Art Pad SF

This is year 2 for ArtPadSF and it’s a happening little hive of hipness though still flying below the radar of most. The Phoenix Hotel-​based event spans 3 days during which each room of the Phoenix (upstairs and down) features art from one of 40 different exhibiting galleries representing emerging artists. Emerging here means young, edgy, and mostly undiscovered. It also means parr-​tee. Lots of hipsters hanging out on the upstairs landing, more surrounding the pool, and still more crowding the more popular rooms. It’s good though, we were all enjoying this crazy collection of art and the cocktails available to purchase on-​site.
There’s nothing quite like the inner-​city Phoenix, with its welcoming aquamarine pool, plastic orange pool chairs, and lush greenery, all right there on the edge of the Tenderloin. I think this event will get bigger and even more fun as the years pass and publicity grows. For now it’s just a cool event, especially late afternoon on a beautiful summer-​like day.
I don’t know how much tickets to this event cost as mine were free, provided by one of the dealers. To get into a show like this for free, check the event web site in advance and make contact with an exhibiting dealer whose work you like. They’re more than happy to comp you, sometimes even VIP you. Paying to view «for sale» art? Not on my watch.
Sun, cocktails, a pool, art… pretty perfect way to waste a day.