Whats this? A new arts district? Four formerly downtown galleries have moved to the Potrero Hill area, along with one space (George Lawson) which has opened a second location there.

Plusses? Huge, sunny new spaces, fresh start, better lighting. Minuses? Out of the way, far from young spaces, institutions and non-profits. To be frank, I’m a bit dubious about the whole affair, but am definitely a well-wisher. Here are some impressions from Curiously Direct on the current batch of shows at each.

George Lawson Gallery//Erin Lawlor= Solo show of paintings in Lawson's second SF space. As ambitious as having two spaces is, the new gallery felt modest and reasonable in scale and layout, possibly the best of the new spaces. Lawlor's large grey abstractions composed of huge strokes of color slipping into and out of each other across the picture plane are quite good, all together this show was a pleasant surprise as I'm not sure I ever went to the old space (something that feels like an oversight now).

Jack Fischer Gallery//Ward Schumaker: Years of Pretty= Solo show, first show in Fischer's new space. It may have just been the dominance of natural light, but I am glad to see the space not lit as yellow as the previous location; as for the show, it fit the gallery's aesthetic: painterly, expressionistic, sort of 'dark' in places, a little heavy handed etc., it didn't stick or create much of an impression.

Hosfelt Gallery//Stefan Kürten: Tonight and the Beautiful Future= Solo show of paintings by the artist, tightly painted in a similar sephia-toned palette, slightly impressionistic renderings of various architectural scenes. There are a ton of works in this show, row after row of these images which added to their eerie effect, like the rows of pictures in The Shining. But, whatever unease they imbue didn't keep them from being snapped up. Their innocuity and plentitude kept me from really caring about any of them as individuals.

Catharine Clark//This is the sound of someone losing the plot= Group show inaugurating the gallery's new Potrero location of artists from the CCA program. There are good works here, but as the curator and one of the artists works with me, and there was an intense crowd (which must have been encouraging for the gallerist) making the works with sound hard to watch, its hard for me to review my experience. I was glad to see a suite of new works by Lauren Marsden, images of a courtroom illustration transported into other environs, and the film loop Gareth Spor made in collaboration with the imagery of Piero Passacantando, receding endlessly. Worth a visit on a quiet Potrero afternoon.

Brian Gross//Ed Moses: Yesterday's Tomorrow= Solo show of huge works by Moses. Easy enough on the eyes, I found a few of the paintings intriguing enough but am not a fan of the artist's practice. The painting equivalent of countless photographs of patterns in rust or peeling paint, the effect of these forms drafted into the service of abstraction is underwhelming with little else going on beyond the dazzle of the scale and simple colors. Gross's space is nice enough, a massive upgrade over his last location, and with a room to hang and even larger room (larger than most galleries) to store and sell his well collected artists' work its clear what the focus is here.

Tuesday:
+ Amie Siegel, Enrique Metinides, John Menick, Kelley Walker, Martin Boyce, Michel Auder, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Slater Bradley, Yelena Popova "City of Disappearances" curated by Elizabeth Neilson, Joseph del Pesco at CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts (Kent and Vicki Logan Galleries)

Wednesday:
+ Chto Delat, Keren Cytter, Mona Hatoum, Richard Billingham, Ryan Trecartin, Valérie Mréjen "Fault Lines" curated by Constance Lewallen at Kadist Art Foundation
+ Screening: Omer Fast "Fault Lines - a special screening of "Continuity" (2012) by Omer Fast" at Kadist Art Foundation

Thursday:
+ Benefit: "FIVE: A Fall Season Launch" A benefit for Art Practical, honoring Ana Teresa Fernandez and Rebecca Solnit at Gallery 16
+ Sanya Kantarovsky "Monday's Dirty Light" at Altman Siegel
+ Alicia Mccarthy, Barry McGee, Chris Johanson, Margaret Kilgallen, Ruby Neri "ENERGY THAT IS ALL AROUND » Mission School: Chris Johanson, Margaret Kilgallen, Alicia McCarthy, Barry McGee, Ruby Neri" curated by Natasha Boas at San Francisco Art Institute

Saturday:
+ David Wilson, Jonn Herschend , Josh Faught, Zarouhie Abdalian "2012 SECA Art Award" at SF MOMA
+ Blake Gibson, Brittany M. Powell, Kate Rhoades, Laura Fischer, Monique Lopez, Ryan Carrington, Sara Dykstra, Shelley Monahan, Steven Vasquez Lopez, Terry Powers, Tim Power, Yvonne Escalante "Introductions 2013" at Root Division

Tuesday, September 10

+ Amie Siegel, Enrique Metinides, John Menick, Kelley Walker, Martin Boyce, Michel Auder, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Slater Bradley, Yelena Popova "City of Disappearances" curated by Elizabeth Neilson, Joseph del Pesco at CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts (Kent and Vicki Logan Galleries)
Potrero Hill: 360 Kansas Street, Free, 6:30-8:30pm

Wednesday, September 11

Danae Anderson "The Conversation" at Andrea Schwartz Gallery
SOMA: 525 2nd Street, 5:30-7:30pm

+ Chto Delat, Keren Cytter, Mona Hatoum, Richard Billingham, Ryan Trecartin, Valérie Mréjen "Fault Lines" curated by Constance Lewallen at Kadist Art Foundation
Mission District: 3295 20th Street, at Folsom Street, Free, 5-9pm

+ Screening: Omer Fast "Fault Lines - a special screening of "Continuity" (2012) by Omer Fast" at Kadist Art Foundation
Mission District: 3295 20th Street, at Folsom Street, Free, 8pm

Thursday, September 12

Brittney Cathey-Adams, Bryon Darby, Carter Johnston, Claire Laude, Dana West, David Gardner, David Lykes Keenan, Elisabeth Ajtay, Emily Fava, James Gilmore, Jennifer Georgescu, John Kobeck, Liz Steketee, Lucille Lawrence, Marcus DeSieno, Marna Clarke, Michael Darough, Michelle Rogers Pritzl, Mimi Plumb, Nicholas Eyes, Rachael Jablo, Roberta Neidigh, Ryan Darley, Shawna Gibbs, Steffanie Halley, Stephanie Brunia, Susan DeLeo, Susan Hyde Greene, Tommy Matthews, Zachariah Szabo "Me Myself & I" curated by David Hilliard at RayKo Photo Center (Liberty Park)
SOMA: 428 3rd Street, 6-8pm

Frank Yamrus "I Feel Lucky" at RayKo Photo Center (Liberty Park)
SOMA: 428 3rd Street, 6-8pm

Christine Collins, Clinton Perry, Colleen Mullins, Dane Pollok, David Gardner, Jackson Patterson, Jesse Hitchens, Judy Walgren, Nicolo Sertorio, Noelle Swan Gilbert, Riley Zaronsinski, Sean Dana, Susanna Frohman, Zachary Siddle-Manas "The Easiest Season" curated by Ann Jastrab at RayKo Photo Center (Liberty Park)
SOMA: 428 3rd Street, 6-8pm

+ Benefit: "FIVE: A Fall Season Launch" A benefit for Art Practical, honoring Ana Teresa Fernandez and Rebecca Solnit at Gallery 16
SOMA: 501 Third Street, $40 for launch party / $100 for VIP, 7-11pm

Ed Musante "Recent Paintings" at Paul Theibaud Gallery
North Beach: 645 Chestnut Street, Free, 5-7pm

Michael Beck "Objects of Desire" at Paul Theibaud Gallery
North Beach: 645 Chestnut Street, Free, 5-7pm

Caragh Thuring at Anthony Meier Fine Art
Downtown: 1969 California Street, at Octavia, floor 1, 6-8pm

Richard Learoyd "The Outside World" at Fraenkel Gallery
Downtown: 49 Geary Street, floor 4, 5:30-7:30pm

+ Sanya Kantarovsky "Monday's Dirty Light" at Altman Siegel
Downtown: 49 Geary Street, floor 4, Free, 5:30-7:30pm

Jacques Villegle "Théâtre, Cinéma, Music-Hall" at Modernism Inc.
Downtown: 685 Market Street, floor 2, 5:30-8pm

"The Sea Project" at The Popular Workshop
Downtown: 1173 Sutter Street, floor 1, 6-10pm

+ Alicia Mccarthy, Barry McGee, Chris Johanson, Margaret Kilgallen, Ruby Neri "ENERGY THAT IS ALL AROUND » Mission School: Chris Johanson, Margaret Kilgallen, Alicia McCarthy, Barry McGee, Ruby Neri" curated by Natasha Boas at San Francisco Art Institute
Russian Hill: 800 Chesnut Street, 7-10pm

"Urbane" curated by Anna-Lisa van der Valk at San Francisco Women Artists
Richmond District: 3489 Sacramento St., 5-7:30pm

Hans Burkhardt "Hans Burkhardt: Expressionism in the 1960's - Paintings and Drawings" curated by Paul Mahder, Peter Selz at Paul Mahder Gallery
Richmond District: 3378 Sacramento Street, Free, 6-9pm

Friday, September 13

Jud Bergeron "Becoming" at Mark Wolfe Contemporary
Downtown: 1 Sutter Street, floor 3, 5:30-8pm

Scott Patt "New Paintings" at Mark Wolfe Contemporary
Downtown: 1 Sutter Street, floor 3, 5:30-8pm

Artist Talk: "PhotoAlliance Lecture Series: Sage Sohier" with an Introductory Presentation by Frank Yamrus at San Francisco Art Institute
Russian Hill: 800 Chesnut Street, Lecture Hall, $10 general / $5 students with ID, tickets available at the door, 7:30pm

Eva Devon Soni, Kris Graves, Logan Caldbeck, Sandy Carson, Stephen Billick "East of Man, Eternally in Kodak" curated by Amanda Roscoe Mayo at Needles & Pens
Mission District: 3253 16th Street, 7-9:30pm

Omar Chacon "Ensayos" at Fouladi Projects
Hayes Valley: 1803 Market Street, 6-8pm

Saturday, September 14

+ David Wilson, Jonn Herschend , Josh Faught, Zarouhie Abdalian "2012 SECA Art Award" at SF MOMA
SOMA: 151 Third Street, Mission Street, Multiple Locations - Off-site, 5:30-7:30pm

Alec Huxley, Amy Katherine Minchew, Ania Tomicka, Archer Dougherty, Audrey Pongracz, Bradley Platz, Brenton Bostwick, Brianna Angelakis, Calvin Ma, Catherine Moore, Danielle Murray, Elizabeth Caffey, Erica Calardo, Helice Wen, Jackie Gallagher, Julia Blattman, Kassie McMahon, Kurtis Rykovich, Lacey Bryant, Lara Dann, Laura Buss, Leilani Bustamante, Mab Graves, Matthew J. Price, Richard J. Oliver, Terry Ribera, The Royal Loyals, Zofia Bogusz "Chronicle: Tales of the Sea" curated by Kim Larson at Modern Eden
North Beach: 403 Francisco st, san francisco ca, 1st floor, 6-10pm

Augustine Kofie "Structurally Sound" at White Walls
Tenderloin: 886 Geary Street, Free, 7-11pm

Ludo "New Works" at White Walls
Tenderloin: 886 Geary Street, Project Space, Free, 7-11pm

C215 "Zone de Confusion" at Shooting Gallery
Tenderloin: 886 Geary Street, Free, 7-11pm

Kevin Peterson "Merge Visible" at Shooting Gallery
Tenderloin: 886 Geary Street, Project Space, Free, 7-11pm

+ Blake Gibson, Brittany M. Powell, Kate Rhoades, Laura Fischer, Monique Lopez, Ryan Carrington, Sara Dykstra, Shelley Monahan, Steven Vasquez Lopez, Terry Powers, Tim Power, Yvonne Escalante "Introductions 2013" at Root Division
Mission District: 3175 17th Street, South Van Ness, Free, 7-10pm

Ben Venom "Piece of Mind" at Guerrero Gallery
Mission District: 2700 19th Street, Free, 7-10pm

Lucien Shapiro "Vessels" at Guerrero Gallery
Mission District: 2700 19th Street, Project Room, free, 7-10pm

Sunday, September 15

Closing reception: Alan Grizzell, Alexis Babayan, Andreina Davila, Ann Murphy, Audrey Jones, Bart Frescura, Cleo Vilett, David Fullarton, Dawline Oni-Eseleh, Deanna Fainelli, Ellen Coffey, Eric Sanchez, Frank Cole, Joanne Ludwig, Josh Winzeler, Kane Lynch, Kevin McLoughlin, Laura Lengyel, Luke Heimbinger, Mary Burger, Max Kaufmann, Maya Kabat, Megan Atherton, Tina Erickson "Scouting Oakland - Closing Tea" at Compound Gallery
Oakland: 1167 65th st., Oakland, CA 94608, Ground floor, 3-6pm

Monday, September 16

Artist Talk: Allan deSouza "Avatar Syndrome: Past Imperative, Future Conditional" at UC Berkeley (Main Auditorium, Sutardja Dai Hall)
Berkeley: Near Hearst Street, 3rd Floor , Banatao Audiotorium, Sutardja Dai Hall, Free, 7:30-9pm

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