By Alice Ranahan
The art-loving crowd was out in force last night for the opening of the San Francisco Fine Art Fair at Fort Mason. Two of Berkeley’s most respected galleries, Traywick Contemporary and Paulson Bott Press, were among the 70-plus exhibitors from the United States and Europe.
Both galleries fared well during the preview; their owners reported selling works to new clients and meeting enthusiastic visitors from all over the Bay Area. Traywick is exhibiting paintings, paper pieces and sculpture by a number of artists in its stable, including Amy Kaufman, Stas Orlovski, Diana Guerrero-Macia and Susan Martin.
Paulson Bott Press made the most out of its relatively small booth by butting framed pieces up against each other in a creative use of space. New editions by Clare Rojas, Edgar Arceneaux and Kota Ezawa are hung adjacent to older prints by Tauba Auerbach, James Brown, and Chris Johanson, among others.
The San Francisco Fine Art Fair is the first contemporary art fair of its kind in the city in over ten years and runs through the weekend. The hope is that it will become an annual event. From the vibe of last night’s opening, it is clear the city is aching for such an art happening.
Alice Ranahan is an art consultant who lives on the Oakland-Berkeley border.
Illustrated: Works by Edgar Arceneaux at Paulson Bott Press (left) and Portia Hein at Traywick Contemporary (right).