Press - Media

San Francisco Bay Times

Bringing “creative joy and queer spirits.” Castro Art Mart every 1st Sunday of the Month 

Written by Rink Photography. Published August. 24, 2024

The San Francisco Standard 

Meet the Man Injecting Art and Culture Into San Francisco’s Commercial Corridors

Written by Kevin Truong Published Sep. 23, 2022 • 1:52pm

ABC 7 News  

Keep them alive’: SF small businesses face holiday season economic challenges.

By Cornell Barnard  Sunday, December 3, 2023

San Francisco Examiner 

Art Walk SF brings creatives and commerce together, one neighborhood at a time

By Melissa Hartman Examiner staff writer  Updated  

Secret San Francisco 

This Monthly Art Market Hosts Local Vendors And Live Performances In The Castro

DANA FLYNN – STAFF WRITER  

San Francisco Bay Times  

Castro Winter Wonderland  

by Rink Published on December 7, 2023

San Francisco Bay Times  

Merchants’ Family Pride to mark Pink Sat. in Castro

by John Ferrannini, Assistant Editor Wednesday June 21, 2023

San Francisco Bay Times  

Pride Block party in San Francisco celebrates unity, boosts local businesses

Press Releases

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

San Francisco, CA – June 12, 2024

 

The Irving St Fest-A-Rama will occur on Saturday, June 8th, from 12 to 5 p.m., on Irving Street, San Francisco, between 19th and 22nd Avenue.

 

The festival’s 1st edition will showcase live music, DJs, Belly Dance performances, and Dragon dance, as well as local artists and small businesses on Irving Street offering special deals, sales, and promotions.

 

It’s a great opportunity for visitors to enjoy and experience the local culture and community.

 

“We are excited to bring this festival to the Irving Street community and showcase the talent and creativity of our local artists and small businesses,” said the organizers.

 

So mark your calendars and get ready to participate in this fun-filled event. Don’t miss out on the Irving St Fest-A-Rama on Saturday, June 8th, from 12 to 5 p.m., on Irving Street, San Francisco, between 19th and 22nd Avenue.

 

 We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Presented by ArtyHood and sponsored by various non-profits and community organizations, including the Outer Sunset Merchant & Professional Association, Self-Help for the Elderly, SF New Deal, Hole in the Wall Pizza on Irving, Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs, and the American medical group, this festival promises to be the event of the year!

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

🌷 Honor Ēostre—the goddess of spring and fertility—and her sacred symbol, 🐰 the bunny, at San Francisco’s Easter EggStravaganza: A Castrorific Block Party! for kids of all ages: THIS Saturday, March 30, 2024 —-> 12-6pm, free, ALL AGES —> Noe St. @Market.

The day is a full bounty of costume contests: Spring SuperKid (kids), Best B*tch (dogs/pets), & Easter Fabulosity—$500 CASH PRIZE (adults), with celebrity judges and thousand$$$ in prizes! ALL finalists get prizes from our generous sponsors.

Celebrate this joyful new season with us, and soak in queerific LGBTQ+ performing & creative arts! 🎨🎉! 👘, DJ/dancing 🎧, and EggCellent epic dragsters of delight in the first preliminary round of the fabulous Castro Dragster of the Year contest! 🎉. 

Enjoy shopping at dozens of EggStreme artist booths while the kids have fun with: Drag Story Time 📖, Easter Egg hunting, kid-friendly petting zoo, bunny photo-ops, our Passport Bunny Hop 🐣🐇, and their own Spring SuperKid costume contest. Your dog can vie in the pet’s costume Best B*tch (dogs/pets) 🐶 contest.—ALL finalists (kids / pets / adults) get prizes from our generous sponsors!

Emcees & DJ: 

    • Our stage will embrace the majic, inform and inspire with wish-granting dragsters of delight led by our spell-conjuring emcees Per Sia, Fudgie Frottage, & Mary Vice! 
  • Per Sia is an iconic Esta Noche veteran; and the first and regular performer in the nationally acclaimed Drag Queen Story Hour as well as an educator in residence at the Children’s After School Arts (CASA) program in San Francisco, @Per_Sia
  • Mary Vice has a background in burlesque, and drag fashion infusing performances with old school glamor and seduction. With her drag mother, Mr. David Glamamore, she hosts Pillows at Powerhouse, and also emcees SF’s longest-running drag show, Hot Boxxx Girls at Aunt Charlies. @ItsMaryVice
  • Fudgie Frottage San Francisco’s drag king pioneering performer, event producer & man about town with the biggest balls in the business. @FudgieFrottage
    • DJ Sergio Fedasz loves to dj, and his milkshake brings all the boys to the yard! From GoBang, Deco Lounge to F8, drag brunches, queer sex parties, Castro bars, SOMA leather and bear bars, and whenever a raging dancefloor calls to be worked out. Come to dance, smile, or see photos of his cat. @SergioAudio

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The Castro Merchants are committed to supporting our businesses while welcoming everyone to San Francisco’s most iconic neighborhood!

Brought to you by @castromerchants, @sfoewd, Co-hosted by @dubocetriangleneighborhood, Organized by @artyhood_sf

#TheCastro #WonderKid #CastroHolidays #ArtyHood #StreetFair #BlockParty #lgbtqFamily #dragsters #majick #AllAges #LGBTQartists  #sanfrancisco #bayarea #instagay #instaqueer #Instaart #artwork #ArtShow #ArtistsinSF #LocalArt #FunCheapSF

This is a smoke-free event.

Featured Artists & Installations:

    •  
  •  is on deck to ring our jingle bells and make the Yuletide gay! @TurnerTweaka
  • Ma Shugganuttz is a San Francisco / Oakland based dragster always looking for new challenges. Known as The Eternal Hostess, she is sweet, and quick with a fierce side eye. Some of the shows she works on are Polesexual, Fan-DUMB and Cocktailgate. @FrightenGale
  • Linda Summers, Miss Castro Country Club 2022-3 and Miss Gay San Francisco 2020-1, her favorite colors are yellow, orange, and white—the aura of the giant fireball in the sky—because she loves dancing under the sun to feel the heat! From big smiles to death-dropping she loves giving and helping build communities. @MissLindaSummers
  • The Grinch luckily had his heart grow much bigger and will visit for photo-ops with anyone from Whoville.
  • Santa has promised to stop by as well to offer holiday cheer & hope.
  • Holiday ArtBazaar has local artists unique creations for all your gift-giving needs!

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With the dawning of Spring, we honor Ēostre (Austrō(n))—the goddess of spring and fertility—and her sacred symbol, the bunny, by holding our Easter EggStravaganza: A Castrorific Block Party & the 1st Annual Bunny Convention for EggCited kittens (baby bunnies) and adults alike. Nature’s divine providence to regenerate and create—rebirth & renewal marks the moving into the light from the darkness of winter, and we celebrate with flair, art & costumes!

Feast on over thirty EggStreme artist booths for your art shopping while the Kitten Zone (noon-3p) entertains the little hoppers with Drag Story Time, Easter Egg / kids’ Passport Bunny Hop & our kids’ costume contest. Dogs are welcome too! They can enter the pet’s costume contest! Adults have Easter Fabulosity costume contest all three costume contests with thousand$$$ in prizes. 

DJ/dancing all day, and EggCellent dragsters of delight with the first preliminary round of Castro Dragster of the Year!!!

Sexy Elf contest:

After you visit our Passport Merchants, check in to claim your prizes and get ready for the legendary Sexy Elf contest with more prizes for the finalists, and $500 grand prize!

  • Create your Sexiest Elf costume and turn on your ho ho ho-ness, adding sparkling holiday cheer … convince the audience & our celebrity judges why you are the Sexiest Elf.  
  • “San Francisco loves creating stunning costumes so our celebrity judges will be looking for elves with supercharged flair!” advises Sister Kitty Catalyst, judge liaison. 
  • Every body is welcome. 

Sign up here:

https://forms.gle/7VexWMAJu9scaZvj8

****************

The Castro Merchants are committed to supporting our businesses while welcoming everyone to San Francisco’s most iconic neighborhood!

This event is brought to you by:

  • Castro Merchants, Office of Workforce & Development, Organized by Artyhood SF—creating opportunities for artists to thrive, and Co-hosted by the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association.

#TheCastro #WonderKid #CastroHolidays #ArtyHood #StreetFair #BlockParty #lgbtqFamily #dragsters #majick #AllAges #LGBTQartists  #sanfrancisco #bayarea #instagay #instaqueer #Instaart #artwork #ArtShow #ArtistsinSF #LocalArt #FunCheapSF

This is a smoke-free event.

This event is brought to you by:

  • Castro Merchants , Office of Workforce & Development, Organized by Artyhood SF—creating opportunities for artists to thrive, and Co-hosted by the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



Noe St. ArtGasm—(Sunday, March 3, 2024—noon-6p)—The Castro’s Newest Queer Joy Block Party!

 

Noe St. ArtGasm, Market @Noe

Sunday, March 3rd, 2024. Noon-6p, all-ages, FREE (donations accepted)

 

San Francisco art-crawls to Noe St. ArtGasm Sunday March 3rd, noon-6p. Gaze in wonder, dance, and buy artworks from nearly thirty established and emerging artists. ArtGasm: (ärt-ga-zəm) intense excitement—especially of one’s psyche—upon experiencing art

 

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ArtyHood’s team of event wizard artists are again conjuring up a block party of unadulterated queer joy to infuse The Castro’s 1st Sundays-of-the-month with art to feed our souls (beginning in March 2024). Noe St. ArtGasm features DJ/dancing, dragsters and over two dozen artists booths to indulge your art buying & collecting urges. We kick off Sunday, March 3rd (noon-6p) to uplift queer artists and Castro small businesses all year long. 


 

ArtyHood Foundation (www.ArtyHoodSF.com) works to create and leverage opportunities to help artists thrive. Our non-profit loves to collaborate and turn almost anything into an art happening. Your tax-deductible in-kind, and cash donations are always welcome & appreciated.  

#ArtGasm #PopUpGallery #TheCastro #ArtyHood #majick #AllAges #LGBTQartists  #SanFrancisco #BayArea #InstaGay #InstaQueer #InstaArt #ArtWork #ArtShow #ArtistsInSF #LocalArt #FunCheapSF #GayArt

 

 

  • ArtGasm: (ärt-ga-zəm) intense excitement—especially of one’s psyche—upon experiencing art

 

To honor Black History Month the ArtyHood Foundation is proud to offer ArtGasm to support artists and help them thrive; connect them with art lovers, & the art supporting public to further their work and encourage more creative output. 

Our theme is Black Pride Heritage which is a nod to both: 

  • the broadly construed Black Experience, as well as 
  • the LGBTQ Black Pride movements to uplift our communities. 

People of color (POC) artists and/or subjects will be included to celebrate, illuminate, and honor—to borrow President Barack Obama’s phrase—the audacity of hope. Please join us and buy some art!

The Castro art-crawls to ArtGasm Friday February 2nd, 5-9p. Gaze in wonder, enjoy nibblies & drinkies, and buy from over 60+ artworks from established and emerging artists honoring Black Pride Heritage.

ArtGasm Pop-Up Gallery: 

  • Black Pride Heritage

2352 Market St., @Castro

  • Friday, February 2nd, 2024.
  • Opening Party—5-9pm, 
  • FREE (donations accepted)
  • Gallery: 
    • Sat (3rd) & 
    • Sun (4th)—2-8p

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ArtyHood Foundation works to create and leverage opportunities to help artists thrive. Our non-profit loves to collaborate and turn almost anything into an art happening.

  

****************

#ArtGasm #PopUpGallery #TheCastro #ArtyHood #majick #AllAges #LGBTQartists  #SanFrancisco #BayArea #InstaGay #InstaQueer #InstaArt #ArtWork #ArtShow #ArtistsInSF #LocalArt #FunCheapSF

  • ArtGasm: (ärt-ga-zəm) intense excitement—especially of one’s psyche—upon experiencing art

Opening Party—Fri. 5-9p, Jan. 5th w/DJ 

 

San Francisco’s Castro art-crawls to ArtGasm Friday January 5th, 5-9p. Gaze in wonder, enjoy nibblies & drinkies, and buy from over 60+ artworks from fifteen established and emerging artists. In Latino/a cultures a child transitioning to adulthood—often on their fifteenth birthday—is celebrated by their families with a party, so for our quinceañera, we likewise lift up these fifteen creative art souls.

 

ArtGasm Pop-Up Gallery: Quinceañera15

2352 Market St., @Castro

Friday, January 5th, 2024.

Opening Party—5-9pm, FREE (donations accepted)

 

Gallery—only THIS weekend

  • Sat (6th) & 
  • Sun (7th)—both days noon-6p.

 

Participating Artists:

    • Diego Gómez – Tenderloin-based multidisciplinary artist, muralist, and comic book artist. @DesignNurd
    • Uel RENTERIA – Multimedia artist, creator, and community builder. @UelRenteria
  • Zoë Mann – Glitter-brow’d, big mouthed San Francisco Queen. @ZoeArtPage & @HizoJob
  • vivid schisms – SF-based mixed media artist focusing on ink/textile/collage. @VividSchisms
  • Dimasaurus Rex – Castro’s pizza boy turned art gremlin. @DimasaurusRex
  • Lukamaru – Trans artist queering the lines between illustration and fine art. @LukaMaru.Art
  • Gallofornia – Creating art & clothing in SF since 1991. @PaulGalloSF
  • Vampire Frog – Painting in the streets educated me the most. @Vampire_Frog
  • Lindsey Machado – Bay Area artist giving permanence to special moments. @MachadoLindsey
  • Sarah Maloney – (they/she) a queer cartoonist and educator. @MaloneyDoodles
  • Oscar Graves – Gay 3-D, mixed-media assemblage/collage artist. @PhysiqueAndFantasy
  • FEOdome – Bay Area artist regurgitating experiences, pop culture and media. @FEOdome
  • Drea – I love to paint a positive reality into the universe. @DreaArtist
  • gaia wxyz – Black nonbinary comic artist, bassist, adjunct lecturer in Oakland, CA. @GaiaW.xyz
  • Nathan Foxton – INFJ painter here for that art life adventure. @Psychic_Chroma
  • JesseJae – San Francisco Psychedelic Erotica Artist & Tarot Reader. @JesseJae

 

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As we turn the page to a new year and new beginnings, the ArtyHood Foundation is proud to offer ArtGasm to support artists and help them thrive; connect them with art lovers, & the art buying public to further their work and encourage more creative output.

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As a special treat, art lovers get to see the newly installed creations of muralist & multidisciplinary artist Diego Gómez on the street-front and vestibule of the ArtGasm Pop-Up Gallery.

Diego Gómez is a Tenderloin-based multidisciplinary artist, muralist, and comic book artist. “Public art is essential to a vibrant community.” Murals outside include a Mexican Trans Goddess in Leather and in the gallery vestibule, two Hard-Femme Fetish Daddies.

****************

 

ArtyHood Foundation works to create and leverage opportunities to help artists thrive. Our non-profit loves to collaborate and turn almost anything into an art happening. Your tax-deductible in-kind, and cash donations are always welcome & appreciated.

  

****************

 

#ArtGasm #PopUpGallery #TheCastro #ArtyHood #majick #AllAges #LGBTQartists  #SanFrancisco #BayArea #InstaGay #InstaQueer #InstaArt #ArtWork #ArtShow #ArtistsInSF #LocalArt #FunCheapSF #GayArt

#DiegoGómez #DesignNurd #UelRenteria #ZoëMann #ZoeArtPage #HizoJob #VividSchisms #DimasaurusRex #Lukamaru #LukaMaru.Art #Gallofornia #PaulGalloSF #VampireFrog #LindseyMachado #SarahMaloney #OscarGraves #PhysiqueAndFantasy #FEOdome #DreaArtist #GaiaW.xyz #NathanFoxton #PsychicChroma #JesseJae