SF Agenda: Design and Arts Events in the Bay Area
Author:Dara KerrMassive desolate urban landscapes, sometimes dotted with one lone figure make Johnna Arnold’s large-scale photographs both eerie and captivating. The Traywick Contemporary gallery in Berkeley is hosting an exhibition of her recent work titled In/Finite Potential. Arnold’s images play with light and time as long exposures show freeways in motion and lightened up nights. Along with the photographs, Traywick Contemporary is also showing a video and sound installation created by Arnold. Runs from March 17 to May 18, Traywick Contemporary, 895 Colusa Avenue.

Kinetic Ring by Michael Berger. Courtesy of Velvet da Vinci.
Who thought iron and steel could be used to design intricate jaw-dropping jewelry? The new exhibition Ferrous at San Francisco’s Velvet da Vinci gallery proves it can be done. Sixty artists from around the world have their work on display at the gallery, which features shiny bold rings, rust-colored wired necklaces, abstract brooches, and more. Runs through April 14, Velvet da Vinci, 2015 Polk Street.

Diorama by Cindy Steiler. Courtesy of Campfire Gallery.
Cindy Steiler’s use of traditional craft materials, like quilting thread and lace, along with strange miniature animal masks make her 3D dollhouse-like dioramas completely intriguing. The Campfire Gallery is hosting Steiler’s first San Francisco exhibition titled Roots and Relics. In this body of work, Steiler uses vintage doll pieces and embroidery to examine her family’s traditions and tell her great grandparent’s tales. Runs through April 7, Campfire Gallery, 3344 24th Street.
San Francisco’s AIGA chapter is presenting a two-day conference on sustainability and design that is chock-full of some of the world’s visionary designers, artists, architects, urban planners, and social entrepreneurs. Dubbed Compostmodern, the goal of the bi-annual conference is to discuss design’s role in creating a more sustainable world. This year’s theme is resilience and helping to spur change rather than resist it. Compostmodern takes place March 22 to 23 at the Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon Street.