New Exhibition at San Francisco City Hall Showcases New and Recent Work by Photographers Responding to the Political, Cultural, Environmental, and Personal Events of the Past Five Years

SAN FRANCISCO, Decemmber 17, 2024 — The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) Art in City Hall program, in partnership with PhotoAlliance, are proud to present Metaphors of Recent Times: A Dialogue of the Personal, the Political and the Cultural, an exhibition that features artwork from PhotoAlliance’s INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 portfolio, alongside works by 24 artists who have created work in response to the portfolio.

Metaphors of Recent Times will be on display on the Ground Floor and North Light Court at City Hall through June 20, 2025. The exhibition features a wide range of incisive visual perspectives from artists of diverse identities and backgrounds, each responding to the issues of our times.

A public reception to celebrate the opening of the exhibition will be held on the Ground Floor of City Hall on Thursday, January 16, 2025, from 5 – 7 p.m.

“PhotoAlliance has been a vital force in the local arts community for over 20 years, providing a platform for photographers to engage with and reflect on the world around them,” said Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs. “The Arts Commission is proud to collaborate with PhotoAlliance to present this timely and thought-provoking exhibition at City Hall. Metaphors of Recent Times highlights how art can serve as both a mirror to our current socio-political landscape and a powerful catalyst for activism and change.”

The exhibition’s themes are rooted in PhotoAlliance’s 20th Anniversary portfolio of limited edition prints by local, regional, and international photographers. Curated by PhotoAlliance founder and creative director Linda Connor, the set of 20 prints was conceived as a distillation of the creative responses artists have made to the upheaval seen in our political, cultural, environmental, and personal spheres in recent years. INSIGHT/INCITE captured images of hope, challenges, resilience, and humanity and included work from renowned photographers such as Binh Danh, Mercedes Dorame, Lewis Watts, J. John Priola, Amanda Marchand, Adrian Burrell, among many others.

Metaphors of Recent Times expands on the themes of INSIGHT/INCITE and includes new work that respond to the themes explored in the portfolio. The artists included were juried by photographers Linda Connor, Lewis Watts, and exhibition curator Beth Davila Waldman from a pool of 128 artists who responded to a call for artists held in the fall of 2024. Artists were asked to submit a trio of images that would expand and deepen the dialogues provoked in INSIGHT/INCITE.

“The inspiration behind Metaphors of Recent Times was compelled by the desire to provide an extended platform for the various themes and concerns voiced by the INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 portfolio,” says exhibition curator Beth Davila Waldman. “The call for artists really showed how resonant these themes are, and we are excited to highlight the spirit of our city’s inclusivity with a group of emerging and established artists, combined with the impact of presenting this selection of work in San Francisco’s City Hall.”

“We are thrilled to collaborate with PhotoAlliance on this exhibition,” states Carolina Aranibar-Fernandez, SFAC Director of Galleries and Public Programs. “Metaphors of Recent Times provides a lens into the complexities of our time, capturing the turbulence of recent years while simultaneously highlighting hope and resilience. Through the camera, eyes of local, regional, and international artists, the work reminds us of the importance of capturing these stories.”

The exhibition will feature work by Pablo Tapay Bautista, Renee Billingslea, Barbara Boissevain, Kennedi Carter, Mima Cataldo, Yu-Chen Chiu, Katie Cofer, Mark Coggins, Izzy Cosentino, Kelly Fogel, David Gardner, Stuart Goldstein, Christine Huhn, Judi Iranyi, Strele Laurin, Anni Lopponen, Darcy Padilla, Eric Robertson, Lance Shields, Nina Sidneva, William Mark Sommer, Liz Steketee, Rusty Weston, and Harry Williams.

Works from the INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 folio are by Wesaam Al-Badry, Lisa K. Blatt, Leon Borensztein, Adrian Burrell, Jessica Chen, Sarah Christianson, Marna Clarke, Linda Connor, Binh Danh, Mercedes Dorame, Ed Drew, Germán Herrera, Marie-Luise Klotz, Wayne Levin, Amak Mahmoodian, Amanda Marchand, Paccarik Orue, J. John Priola, Zack Schomp, and Lewis Watts.

EXHIBITION DETAILS 
Metaphors of Recent Times: A Dialogue of the Personal, the Political and the Cultural
January 16 – June 20, 2025
San Francisco City Hall
Ground Floor and North Light Court
1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102
Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public

Public Opening Reception Details
Thursday, January 16, 5 – 7 p.m.
San Francisco City Hall, Ground Floor
1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102
No reservation required. Free and open to the public

Public Programs
A series of public programing events will be held throughout the run of the exhibition. Details are being finalized and will be posted on the SFAC Galleries webpage.

Curator Walkthrough
Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 12:00 p.m.
San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, CA 94102

Join exhibition curator Beth Davila Waldman for a special walkthrough of Metaphors of Recent Times. Meet in the North Light Court.

Artist Talk
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | 6:00-8:00 p.m. (Doors at 5:30 p.m.)
SFAC Main Gallery, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102

Join exhibition artists Pablo Bautista, Marna Clarke, and Germán Herrera for a conversation about their work and practice, moderated by Emily Wilson.

Photocollage Workshop
Saturday, May 10, 2025 | 1:00-4:00 p.m.
SFAC Main Gallery, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102
Space is limited. Email sfac.galleries@sfgov.org to register

Artist Liz Steketee leads a photocollage workshop in which she introduces the use of mixed media to enhance the photographic image.

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About PhotoAlliance
PhotoAlliance is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting the understanding, appreciation, and creation of contemporary photography. They foster community connections by hosting public lectures with noteworthy photographers, professional development through their portfolio review program, and inspiring workshops for artists of all backgrounds. PhotoAlliance is a no-membership organization, and their events have been a meeting place for the San Francisco Bay Area photo community since 2002.

About the San Francisco Arts Commission
The San Francisco Arts Commission is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy. Our programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Investments, Public Art, SFAC Galleries, and Art Vendor Licensing. To learn more, visit sfartscommission.org.