Southern Exposure

THREE! MORE! DAYS! Until our 50th Anniversary Celebration, this Saturday September 14, 2024. This event will be both a celebration for Southern Exposure’s five decades long legacy of transformative arts programming, as well as an opening for our latest group exhibition, “A leaf a gourd a shell a net a bag a sling a sack a bottle a pot a box a container”.

Dance to a DJ set by local legend Brown Angel, eat some delicious 50th birthday cake from Le Dix-Sept patisserie, drink amazing beer provided by BareBottle Brewing Co., pick up a screenprinted t-shirt from SF artist Alejandra Rubio (or bring your own), and swap a plant cutting at an installation organized by exhibiting artist Erina Alejo! With so much to do, taste, see, and listen to, you won’t want to miss this incredible event.

Artwork shown in the background of this post is courtesy of, in order from from the top of the image to the bottom, exhibiting artists Enrique Chagoya & Kara Maria, Pablo Tut, and Futurefarmers.

Have you seen us go this year? We have been incredibly proud and honored to bring exciting arts programming to the Bay this year, from our Voices of Palestinian Futures events, to a fabulous exhibition curated by icon Cathy Lu, to a fantastic Artists in Education: Mission Voices Summer exhibition! It's been a blast, and if you're anything like us, you're eager to see what happens next. Lucky for you, we'd like to interrupt our usual programming for A GIANT PARTY! Southern Exposure is thrilled to invite you to celebrate our landmark 50th Anniversary. Enjoy a DJ set by Brown Angel, birthday cake from Le Dix-Sept patisserie, beer on tap from BareBottle Brewing Co., screenprinting by SF artist Alejandra Rubio, and a plant swap installation organized by exhibiting artist Erina Alejo. Join Southern Exposure as we honor our 50-year legacy and celebrate the 50 years to come!



This event will open our 50th Anniversary exhibition, A leaf a gourd a shell a net a bag a sling a sack a bottle a pot a box a container, on view September 14–November 16, 2024.

Our 50th Anniversary Celebration is coming up, and our party can’t happen without you! Southern Exposure’s robust network of volunteers makes all of our events so special, and volunteering offers an opportunity to get connected with our arts community.

If you would like to see our fiftieth birthday party go off without a hitch – and connect with Southern Exposure staff and fellow volunteers – you can sign up for a shift here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084EAEAC2DABF94-50952033-southern #/

Southern Exposure is so thrilled to welcome Brown Angel, who will be gracing us with their incredible musical talent at our 50th Anniversary Celebration and the opening of our latest group exhibition, “A leaf a gourd a shell a net a bag a sling a sack a bottle a pot a box a container”.

Brown Angel is a queer/trans Chicanx DJ/Producer based in Oakland and San Francisco. With roots in Wilmas and Long Beach CA, they were immersed in music and culture at a young age, and started drumming at the age of 4. Their background has inspired and shaped them into one of the most respected DJs in the Bay Area’s underground music community. They have played all around the country, opening up for icons like Honey Dijon. Brown Angel's music ranges widely from their oldies upbringing to current electronic tracks. They strive to continuously develop their craft, centering music, community, and drive through their ancestral intuition.

Our 50th Anniversary Celebration and group exhibition opening will be an event you won’t want to miss! All the festivities will be taking place on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 6 PM. “A leaf a gourd a shell a net a bag a sling a sack a bottle a pot a box a container” will be open from September 14 through November 16, 2024.

*SPECIAL PRE-SALE PRICE ON SWEATSHIRTS! ORDER YOURS TODAY!*

These limited edition logo and sleeve patterns were designed in a partnership with CCA students (and fabulous emerging designers) Cloe Kim and Saundra Conneely as a part of the university’s TBD design program. The sweatshirts are being printed by Poppy Press, a small, local print and publishing studio that focuses on creating screen printed editions!

The pre-sale discount will be active until September 7, 2024. After that, sweatshirts will be at their full, non-discounted price. Photos are mock ups and do not reflect the exact item. Variations may occur due to the nature of hand screen printing.

Orders placed for pickup will be available at Southern Exposure on September 14, for our 50th Anniversary Celebration, and afterwards. Orders placed for shipping will be fulfilled by October 1, 2024.

🌿 Our sweatshirts meet Sustainable Manufacturing and Socially Conscious Manufacturing criteria, being produced in a facility that runs on at least 50% renewable energy and which utilizes the Higg Index and has implemented Level 2 practices or above, as well as being made by a mill that has partnered with, or is accredited by, the Fair Labor Association.

https://southernexposuresf.square.site/product/50th-limited-edition-sweatshirts/926?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing tidbits of Southern Exposure’s 50 year history in San Francisco, so make sure to keep an eye out. You might even recognize some of the fabulous artists, employees, and volunteers that make SoEx such a spectacular destination!

Our current building once had a previous life as Variety Sausage Co. before becoming Southern Exposure as we know it today. If you look closely, in the background of the black and white photograph, the building that once housed the City of Paris is now home to our neighbor Sightglass Coffee . Now you know how the sausage was made all those years ago!

If you’d like to celebrate our 50th Anniversary with characteristic Southern Exposure artistic flair, make sure to attend our 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, September 14! We will be welcoming our latest group exhibition, titled “A leaf a gourd a shell a net a bag a sling a sack a bottle a pot a box a container”, which will be on view from September 14 through November 16, 2024.

We’ll be dancing the night away to DJ Brown Angel, digging into a stunning birthday cake from Jamie Cake SF, toasting with beer on tap from BareBottle Brewing Co., and reveling in a screenprinting station from artist Alejandra Rubio, alongside a plant swap installation organized by exhibiting artist Erina Alejo. Check out all the details at the link in our bio.

The Staff and Board at Southern Exposure are excitedly searching for a visionary strategist and budgetary badass to help bring SoEx to the next level of radical arts programming and artist nurturing. We want to start with you, our community. We invite you to send this incredible opportunity to someone you think might be great for this position. OR better yet, apply yourself for the open Executive and Co-Director position!

https://soex.org/opportunities/job-opportunity/executive-and-co-director

In honor of Southern Exposure’s 50-year legacy, and our upcoming 50th Anniversary celebration, we decided to release limited edition sweatshirts, available for pre-order now! Help us celebrate our special occasion – while repping your favorite arts Bay Area arts organization – just in time for sweater weather.

Our sweatshirts are available in sizes Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, and XX-Large. The logo and sleeve pattern were designed in partnership with Cloe Kim and Saundra Conneely, both of whom are California College of the Arts students in the TBD* design program, as well as fabulous emerging designers in their own right. The sweatshirts are being printed by Poppy Press, a small, local print and publishing studio that focuses on creating screen-printed editions.

Order your sweatshirt today to take advantage of our 30% off pre-order discount! These sweatshirts will not have a discounted price at our in-person September 14 event. Please check out our 50th Anniversary umbrellas, and other classic merch items, while you're in our online store.

Southern Exposure is thrilled to invite you to celebrate our landmark 50th Anniversary. Southern Exposure’s impact on the Bay Area’s arts ecosystem over the last five decades has been tremendous, and we are so excited to acknowledge it and celebrate with all of you! Join Southern Exposure as we honor our 50-year legacy and celebrate the 50 years to come on September 14, 2024, at 6:00 PM!

We will be bringing out an amazing array of entertainment, including a DJ set from Brown Angel, a 50th birthday cake by local baker Jamie Cake SF, beer on tap from BareBottle Brewing Co., a screenprinting station by artist Alejandra Rubio, and a plant swap installation organized by exhibiting artist Erina Alejo.

We will honor our diverse and radical legacy through a group exhibition, titled A leaf a gourd a shell a net a bag a sling a sack a bottle a pot a box a container, which will be on view September 14 through November 16, 2024. Our 50th Anniversary Celebration community event will take place on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at 6:00 PM, serving as both an opening for this exhibition and an anniversary celebration.

Alongside the exhibition and celebration, Southern Exposure will also host a series of events, including an art walk with Futurefarmers and a panel with representatives from other organizations who are also celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. Sign up for our newsletter and stay engaged with Southern Exposure on our socials to learn more!

Due to overwhelming demand from many of our applicants and potential applicants, Southern Exposure has chosen to extend the deadline for Round 18 of our Alternative Exposure grants for art projects!

Our new deadline will be this Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 11:59 PM. This is your chance to fund a dream collaboration or an expansive project in the Bay Area.

We know that our recent website outages have impacted the accessibility of our application information. We wanted to extend this deadline to make sure that everyone who is interested in applying is able to access the information they might need to do so.

If you have already submitted an application, you now have the ability to make edits to your application through our Submittable portal. If you have any questions, please dm us here or email us at [email protected].

The Alternative Exposure grant program supports the independent, self-organized work of artists and small groups playing a crucial role within the San Francisco Bay Area arts community. Alternative Exposure provides monetary awards – grants of up to $5,000 each – to foster the development and/or presentation of artist-led projects and programs that are open to the public. Please see our website for more details and examples of previous grant recipients.

We look forward to seeing the amazing projects that come out of this year's grant cycle!

TONIGHT! The deadline to apply for Round 18 of our Alternative Exposure grant program is today, August 12, 2024 at midnight!

The Alternative Exposure grant program supports the independent, self-organized work of artists and small groups playing a crucial role within the San Francisco Bay Area arts community.

Alternative Exposure provides monetary awards – grants of up to $5,000 each – to foster the development and/or presentation of artist-led projects and programs that are open to the public.

Funded activities may include a new exhibition or exhibition series, the ongoing work of an independent art space or collective, a public art project, a one-time event or performance, publications directly related to the visual arts, an online project, an artist residency, a series of performances, screenings, and more!

Learn more about how to apply in our bio!

Application Deadline: Monday, August 12, 2024, 11:59PM PST
Grantee Notification: End of September 2024

Over the last month, Southern Exposure has been the victim of multiple cyber attacks on our website. These attacks are the result of AI scraping and malware. If you've been on our website over the last month, you may have noticed that we have installed a captcha to prevent further attacks. Unfortunately, our site went down again earlier today. We are doing everything we can to make sure you have access to the information you need about our open opportunities and upcoming events. Please check the linktree in our bio for direct links to our Alternative Exposure grant portal, the eventbrite link to our Alternative Exposure Info Session this Saturday, and the eventbrite link to our Alternative Exposure Grantee Convening this Saturday.

https://linktr.ee/southernexposuresf

We thank our community for your continuing support. If you have any questions, please email us. For urgent inquiries, please email [email protected] and for general questions or concerns, please email [email protected].

JOIN US FOR THE 2024 ALTERNATIVE EXPOSURE CONVENING
Saturday, August 10, 2024
2:00—5:00 PM
Southern Exposure

Enjoy presentations from the 2023 grantees and a reception celebrating Alternative Exposure granted projects.

This is your chance to learn more about the kinds of projects our Alternative Exposure Grants fund! Attend this event and our Infosession on Saturday if you have questions ahead of submitting your application next week.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-alternative-exposure-convening-tickets-956642141397?aff=erelexpmlt

Announcing the Artists in Education Summer Exhibition, Timeformation(s)!

Teaching artists from the SoEx community have come together to collaborate with youth artists to create Timeformation(s). The cohort explored site specific installation, photography, painting, drawing, cyanotype, sewing, and fashion design.

Timeformation(s) is an examination of past, present, and future—with an emphasis on personal and community liberation.

Join us next week for the opening reception, August 8 at 5 PM!

Announcing Our Fall 2024 Internships! If you're looking for an opportunity to gain valuable experience in the nonprofit art world, apply for one of Southern Exposure's fall internships!

For those looking to hone their skills and engage with the Bay Area arts community, SoEx's internship program is an invaluable educational experience. A vital part of the organization's operating structure, the internship program provides training within a nonprofit visual arts organization, allowing participants to assume professional-level responsibilities, receive training and mentorship from SoEx staff, and learn how a nonprofit arts organization functions.

Southern Exposure’s internships are stipended learning opportunities, offering $1,500.

We are seeking a Communications Intern, a Community Arts and Development Intern, and a Programs and Exhibitions Intern! Learn more here: https://soex.org/get-involved/internships

RSVP for tomorrow’s Info Session if you want to know how to get up to $5,000 for your dream art project! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-alternative-exposure-info-session-1-tickets-914914683447?aff=oddtdtcreator

Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Virtual Info Session via Zoom
5:00 - 6:00 PM
Online via Zoom with Spanish Interpretation
Please email [email protected] to make arrangements for ASL or other language interpretation.

Alternative Exposure Round 18 Grants are Open!

Application Deadline: Monday, August 12, 2024, 11:59PM PST
Grantee Notification: End of September 2024

Southern Exposure is pleased to announce Alternative Exposure Round 18! The Alternative Exposure grant program supports the independent, self-organized work of artists and small groups playing a crucial role within the San Francisco Bay Area arts community.

Alternative Exposure provides monetary awards – grants of up to $5,000 each – to foster the development and/or presentation of artist-led projects and programs that are open to the public. Funded activities may include a new exhibition or exhibition series, the ongoing work of an independent art space or collective, a public art project, a one-time event or performance, publications directly related to the visual arts, an online project, an artist residency, a series of performances or screenings and more.

Learn more about how to apply here: https://soex.org/alternative-exposure/how-apply-0

Southern Exposure presents the second event in our Voices of Palestinian Futures series–two 12-hour radio programs, broadcast in our gallery 10 AM–10 PM on June 22 and 23, 2024. These long-form listening sessions were created by Learning Palestine. Gather with us to listen to their selection of songs, chants, lectures, interviews, conversations, and storytelling. These audio materials were collected from all around the world as an accumulation of resistance discourse against settler colonialism and imperial histories throughout this world, in the context of Palestinian liberation.

Amidst the ongoing violence throughout Palestine, Southern Exposure renews our commitment to being a space for community to gather, connect, and learn together. SoEx’s gallery will be a contemplative space for listening, reflecting, and learning. Information tables, light refreshments, and seating will be provided. The gallery will be open for 12 hours each day, and attendees may come and go as they please and as their time allows. Come for 15 minutes, an hour, an evening, a day. We invite you to bring food or personal seating options that assist in your comfort.

Organized by Southern Exposure, Arab.AMP, and Leyya Mona Tawil in partnership with Learning Palestine. Artwork sourced from Flyers for Falastin by Annarita Costantini.

We are thrilled to welcome back Elizabeth Brodersen, Southern Exposure’s Interim Executive and Co-Director! A passionate believer in the transformative power of art, Elizabeth has made a career providing consulting services and hands-on support to a variety of nonprofit arts organizations, with a focus on holistic interim executive leadership, operations management, administration, grant writing, fundraising, community building, program design, and collaboration creation. Her recent professional experiences have included serving as Interim Executive & Co-Director of Southern Exposure, Interim Executive Director of The Lab, Interim Development Director of Opera Parallèle, and Vice President, Operations, of PrimeLife Arts Learning. She has also served as Executive Director of Creative Growth Art Center and as Director of Education & Community Programs of American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.). Brodersen is a graduate of Princeton University and the Columbia University School of Law and holds an honorary M.F.A. degree from the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program. We are so thrilled to have Elizabeth return as our Interim Executive & Co-Director, as the search for Margaret’s permanent, full time replacement commences.

With an ocean of gratitude, we wish our Executive and Co-Director Margaret McCarthy a fond farewell. She has stewarded the organization for nearly five years and we are enormously appreciative of her foresight, strategic thinking, and collaborative approach to leadership, as well as the undeniable zest she brings to our work and our organization. During Margaret’s time as Executive and Co-Director, SoEx was able to solidify an expanded roster of programming, support local artists, and nurture the next generation of artistic minds. With SoEx in a great position to find our next visionary leader, Margaret looks forward to taking a personal sabbatical and dedicating some time to her own artistic work and practice. Her last day will be Thursday, May 30, 2024. As Southern Exposure celebrates its 50th anniversary, we want to extend our thanks to Margaret for providing us with an incredible foundation from which to build and excel.

You can read the full statement from Southern Exposure’s board on Margaret McCarthy’s departure at the link in our bio.

Last week, Residual Threads brought together so many incredible youth artists from across San Francisco and the Bay Area for an incredible group exhibition opening. We were so thrilled to have such vibrant, impactful work on the walls of our gallery space. Here are a few photos from the opening night celebration, taken by local photographer Vita Hewitt.

If you have not made the time to see Residual Threads yet, it will be up until Saturday, May 25. Southern Exposure’s gallery space is open Tuesday through Friday, from 12 – 6 PM.

Looking for an awesome summer arts opportunity for the 14-19 year old creative in your life? Mission Voices Summer (MVS) is a four-week arts program for youth artists that is completely FREE! Focusing on community development through a dedicated arts practice, MVS brings local artists and teens together to create multi-disciplinary projects. This work will culminate in a group art exhibition which will be open to the public!

The deadline to apply for MVS is July 8! MVS runs from July 8 through August 1, Monday through Thursday, from 12 – 3 PM.

The MVS application can be found at the link in our bio. For any questions about the MVS program, please contact Simon Tran, Artists in Education Programs Manager, at: [email protected]

Residual Threads is opening tomorrow! Our teen centered group show will feature art from participants in our Artists in Education (AIE) programs, including works from our Youth Advisory Board (YAB), Contemporary Classrooms, and our teen open call.

Exploring identity through a variety of different mediums, Residual Threads offers the chance to reflect on the forces which weave us together – and which ones cause us to be frayed apart. Perseverance, resilience, and self-preservation come together to form an incredible tapestry.

The opening reception for Residual Threads will take place on May 10, from 5 – 7 PM. We are inviting community members to bring a dish to share for a community potluck. Residual Threads will run from May 10 – May 25, Tuesdays – Saturdays, 12 – 6 PM.

Residual Thread opens this week! The exhibition is a teen centered group show, featuring art from participants in our Artists in Education programs, including works from our Youth Advisory Board (YAB), Contemporary Classrooms, and our teen open call. Our Youth Advisory Board chose the title and themes of the exhibition, as well as selecting works from the open call. This year, our Contemporary Classrooms program was a partnership between SoEx and Patricia Copeland’s art classes at George Washington. The exhibition is an exploration of identity through drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture.

Residual Threads is about the layering of frayed fringes, fragmented phrases, woven together cultures, structures of faith, mismatched patch work, odes to the matriarch, the tranquil life, and hidden realness. At the heart of this exhibition is the throughline of perseverance, self-reflection, and self-preservation.

The opening reception will take place on May 10, from 5 – 7 PM. We are inviting folks to bring a dish for a community potluck. Residual Threads will run from May 10 – May 25, Tuesdays – Saturdays, 12 – 6 PM.

Mission Voices Summer (MVS) is a FREE four-week intensive arts program for artists 14-19 years old. MVS focuses on arts-based community development by bringing local artists and teens together to create multi-disciplinary projects, as well as a group art exhibition which will be open to the public!

The deadline to apply for MVS is July 8! The MVS program runs July 8 through August 1, Monday through Thursday from 12pm-3pm.

The MVS application is at the link in our bio! For any questions about the MVS program, please contact Simon Tran, Artists in Education Programs Manager, at: [email protected]

Put down the knitting needles and come help weave together the fabric of our arts community with Residual Threads, a teen group exhibition presented by Southern Exposure’s Artists in Education Program. Join us in celebrating the incredible work of youth artists in our community!

There will be an opening reception for Residual Threads on Friday, May 10, from 5 – 7:00 PM. Please bring a dish for the potluck!

Residual Threads will run from Friday, May 10 through Saturday, May 25. Southern Exposure’s gallery space is open Tuesdays – Saturdays, from 12 – 6:00 PM.

Thank you for spending a couple hours in the future with us 💕 We hope that the magic of 2074, whether it was found in our photobooth, a piece of art, or in the spirit of community, will help inspire you over the next fifty years.