2793 16th Street at Folsom, now King's Refrigeration

Exhibition: 1975-76 Art Institute Annual (12th September 1975-27th August 1976)

Description

The San Francisco Art Institute had an annual exhibition every year that was important to the community because artists curated it. It was called the Art Institute Annual, and it was usually a month-long exhibition. In 1976 it was literally an annual. I organized it that year and I invited six other artists to act as curators. We took turns inviting artists, and each invited artist put up a show for a week in a rented storefront space on Sixteenth Street. (Marioni 2003: 123)

The 1975-76 Art Institute Annual took place in a politically and visually neutral space: a rented storefront in the industrial part of San Francisco (16th and Folsom). The exhibition was conceived as a year long show, each artist in the show using the space for one week. Every Friday night was set aside as the opening for a show – usually the shows were only open Friday nights. The key to the space was passed from artist to artist. The exhibiting artists were chosen by the Annual Committee (curators) made up of Tom Marioni, Barney Bailey, Terry Fox, Howard Fried, Paul Kos, Stephen Laub and Bonnie Sherk. Every week one of us invited an artist to use the space to make and exhibition. Each artist received a $25 contribution toward expenses, and the use of video equipment if needed. “The Annual” was designed to run itself (more or less). It provided an ongoing, artist-curated situation. There was always something to do on Friday nights. (Marioni 1976, pages unnumbered)

Curator(s): Tom Marioni, Barney Bailey, Terry Fox, Howard Fried, Paul Kos, Stephen Laub, Bonnie Sherk.

Participants: Richard Apert Fred and Judy Auda Dianne Blell Kathan Brown Kevin Costello Peter D’Agostino Paul Forte Joel Glassman Suzanne Helmuth Suzanne Lacy Masashi Matsumoto Linda Montano Jock Reynolds Nina Wise John Woodall. 30 Motion.