Secret San Francisco Reveals The City Between Dusk and Dawn
Secret San Francisco Reveals The City Between Dusk and Dawn - “Looking for that single photo to tell the story of the night.”
July 28, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Francisco, CA
Contact: TODCO Group, todcoplanning@todco.org, 415-896-1880
S. Renée Jones, Gallery Manager, srenee@todco.org, 415-680-8855
Secret San Francisco Reveals The City Between Dusk and Dawn
“Looking for that single photo to tell the story of the night.”
San Francisco, CA (July 28, 2023) – “We met on Minna for the Thursday night journey, venturing into unknown streets and alleys. Looking for that single photo to tell the story of the night. Do you click the shutter, or silently walk away from what you saw in the shadow?” – Jerry Johnson
The 6th on 7th Gallery and Photography Workshop is gratified to announce the release of their new book, Secret San Francisco. The book features a collection of night images from various neighborhoods of San Francisco, taken by workshop participants from 1998-1999.
The project was inspired by Brassai’s classic series Paris by Night and was orchestrated by workshop founder Tom Ferentz. The images were created out of collaboration amongst the photography workshop participants, and a gallery exhibition was the result.
The book is designed by Kerim Harmanci, Gallery Associate and Photography/Editing Instructor, and features a forward by Allen Spore and an introduction by S. Renée Jones, Gallery Manager and Photography Instructor. It is available now at the 6th on 7th Gallery.
“We are so excited to share this book with the world,” said Kerim Harmanci. “It is a beautiful collection of images that capture the hidden beauty of San Francisco at night.”
“This book is a testament to the talent and creativity of our workshop participants,” said S. Renée Jones. “It is also a reminder of the importance of art and photography as a way to connect with our community and tell our stories.”
The 6th on 7th Gallery and Photography Workshop is located at 105 7th Street in San Francisco, California. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 1pm to 4pm. For more information, please visit 6thon7th.org.
“The Sixth Street Photography Workshop shares the art and skills of photography with residential hotel tenants, those living without housing, and others living below the poverty line. The Workshop’s mission is to awaken creative and artistic expression within individuals and to help those who are otherwise unempowered to develop a voice. Photography becomes a vehicle for analysis and expression so that workshop participants have both an outer voice for their community as well as an inner voice for themselves.
What distinguishes Sixth Street Photography Workshop from similar projects is that it involves adults. Participants are challenged to communicate the richness of their perceptions and understandings. In the Workshop, traditional subjects for photography control the tools of representation, focusing them on the outside world and on themselves. The work of the members is a creative and documentary expression of poor and disenfranchised adults.” – Tom Ferentz
Tom Ferentz founded and led the Community Arts Initiative which continues to be one of TODCO Group’s programs in alignment with the organization’s mission of community building and civic impact within San Francisco’s South of Market.
TODCO Group grew from a social movement of tenants and owners who joined forces to prevent the displacement of poor and elderly residents in SOMA in the late 1960s and 70s. Now TODCO Group is an affordable housing developer with over a 50-year track record of improving the lives of South of Market residents. Today TODCO Group owns and manages 8 properties in SOMA, with 950 units, that provide affordable housing to 1,400 tenants.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Tom Ferentz | S. Renée Jones | Jerry Johnson | Barry Cunningham | Allen Spore | Sharon Cruz-Reidboard | Dale Felder | Chris Axley | Fred Verhoeven | Joseph Bolden | Mark Riggs
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Jerry Johnson, Allen Spore and May Mei Chong for their written contributions to this project.
Grants provided by our friends at:
California Arts Council
Walter and Elise Haas Fund
San Francisco Arts Commission
Zellerbach Family Foundation
