Through curated installations, salons and workshops, AweLab is interested in the potential for art and design to transform individual and collective lives, and contribute to the greater good.
Jenn Doyle Crane + Amy Ress, Co-founders
Create a Cabinet of Wonders
Inspired by Alison Pebworth’s installation on view at the SFAC Main Gallery, attendees were invited to create a small-scale cabinet of wonders. Innards and Upwards was originally created while Pebworth was in residence at the Recology San Francisco Artist in Residence Program.
Evolving Role of the Social Impact Designer
The “President” Trump election, Brexit, and rising nationalism here and abroad have called many things into question, including how we situate the built environment in an overall field of priorities, and they come at a time when the social implications of design have been increasingly prominent. That rise has been predicated on a social democratic philosophy which suggests that the built environment is a public resource. Many public goods (e.g. clean air, clean water) already are under assault. Does the built environment require a new form of defense? If so, what is it?
Join us for a panel discussion with Amy Ress, Program Director, Resilient by Design; Brian Tucker, Founder, GeoHazards International; and David Baker, David Baker Architects; moderated by John King, Urban Design Critic, San Francisco Chronicle. Thanks to the Curry Stone Design Prize in partnership with the Autodesk Foundation for hosting this event.
In_Sight On_Site: Beyond Function
Architects and designers showcased their talents beyond their design concepts for the built environment in this exhibition in the AIASF's Design Gallery. Amy and Jenn served on the jury panel to curate multimedia artworks that highlight the richness and diversity of the local interdisciplinary design community.
Opening the Unknown
AweLab features three artists who will guide individual sessions of discovery at the StorefrontLab Gallery. Alice Shaw facilitates fundamental techniques in clairvoyance for developing personal clarity and healing. Jeremiah Jenkins offers one-on-one guru sessions culling elements from tarot, spirit guides, and shamanism to assist individuals, one question at a time. Jessica Ress improvises sound healing with crystal and Tibetan singing bowls.
AweLab
AweLab is an exhibition at the StoreFrontLab gallery, featuring artwork by Alice Shaw and Alison Pebworth, and exploring how artists employ "awe" as a tool for inspiration and generation, and as a community-centered approach to life.
Untitled (This is a metaphor, No. 3)
Renowned visual artist/designer/educator Jeremy Mende discussed his Grove Street installation with Amy Ress, SFAC Galleries Advisory Board member. A short, fun presentation was followed by Q & A with the artist about his practice and what went into creating his installation. The discussion delved into the general idea of urban art interventions.
Lights on Market Street
Lights on Market Street commissioned three large-scale, site-specific lighting installations along the central Market corridor, to mark the district gateways at United Nations Plaza and Sixth Street over six months. The artists—Theodore Watson, Paul Notzold and Jim Campbell—were challenged to create a positive and engaging atmosphere through an innovative use of light and technology.
Lights on Market Street was a project managed by Amy Ress while she served as the Program Manager at Public Architecture. As one of four creative placemaking projects under The ARTery Project, the initiative aimed at transforming the blighted neighborhood into a lively and sustainable destination with the arts at its core.
Creative Placemaking with 826 Valencia
As Advisory Board Members of the SFAC Galleries, Amy and Jenn collaborated with 826 Valencia to lead a summer camp youth workshop. 826 students explored interdisciplinary creative placemaking and community engagement, inspired by artists and designers who propose positive civic change in the SFAC Galleries' Urbanition exhibition.