Dear Friends,

Thanks and congratulations to the whole SF Camerawork community for a creating a wonderful Benefit Auction and for bringing joy and generosity to our first in-person fundraiser in years!

50 artists contributed works to this year’s auction, represented both independently and by more than a dozen partner galleries here in the Bay Area and across the country. Together, with your bids, we raised over $150,000 dollars, with artists opting in to up to a 40% commission on art sales totaling $25,000 distributed directly to artists. No small thanks goes to one of our most successful host committees to date, who raised nearly $40,000 early on.

As one of the newest members of the SF Camerawork team, I have been impressed to no end by the dedication of our community to the photographic arts and Bay Area artists. Without your support, we could not maintain initiatives such as creating a sparkling new home at Fort Mason, providing free exhibitions and critiques, and doubling or even tripling our artist fee schedule since reopening in 2022. Your contributions sustain us as we continue to rebuild and expand our programming and partnerships.

If you missed an opportunity to bid or donate, we still have options for you. Certain auction lots are still available. Please inquire directly for a list of works on hand, or to be connected directly with an artist if you were outbid on a favorite ;)

Additionally, if you missed the Paddle Raise, read info on our virtual paddle raise below, and donate using the button on this page!

in gratitude,

Aay Preston-Myint
Executive Director, SF Camerawork

WHAT YOUR CONTRIBUTION CAN DO:

$100

BOOSTING OUR ARTIST COMMUNITY

$100 is the value of an artist membership for SF Camerawork. As part of revamping our membership program, we have made memberships sliding scale from $50-100 for working artists. Your support helps pay it forward for emerging artists that need access to our critiques, member programs, and other member services.

$250

SUSTAIN TEACHING ARTISTS

$250 is the current rate for an esteemed guest artist to lead one of SF Camerawork’s member critique sessions. Your gift helps make free and accessible critique sessions available to artists in San Francisco and around the world, maintaining the backbone of our member programs. You’ll also help SFC work towards a leading position in supporting artist fees above the bottom line.

$500

SUPPORT ART EDUCATION

$500 can create a scholarship to cover class fees for SF Camerawork’s multi-week workshops. As we prepare to bring back our celebrated workshop series in 2024, your support will keep our educational programming equitable, making access to training by art professionals available to all.

$1000

GROW AND LEARN TOGETHER

$1000 brings together a group of artists for a live program like a panel, studio tour, or exhibition walkthrough. Your contribution will support in-depth and intimate conversations among artists, curators, and critics, create deeper connection between us, the work and the artists, and foster the SFC community’s appreciation for art.

$2000

SUPPORT ACCESS AND OUTREACH

$2000 can take one of our live programs and make it accessible! Your gift helps create widespread access to art and ideas through live streaming, captioning, and interpreting technology for our immunocompromised, disabled, and national/international audiences. Accessible programs benefit us all.

$3000

FUND NEW WORK AND COMMISSIONS

A gift at this level provides an artist fee for a solo show or to commission new work by a local artist. Since taking the helm at SFC in January, our executive director, Aay Preston-Myint, made raising artist fees our first priority. SFC’s entire fee schedule has been revised, resulting in artist payments sometimes doubling or tripling the industry standard for organizations our size. Support the creation of new photographic work directly and keep local artist practices sustainable buy helping fund new commissions.

$5000

LIFT UP THE NEXT WAVE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTISTS

Directly support even more work and creativity, by helping fund the awards for a new cohort of FORECAST artists, our annual juried show of new photographic work. Contribute to the next generation of imagemakers with a donation of $5000. Keep Camerawork’s legacy alive as the first look at new talent in the field, and you can say you were there to see the next star on the rise.

2023 BENEFIT AUCTION CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS:

Jonathan Calm, Stanford University, Assistant Professor Art & Art History, SF Camerawork Board President
Dave Elfving, User Experience Design, Strategy and Storytelling Consultant, SF Camerawork Board Member
Brooke Farrington, Artist, Photo and Art Director, SF Camerawork Board Member
Alexis Gordon, UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Individual Giving Officer, SF Camerawork Board Member
Jamil Hellu, Artist, Stanford University, Lecturer
with
Joanna Knutsen, SF Camerawork, Gallery Manager
Aay Preston-Myint, SF Camerawork, Executive Director
Ariela Putterman, SF Camerawork, Auction Manager

AUCTION HOST COMMITTEE
Jonathan Calm & Matthew Horridge
Ciel Creative Space
Katie Colendich
Renaikha Cruz Fermin
Binh Danh
Ms. Drusie Davis
Dave Elfving
Anne and Peter Griffes
Kathleen Hormel
Katie Hall and Tom Knutsen
Susan Malone
Wes and Kate Mitchell
Sharon Tanenbaum
Katherine & Jeff Thompson

IN-KIND SPONSORS

Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture
Minnesota Street Project Art Services
Hill Family Estate
Lagunitas Brewing
Pacific Vine International
Michael Thompson Framing
St Hildie’s
Spot Design
Sterling Art Services

SF Camerawork 2023 Benefit Auction

Our virtual Paddle Raise continues!

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Team Members