New Art Exhibit About Life in San Francisco Comes to SOMA

I’ve come across I Live Here: SF a few times in the past, but it wasn’t until its creator, Julie Michelle, contacted me to see if I would be interested in promoting an upcoming exhibit that I really dove in.

I Live Here: SF is a very interesting project that combines beautiful photography with written word in an effort to explore life in this great City. It’s not about hipsters or yuppies or any other subculture you can think of. It’s about you and me.

It’s about Gloria, who grew up in a large family, “in a time when life was much simpler.”

It’s about Liz, who happily jumped in a tree to show how comfortable she feels in her new home, less than a year after moving here. I’m rather new here, myself, and I feel a connection to her story without even knowing her.

I stood on the edge of morning light and water at Ocean Beach, holding my shoes. My bare feet shivered happily on the damp sand. I looked with great content at the waves and thought to myself, “I don’t know if I’m allowed to say ‘I live here’ yet.”

I’m coming up on my 1 year anniversary with this city called San Francisco. The way people talk about this city… it’s got it’s own distinctive personality. I never met a city with so much! A dame, a bum, a queen, gender? How do you describe a city so in your face, brash, slightly crazy, beautiful in a weather worn way, and shy, hiding its treasures… I’m only just starting to feel like maybe we’re friends. After all, I just biked all the way from the Mission to Ocean Beach and didn’t feel lost once.

There are countless stories from all walks of San Francisco life, waiting for you to discover. Whether you’re born and raised, or a migrated newbie, you’re likely to find some sort of philosophical understanding of just what makes San Francisco so unique.

What’s even more interesting is that this project is open to anyone. If you feel you have a fascinating experience to share, you can contact Julie, set up a photo shoot and capture your story on her site.

I live here:SF is a photography/portraiture project that I began in March 2009. It is an exploration of the city through the visages and stories of the people who participate, and through it, I have learned so much about San Francisco and its myriad of nano-neighborhoods and micro-climates. Living here in San Francisco, and our communal attachment to the city, is the common thread for the work that I am doing.

My subjects are willing to share the nooks and crannies of the day-to-day places that mark their lives as well as glimpses into the way that San Francisco itself has become an integral part of their identities.

It has been Julie’s goal to create a retrospective exhibit off of I Live Here: SF for quite some time, and starting this Friday, November 5th, the concept will come to fruition at SOMArts (934 Brannan St).

SOMArts first ever Commons Curatorial Residency show will feature collaborative and individual work from resident artist/curator Julie Michelle as well as two featured artists, Chris Rusak and Rick Prelinger.

The exhibit kicks off with an Opening Reception on Friday from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., where you “will be able to rediscover your city through the stories, pictures and energy of your fellow San Franciscans!”

As Liz mentions so boldly at the end of her entry, the challenge of San Francisco “is not a bad thing. It’s an invitation to grow. There’s always room for growth. And there’s always that creativity surging just beneath the surface to tap into, if you dare…”

For more information about I Live Here: SF, check out the official website here. For information on the SOMArts Exhibit, check out SOMArts’ website here. To RSVP to the FREE Opening Reception on Friday, November 5th, head over to the Eventbrite Page Here.

*** For a really great interview with creator, Julie Michelle, check out SFist.