The Canvas Gallery

I enjoyed my visits at Canvas Gallery. Too bad it’s no longer existant. Definately amazed by some local art work. But sometimes there are just some strange bands, music, whatever playing and it’s hard to actually focus on whatever you may be doing (studying, reading, trying to look important, etc). I just didn’t think it was in the right area. At that corner with the traffic and stuff.

I miss this place.
Cup of joe? Got it.
Dessert? Got it.
Feel hungry and want more? Got it… sandwiches, salads, etc. Simple stuff.
Want music? Sometimes they had it.
Want open mic? They had that too.
Want to dance and drink? They had that after the dinner time.
Want a place to sit, read, play on the laptop, or just wander around to look at the local artists’ work? They had plenty of that.
It was a good concept, unfortunately it was losing money, and it had to close in ’07. It was a sad day.
Goodbye sweet memories.

Dear yuppies,
Thanks for coming in here every weekend and buying one cup of coffee then sitting around on your laptops for seven hours trying to look important thus keeping neighborhood people like me from being able to come by and order lunch and check out local artist’s work because there are no available tables thusly killing this amazing gallery space.
In the future please stick to the Marina and keep your beamers out of the Sunset.
Sincerely,
9^th Ave at Lincoln

I mourn the loss of Canvas. Not because the food was particularly good or well-​priced (it wasn’t)… not because the seating was especially comfortable (not)… and not because the parking was easy (never)… but because it was the closest thing to a neighborhood hangout that we Inner Sunset residents had.
The pluses: Free wi-​fi. Sitting there all day long, watching the world walk, drive or cycle by through the oversized windows. When on a study break, gazing at the ever-​rotating range of artwork.
Why it has a special place in my heart: I spent most of my time studying for the dreaded CA bar exam in Canvas… and passed on the first try. And now it’s gone. :(
The nit-​picky stuff: They used to kick you out when a «theme night» began. The theme nights were never very enjoyable or well-​attended, but it was a good idea. The ridiculously overpriced rabbit food. (Okay, I admit it, I used to sneak in food from better-​priced places across the street).
As a eulogy, may I speculate as to why Canvas was not profitable?
1. When you charge too much money for too little, mediocre food, people will basically buy a $ 1 iced tea, and nothing more, yet stay all day long. Occupying seat + meager patronage = no profit.
2. Half of the gigantic space was occupied with art. Did any of it sell? If not, high rent + slow art sales = no profit.
3. Free wi fi, when all other cafes in the area charge mucho bucks. Free wi fi + low patronage + sitting all day = no profit.
Anyway… rest in peace, Canvas. Did the Inner Sunset really need a new fish restaurant?

Went to the Canvas Gallery for their closing party last night, and realized how much I’m gonna miss this place. They had awesome drink specials and played lots of music from Holland (a fun combo if I ever heard one!).
This place was the place to go if you needed a place with a good wi-​fi connection/​coffee/​tea/​baked good/​lunch/​dinner/​beer/​alcoholic beverage/​place to listen to live music/​look at local art…
Well lets just say the Canvas had a lot of local flavor, and I’m sad to see it go. I doubt the chain fish restaurant moving in will add as much to the community.
RIP Canvas Gallery, you will be missed.

Canvas is/​was a great neighborhood spot giving bonus character points to the 9^th&Irving strip. Now it’s going to be replaced by a seafood restaurant. Just what the neighborhood needs, another restaurant. NOT!
One couldn’t ask for a better community oriented café/​gallery. Openings featuring Interesting popish art; free wireless …(as it should be); hot Salsa nights; Hip-​Hop gatherings; 1000 Cranes hanging from ceiling; live music, good café food; great Mochas; and a dang great place to get lost in the Sunday NYT on a foggy Sunset Sunday with a good cup-​o-​brew.
I paid my last rights on the weekend and unfortunately sat next to two Internet entrepreneur young-​gun, wannabes uttering the following:
StartupA: Dude, maybe they really don’t know how committed I am to this project. I’m willing to sleep at the office to make this happen.
StartupB: Cool. I’m going to miss this café. It was my favorite.
StartupA: Yeah, mine too. Dude you’ve gotta make them understand how committed I am to this.
Canvas: A place that could stir energy even from the mediocre.

WHAT!!! No more SalsaCrazy Canvas Parties!!!
My Eulogy *soft Tito Puente music playing and incense burning*
Once a month, Canvas would have a salsa night which was my FAVORITE salsa social. Salsa dancing here was perfect. *blowing nose* Canvas did not have the salsa club feel; it was very lax. The front area became a dance floor yet every so often people would spill out onto the sidewalk by climbing out the huge windows and start dancing. (Dancers are such showoffs;) *deep sigh*
The bar in the center was a perfect 360 view of all of the action. Also, the advanced level dancing around the perimeter was incredible. *warm smile* For those that needed a break or didn’t dance, there were tables and comfy couches to chill, not to mention all the artwork.
*long pause* I’m going to miss you. *feisty!* However, if you do come back reincarnated, can you have wood floors so that my shoes and ankles won’t get messed up from spinning?!!
RIP *head bows down*

I never came here more than three or four times in ten years but I’m going to miss Canvas. A large, unique, messy, slapdash of a bar /​coffeehouse /​event space /​gallery /​whatever.
Even if it’s everything I think is wrong in the youth art scene –
1. Art is unruly, nonchalant, and largely devoid of message or technique
2. Someone doing something cool? Let’s copy it, but without all the effort.
3. How much should I charge for my doodle? $ 2,000, that sounds fair. Wonder why I haven’t sold anything in three years except to mom?
4. Graffiti pen + common household object = art?
5. Do you want art with your alcohol?
6. Nothing like live art production and a DJ to bring out the artist in you
Still, it had personality. And a good wine selection.

Canvas don’t front. Don’t play me for a fool yo. You’re not a bar. You’re not an art gallery. You’re not a night club.
You’re a café. All the other identities confuse me. You’re getting to trendy for your own good and the attitude is getting to me. I need simplicity.
But it’s damn cool that you can get an alcoholic drink here.

The ambiance is nice at the Canvas — there are squashy couches that you can lean back on and stare at dangling artsy things coming out of the ceiling. It’s mostly a big space, airy… however, there is an area with low hanging leafy things near the windows which makes you feel like you’re in a more intimate setting than the general gallery.
There are interesting things to look at and listen to at the Canvas. That is good. I like interesting things.
There is also often live entertainment at the Canvas — I’ve been to a poetry slam, an improv show and (last night) a belly dancing performance… all very cool.
I like the vibe — it reminds me of coffee houses of yore before (wow, that rhymed!) the proliferation of Starbucks that has ruined the local coffee houses. I mean, couches! When’s the last time you went to a coffee shop that felt like a coffee shop instead of a pitstop on your way to somewhere else?
That’s the Canvas.
The service — eh — last night it took me ten minutes to get a glass of wine & then the young woman serving me was very confused about how to open the bottle… and, I’ve never been so ignored by a male bartender, ever… The menu is pretty decent and there is a full bar and coffee menu to select from… maybe the staff was just having an off night. Maybe not.
Chances are I’ll figure it out, as I’m sure that I’ll go back again soon.

I have only had good experiences at The Canvas… when I can get a seat. The place is vast, so I can’t really fault the management, but I would like to be able to get a table within five minutes on a weekend afternoon. I too have a dream.
Good coffee, good food, good service, good — if not limited — happy hour specials, and a great location with well designed interior. They offer coffee drinks and baked goods, but also have a full bar and a kitchen with a set menu and daily specials.
I fondly recall a rainy Sunday afternoon when the manager was struggling to position a riser in preparation for the evening’s entertainment, and all I did was offer to help him move it (a whole ten seconds of my life sacrificed) and he immediately went to the bar and grabbed me a beer on the house. What a gent.
They have free, speedy wireless and signs that threaten to shut off in the evenings, which I think is fair, since they try to make it a venue for local performers after dark, but I have usually found it left on.
Generally, during the day the place is full of folks on their laptops, and it seems to draw a lot of students including the UCSF crowd with their hefty medical exam review texts.
The art rotates on a regular basis, there is live entertainment every night of the week, not only limited to music, but also inclusive of comedy, poetry and more. One Saturday a month, they host a local art and craft trunk show of sorts where there is always a fun opportunity to browse and pick up oddities and gifts.
There is always something happening at the Canvas. I recommend checking it out any day of the week.

This is a great place to take a date. Its not that small — plenty of tables and chairs to sit. The art alone provides food for conversation, and they often have live music. Only downside is they seem to have private functions a lot.
there were some fridays nights where a club promoter was hosting a party at the Canvas. all the windows were fogged up and i could see teenyboppers grinding against the window.
not a pretty sight to see.
the canvas gallery’s owners should just keep it as a café not a club.
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im going to miss this place! its so sad the Canvas has to go. it was a great alternative for people to hang out, drink, use wi-​fi, listen to music and just relax instead of Tart to Tart.
you will be miss. :)

R.A.T.S. — Rachel And Ted’s Synopsis
I’m glad open-​mike comedy is free at Canvas café, because as mixed as the humor can get, I would return. SF is fortunate to have a slick venue to showcase some potential emerging funny guys and gals. Howeveeer, let me offer a suggestion to help pass the time at open-​mike.
My friend and I came up with a comedian rating sheet called R.A.T.S. (see first paragraph, patent pending). With a sheet of paper and pen, make a series of columns-​rows large enough to write numbers in the boxes. Write the comedians names horizontally across the top; and write the categories you will grade the comedians on vertically down the first column. My friend and I spontaneously created the below categories as the comedians did their routine:

Haircut
Facial Expressions
Body Posture
Political Humor
Phallic Jokes
Offensiveness
Cuss Word Usage
Sound Effects
Ethnic Jokes
Confidence
…the list goes on
After each comedy routine, you fill in the squares with a rating of 1 (yucky awful) to 5 (sweet funny). I guarantee you’ll get a kick out of creating your comedy spreadsheet. The comedians will feel good because you are smiling and laughing, and you’ll feel good because you are smiling and laughing.
Win-​Win situation.

After driving by this place a bajillion times through the years I was glad I finally made it in after a walk/​hike in Golden Gate Park. It reminded me of the ‘bars’ in Italy that are the true epitomy of what constitues a «bar» in my book. (A fully stocked coffee bar and alcohol bar) There were so many choices of food and dessert that I had trouble placing my order.
I looked around and realized ⁸⁄₁₀ people was sitting across from a laptop. I was admiring the wierd artwork on the walls and the orange oragami and enjoying the company of my friends and the perfection and comfort that is Canvas and wishing I lived in SF so I could frequent this establishment more often.
UPDATE: I was in SF this weekend and missed the closing… I thought it would be too sad to have to bid farewell: (

All in one recharging station. When youre hungry, need live music (definately need earphones if it’s not live since their overhead tunes suck), want to view contemporary art, have the urge to feel trendy yet casual and have a bad wireless signal at home, then come here. If not it’s easier to just go somewhere less crowded.
Right across the street from the Park, close walk to deYoung and Botanical Gardens.
Good parking in the park or lot on the side as long as you keep it short.

I really should come here more often.
I used to love coming by for their Spanish hot chocolate, y’know…the thick stuff you drink with spoon. More often than not, they would be out of it when I went there, making it even more elusive. And then I made the fatal mistake of asking them what makes it this way — corn starch. Ouch. That just killed the novelty of it. I wish I had never known.
It’s been awhile since I wondered in, and I couldn’t resist. I got the Spanish Hot Chocolate. Now, I wish someone reminded me that I had lost interest in it before. It just wasn’t sweet enough for me, and I remember thinking the same thing the last time I was there. (It just doesn’t taste the same as when I was in Europe, wishful thinking on my part, I know!)
So, why do I give it four stars then? Because it’s a fabulous place to lounge! It’s better than any Starbucks for sure! This time I spent the evening on a comfy couch discussing life, travel, love, heartbreak, and everything else that falls in between all of that.
You can eat real food here, order anything from Hot Apple Cider to wine, to their $ 2 Special Appletinis. With such a large selection of beverages, everyone will be happy in your group. You can sit at a table by the window, or lounge on a couch along the walls, or bring your laptop and enjoy their free wireless. It makes me ‘almost’ wish I had a working laptop so I could join the masses and Unilocal at the Canvas. And they even have special event nights with random performances and Open Mic nights. You can wander about and look at the interesting art that decorates this place.
Overall, it’s a pretty cool place without the pretentious crowd. I’m going to have to make a better effort of hanging out there. I was getting in a zone while chilling there.
Updated: 01÷12÷07 — Last night I heard the sounds of «Bingo» being shouted amongst the loud music and hum of voices. With free internet access (provided you bring your own laptop), this place can’t be beat! If I were sticking around longer, I would probably make The Canvas Gallery one of those places to meet up with friends and take over a table or two in a round of board games. It gets a bit drafty thought with the back exit door wide open, so try to find seats around the middle instead. I tried this cheesecake with chocolate chips and caramel as well as their Apple Crumb bar thing and both were pretty tasty. I think I may actually miss this place…

Not to sound mundane, but I absolutely adore this café/​art gallery with live music in the evenings. I love that it is just steps away from the Golden Gate Park… and just steps away from friends and friends around the corner.
This is the perfect stop or a place to meet up for a quick latte and something sweet from the desserts display. I recently shared a chocolate pound cake with a chocolate glaze and it was simple, soft, thick, and a perfect accompaniment to my equally smooth and creamy latte. I was in heaven.
Not to mention I’ve caught a friend’s performance here, so I support the music and art that is routinely displayed and sponsored.
Add in the typical weather pattern of this area, and it makes for a cozy spot to mingle with friendly people.

I loved the ‘space’ they created. 20,000 pieces of paper suspended from the ceiling was pretty cool (see pic). I’ve seen other places try to combine art gallery and café, but not as successfully as Canvas Gallery. I didn’t stay for their live music, but if you like more of a quiet café for talking, this place might get too loud later in the weekend evenings.
I wish they had more interesting desserts.

I give it a three star because:
1. the free wireless, although sometimes they turn it off during the night shift
2. the monthly urban fair
3. the interesting exhibitions, changes pretty often
4. free access to the restroom, well, maybe that is the reason why it is always messy
5. Cool events almost every night, especially the open mic. If you wanna go there to show your talent on their Wednesday night Open Mic event, better to go there to sign up as early as possible. The waiting list could go on to five pages.
I could give it a higher rate if:
1. they could remodel the floor
2. they could buy some new couches or at least clean the old ones
3. serve better coffee
4. have more electronic outlets
Maybe I just hang out there too much… Overall, it is nice place to hang out with friends, enjoy the sunny afternoon after a walk in the Park, surf the internet, write your thesis or paper, study, or just do nothing.

I live 3 doors away from this place and I can happily say «Good Riddance» to the Canvas Café. For 2 ½ years I put up with it’s loud obnoxious ghetto crowds that would come here on Saturday nights. In case you didn’t know already, Saturday is when the Canvas becomes a night club that overcharges the people stupid enough to go in there, only to then come out of the club and cause loud commotion on the streets… my window faces this street.
I have watched people get into fights, break up with each other, make out on my doorstep, puke on my doorstep and worst of all… defame property (once or twice my mailbox fell victim) out of boredom or because they thought it was cool.
Aside from clubbing, the art was so-​so, the staff was bitchy and the comedy nights they would have downright sucked horse nuts. Will I miss this Canvas? Absolutely not… I take that back, I’ll miss their decent coffee. That alone is the reason I awarded this place a second star.