALK
2024-12-01 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
East Bay Photo Collective
952 Fruitvale Avenue, Aloha Club, Oakland, CA 94601
Event is Free
For more information:
website: www.ebpco.org
We will be walking at 1pm on the first Sunday of the month, December 1st. Bring any camera you like, and be prepared to wander and shoot for up to an hour.
This month we’ll be exploring Oakland’s Fruitvale and Jingletown neighborhoods.
EBPCO’s bimonthly photo walks are a great way to connect with other photographers while exploring and photographing an interesting Oakland location.
Our photo walks are free and OPEN TO ALL! Bring your camera(s) and your creativity. All cameras welcome, including phones.
Event Type: ONLINE ARTIST TALK
2024-12-03 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Center for Photographic Art
San Carlos at 9th Avenue, At the Sunset Center, Carmel, CA 93921
General Admission $10.00, CPA Members $.00
For more information:
Click HERE to register before 6:00pm on December 2. You will receive a zoom link the evening before the talk.
Please join us for this exciting and informative talk with artist and educator, Eric William Carroll. Eric will discuss his work from different series and give an overview of his working process and his studio practice. He's also share some of his special projects including his "tree portraits" and his latest book publication, along with news from his hometown of Ashville, North Carolina. Not to be missed!
Bio Eric William Carroll’s work on photography, science, and nature explores the differences in how we experience, represent, and organize the world. Through his photographs, installations, and performances, Carroll creates visual and emotional connections that span enormous distances in space and time. At the heart of his practice is a genuine sense of curiosity that questions traditional binary relationships.
Event Type: SHOW
2024-03-16 to 2024-11-30
Marin History Museum
1125 B St, Boyd Gate House, San Rafael, CA 94901
General Admission $5.00
Hours: Wed - Sat 10:00 AM-2:00 PM;
For more information:
Celebrating the remarkable life of Louise A. Boyd—a polar explorer, adventurer, and photographer.
The Marin History Museum recently opened the Petals & Ice: The Adventures of Louise A. Boyd exhibit celebrating the remarkable life of Louise A. Boyd—a polar explorer, adventurer, and photographer.
In addition, for a six-month period, never before seen photographs of the interior of Maple Lawn taken by Ansel Adams are also on display.
While this exhibit chronicles many aspects of Louise Boyd’s life…it most importantly answers why her achievements and contributions are still relevant many decades later.
Some of those include:
- Louise Boyd was the second woman ever to receive the Cullum Medal of the American Geographical Society.
- Became the first woman to ever fly over the North Pole at 67 years old… a 16-hour non-stop flight.
- During WWII, she used these skills in Washington DC as a special consultant to the Military Intelligence Division.
Event Type: CALL FOR ENTRIES
2024-11-13 to 2024-11-20
ImageCentral
1099 E Street, Hayward, CA 94541
General Admission $82.00
For more information:
Show of your work & talent as an Artist in the annual spring show at ImageCentral. Discuss all aspects of the decision making process including editing, print selection, matting, mounting, framing, signing, editions, pricing and more. Learn the logistics of executing an exhibit; show preparation, hanging work, representing self etc. This exhibition is open to all types of Visual Art.
Activity meeting dates
1 Mar 13, 2025 Thu6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 2 Mar 20, 2025 Thu6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 3 Mar 27, 2025 Thu6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Event Type: CLASS
2024-11-13 to 2024-11-20
ImageCentral
1099 E Street, Hayward, CA 94541
Resident $180.00, Non-resident $190.00
For more information:
Learn essential manual camera functions like F/stops, shutter speeds, and ISO in this hands-on class. Requires an SLR, rangefinder, or mirrorless camera, either film or digital.
Activity meeting dates
Jan 7, 2025 - Jan 28, 2025 Tue6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Event Type: WORKSHOP
2024-11-13 to 2024-11-20
ImageCentral
1099 E Street, Hayward, CA 94541
Residents $80.00, Non-residents $90.00
For more information:
Make photograms in our traditional darkroom—no camera needed! Bring in whatever objects you like to arrange on photographic paper for your image making adventure.
Activity meeting dates Feb 8, 2025 Sat 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Event Type: CLASS
2024-11-13 to 2024-11-20
ImageCentral
1099 E Street, Hayward, CA 94541
Residents $180.00, Non-residents $190.00
For more information:
n introductory class for individuals interested in traditional analog black-and-white process. Class will cover how to process black-and-white film and make black & white prints in our traditional darkroom! A $20 material fee will be due on the first class for students needing film and paper. (Limited: 35mm film cameras available for loan during class upon request.)
Activity meeting dates Jan 8, 2025 - Jan 29, 2025 Wed 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Event Type: CLASS
2024-11-13 to 2024-11-20
ImageCentral
1099 E Street, Hayward, CA 94541
Residents $200.00, Non-residents $210.00
For more information:
In this class, you will learn lighting for portraiture, as well as posing, light set up, starting with one light up to a five light set up. Some lighting scenarios will be demonstrated with a live model!
Activity meeting dates Feb 4, 2025 - Feb 25, 2025 Tue 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Event Type: PHOTO WALK
2024-11-23 1:30 PM - 5:45 PM
Random Posts
900 Palm Drive, Ione, CA 95640
One Session $40.00, Two Sessions $70.00
For more information:
website: https://prestoncastle.org/events/photographers-day/
On November 23rd, we will host two sessions for photographers in advance of a February 15th submissions deadline for an exhibit that will take place April 5th through August 19th inside the castle itself. Together, we will transform Preston Castle, a historic reformatory for wards of the state, into a museum, bringing light to a dark place. We hope to see you there!
What’s included Nov 23rd, access to the non-restricted areas of the Castle on the first floor, second floor, basement and grounds for your photo opportunities.
Itinerary Session 1: 1:30-3:30pm Session 2: 3:45-5:45pm **Sunset is at 4:45 PM on November 23.
Submit 3 images for $35 and additional images for $5 each up to 6 total to PrestonCastlePhotoExhibit2025@gmail.com by February 15, 2025, for inclusion in the photo art exhibit.
Event Type: ONLINE EXHIBIT
2024-11-09 to 2024-11-30
MRKT Gallery
309 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Event is Free
For more information:
website: www.mrktgllry.com
Click HERE to preview the photos
Luke Kraman for Final Selects One at MRKT Gallery, explores themes of balance, contradiction, and the queer experience. Reflecting on moments of transition between New York and San Francisco, he draws parallels between his evolving sense of self and the liminal spaces in his art. His work captures the tension between opposing states—chaotic yet tidy, vulnerable yet composed—through portraits of artists and everyday encounters.
Luke’s reflections include experiences of deep introspection, moments of near-tragedy, and the vibrant energy of the queer nightlife. Whether on a turbulent flight or amidst the spontaneity of San Francisco’s streets, he finds beauty in raw, unguarded moments. His photography aims to capture a sense of calm and acceptance, offering a pause from life’s push and pull.
Luke emphasizes the importance of community, particularly within queer spaces, as places of resistance and rejuvenation. He describes photographing at events like Ever Afters and the Andrew James fashion show as both anxiety-inducing and exhilarating—seeking to bring a sense of tenderness to otherwise chaotic environments. Ultimately, his work is an attempt to capture authenticity, balancing vulnerability with a sense of hope and intimacy in uncertain times.
Event Type: SHOW
2024-11-01 to 2024-11-30
San Francisco Public Library
3150 Sacramento Street, Presidio Branch, San Francisco, CA 94115
Event is Free
Hours: Mon 10:00 AM-5:30 PM; Tue - Thu 9:00 AM-7:30 PM; Fri 12:00 PM-5:30 PM; Sat 10:00 AM-5:30 PM; Sun 12:00 PM-4:30 PM;
For more information:
See photos from The Alvarado Project documenting post-WWII Filipino-American life in the Presidio and hear a reading from Claiming Our Stories, an intergenerational anthology with historical accounts complementing the project’s images.
This pop-up exhibit from November 1 - 30 at Presidio Branch Library celebrates the lives and contributions of first-generation Filipino immigrants, as documented by photographer Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado (1914–1976)
Ricardo Alvarado arrived in California in 1928 as a 14-year-old in the first wave of Filipino immigrants. Working as a janitor and houseboy, he enlisted in the U.S. Army First Filipino Infantry Regiment in 1942. After serving in combat in the South Pacific during World War II as a medic, he became a civilian cook at San Francisco’s Letterman Army Hospital.
For 20 years he studied the city and nearby rural areas in his free time with his view camera in hand, recording Filipino community life at dances, banquets, baptisms, funerals, and other gatherings. In 1959, Alvarado ended his work in photography and returned to the Philippines to marry Norberta Magallanes. They had two children, Janet and Joseph Alvarado, who currently live in San Francisco.
When he died in 1976, Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado left an archive of nearly 3,000 rare photographs, a vital portrait of early Filipino Americans.
Event Type: ARTIST TALK
2024-11-20 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
California College of the Arts
145 Hooper Street, Timken Hall, California College of the A, San Francisco, CA 94107
Event is Free
For more information:
Libby Black will present her work and be in conversation with Christopher McCall and Allie Haeusslein, Directors of Pier 24 Photography. They will discuss the project and publication Photo Book Photo List and the final exhibition at Pier 24 Photography, Turning the Page.
Following the presentation, Black and McCall will be signing copies of their book Photo Book Photo List.
This event is free and open to the public
Event Type: SHOW
2024-11-05 to 2024-11-30
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Sweetwater Music Hall, 19 Corte Madera Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941
Event is Free
For more information:
website: douglasgstinson.com
Music photography — featuring never-before-seen images, including performance shots, intimate backstage, off-stage and at home photographs of our favorite players, including Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and close to 100 musicians/bands will be featured!
Marin County, just north of San Francisco, has been home to countless musicians and bands for decades. The opening of Terrapin Crossroads and Sweetwater Music Hall in 2012, spurred a musical renaissance that has continued to grow. These clubs have become destinations for music lovers from all over who are eager to see their favorite bands up close and personal in these intimate venues.