Meet the Neighbors: White Walls Gallery

The neighborhood that the San Francisco City Center Hostel calls home is a true melting pot, and in our Meet the Neighbors series we've talked with the people behind the many businesses that give this 'hood so much flavor. From bars like Olive and Gangway to restaurants like Yemeni's and Hyde Away Blues, we've covered a lot of ground and now, we’re exploring the Tenderloin's creative soul at one of the oldest art galleries in a neighborhood filled with artists.

The beauty of the Tenderloin neighborhood is a lot like the street art that adorns its alleyways -- you have to know where to look for it. Tova Lobatz, director of White Walls Gallery, tells us that the art scene in the Tenderloin has really blossomed in the last decade. Once the lone gallery in the Tenderloin, White Walls Gallery has seen the neighborhood change a lot. Over the last few years, many more galleries and art spaces have opened up or moved here, so many that an open gallery art walk has been created to increase awareness about the thriving local art community in this part of town.

White Walls operates two additional galleries in the Tenderloin: Shooting Gallery, located next door, and 941 Geary. Together these three galleries promote a mixture of local and international art from emerging and established artists. White Walls is one of only a few galleries in country that specialize in urban contemporary art, or art from, or inspired by, the street. The genre evolved from a graffiti, or "tagging,"style of street art in the 1930s and 40s, according to Tova. The style has developed in sophistication over the years as the genre has slowing become mainstream. (For those interested in the evolution of the street art - and it's a fascinating subject - Tova recommends the documentary Exhibit Through the Gift Shop).

White Walls famously showcased the work of the popular graffiti artist Shepard Fairey, who created the iconic Obama "Hope" mural in Los Angeles. Shepard Fairey is one of the more prominent street-to-gallery artists in the urban contemporary genre.

Though White Walls and its sister galleries display art from all over the world, their own backyard - the Tenderloin neighborhood - produces a lot of street art and many artists call that area home. The 'Loin has always been creative and bohemia enclave, but in recent years an artistic scene has really started to emerge, cultivated by the handful of galleries in the area, and the neighborhood is now establishing itself as a bourgeoning arts district.

Art cultivates community, and the urban contemporary style especially focuses on the locale and the people behind a particular place. Having developed from a style of art found on the street, urban contemporary is a genre that reflects the political, cultural, and social climates of a specific area. By promoting this kind of art, White Walls Gallery is elevating street-based art to the level of fine art on a global scale. And on a local scale, they are making urban contemporary art more accessible to the community.

White Walls exhibits new art every month; the space is completely dedicated to a solo artist show, while its sister space, Shooting Gallery, hosts curated group shows. White Walls and Shooting Gallery are located at 886 Geary, just 3 blocks from the City Center Hostel. Their hours of operation are Tuesday-Saturday, 12-7 p.m. It's a gallery so it’s free to browse, but all of the work is for sale if you happen to have extra room in your suitcase for a little piece of the street!