The Agenda: San Francisco Decorator Showcase, Peter Shire at MOCA, and DZINE Gallery Group Show
Author:Lindsey ShookHome Tour
San Francisco Decorator Showcase
The classic revival mansion at 2698 Pacific Street has been dropping jaws since 1904 when it was built to take advantage of sweeping hilltop views by famed architects Newsom and Newsom. Now, the Pacific Heights gem plays hosts to the 40th annual Decorator Showcase, benefiting San Francisco University High School’s financial aid program. Twenty-eight of the Bay Area’s top designers—including Beth Martin, Ian Stallings, and Catherine Kwong—lend a modern eye to the masterpiece, complementing period details in the 11,000-square-foot residence with their contemporary visions of grandeur.
When: Sat. 4/29–Mon. 5/29
Where: 2698 Pacific Ave., San Francisco
Exhibit
“Peter Shire: Naked is the Best Disguise”
When we say paint splatters, you think Jackson Pollock. But it just so happens that Los Angeles artist Peter Shire used the same signature move on the mugs and handcrafted earthenware he’s known for under the Echo Park Pottery moniker. A crucial figure in the postwar “post-pottery” movement, he also studied the teapot quite rigorously, and this survey has 20 examples of his touchstone form on display. The show looks at the artist’s work from the 1970s to the present and features design objects like tables, lamps, and chairs—including Shire’s famous Bel Air Chair—alongside sketches that shed light on his process.
When: Sat. 4/22–Sun. 7/2
Where: MOCA Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles
DZINE Gallery
Exhibit
During a time of such political upheaval, many artists are refocusing their practices to address controversial issues and current events, flavoring their pieces with their personal, spiritual, and political views. The show, curated by fine-art advisor Philip Bewley, invited a select group of local artists to join the conversation by producing new work exclusive to the exhibit. “Burning Bright” features thought-provoking work by such artists as Renée DeCarlo, Carrie Ann Plank, Stuart Gilchrist, and Lucky Rapp that’s an important contribution to the continued momentum in the fight against political injustices.
When: Fri. 4/28–Sat. 10/28
Where: DZINE Gallery, 128 Utah St., San Francisco
Opening
The folks behind Palm Spring’s famed Workshop Kitchen, which won a James Beard Award for outstanding restaurant design in 2015, have recently opened a new concept next door in the historic El Paseo building. The restaurant and bar is the basement-like counterpart to its sister restaurant’s bright, cavernous interior and sports a dark, industrial vibe. The emphasis is on classic cocktails, broken down by era, and a locavore menu of Wagyu beef tartare and uni deviled eggs. Drinks and bar bites accompany a rotating roster of DJs and live music performances. One thing’s for sure—Truss & Twine fills a definite hole in the otherwise sleepy Uptown Design District nightlife scene.
When: Sun.–Thurs., 4 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.; Fri.–Sat., 4 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.
Where: 800 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs
Exhibit
“Creativity on the Line: Design for the Corporate World”
Much like today, some of the greatest graphic and industrial designers of the 50s, 60s, and 70s experienced great ambivalence in their dealings with the corporate world. This exhibit at Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center approaches the subject with an academic lens, looking at the creation and production of midcentury modern design from a new perspective. The show examines the relationship between design figures—such as Eilot Noyes and Paul Rand, Charles and Ray Eames, and Dieter Rams—and the top management in the corporations for which they worked. On display are highly prized designs like the Eames fiberglass chair with table arm for Herman Miller and Eliot Noyes’s Selectric typewriter for IBM.
When: Wed. 4/26–Mon. 8/21
Where: Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, 328 Lomita Dr., Stanford
