OUR STORY
The beginning....
The Drawing Room began as a storefront art studio and gallery originally located at 3260-62 23rd Street. This space opened in the fall of 2018, and continued its creative journey through December of 2021. In this space, we've put the "open studios" model into play and hosted Studio Renée Carlo as the resident artist, as well as hosted over 23 exhibitions of local artists work, various workshops, poetry readings, artist talks and live drawing events.
3260 23rd St
In late 2019, we acquired the keys to a much larger retail space (2675 Mission St) to activate and assist the building owner in finding a long-term tenant, while providing exposure to local artists. We were unaware of the impending arrival of COVID; however, having this additional space enabled The Drawing Room to continue hosting exhibitions for the public, albeit in a limited capacity. Additionally, we were able to accommodate an artist residency and a small summer camp as the space was large enough to safely support these activities. This ANNEX facilitated collaborations with Curated State/Courtney Norris and allowed us to host seven large, multi-media exhibitions, connecting us to over 150 new artists, numerous organizations, and a multitude of new collectors and supporters. We returned the keys in November of 2020.
Our smaller home and studio remained closed for several months due to COVID and a substantial renovation project that directly impacted our space, necessitating closure. Finally, in January of 2021, we resumed business and a full-time studio practice on 23rd Street.
2675 Mission St
In November of 2021, we found it necessary to reassess our location on 23rd Street. Various challenges throughout the year led us to the decision of seeking another permanent venue. High rents and personal hardships ultimately compelled us to close our doors in late 2021. However, the possibility of temporarily activating 780 Valencia emerged as an option. This temporary space allowed The Drawing Room to continue curating large and inclusive exhibitions while revitalizing that section of Valencia through the display of local art.
210 Clement St
Concurrently, we secured a permanent location on Clement Street, where Studio Renée DeCarlo and our smaller boutique gallery now reside.
780 Valencia St
Our ANNEX at 780 Valencia remained for 15 months, giving us the opportunity to host eight exhibitions focusing on environmental and social justice issues such as women’s body rights, as well as hosting a citywide high school art show. Over 1,400 visual artists and 450 musical performers were welcomed into the space to share their work and craft, engaging thousands of visitors. Notable acts such as the Golden Gate Symphony & Orchestra, The Community Music Center, Sarah Cahill, Diana Gameros, Sumi Lee, La Gente, Classical Revolution, Mauro Fortissimo, Elektra Schmidt and more graced our live music events.
Throughout this time and before COVID, we became partners with SFUSD as a “work based learning mentor”, allowing us to work with high school students, giving them job skills in the art and gallery environment. Known as "Understudies," these students have become essential to our programming and are a huge contributing factor in our need for large exhibition space - to create work experience for them. This collaboration emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things and our commitment to making art more accessible in our community's daily lives.
Our time at 780 Valencia was amazing, and when we left the space, it allowed us to shift our focus to Clement Street and elevate the programming and curation in that gallery. During our almost two years at 210, we've curated and hosted 10 exhibitions, showcasing the creative artworks of over 220 local, bay area artists.
599 Valencia
We're thrilled to announce the unveiling of our latest ANNEX project now located at 599 Valencia Street, positioned perfectly on the corner of 17th and Valencia Streets. Bathed in natural light from expansive corner windows, this particular space has been dormant for nearly four years. The family owned building asked the Drawing Room to help bring the corner and building back to life - which is exactly what we’ve done. We are breathing new life into the building, the street, the corridor and the Mission district. The inaugural and ongoing exhibition is aptly titled “HOME”. This exhibition is currently on view through February 11th, and will be immediately followed by WOMEN RISING.