In collaboration with ArtSpan’s Open Studios, UGallery.com is opening its doors to five local artists to prove that San Francisco’s art scene is on par with New York’s! The opening night of From Here will take place October 26th from 6PM – 9PM at UGallery’s headquarters on 3367 20th Street.

The group show will bring together five painters of various styles and backgrounds. Mexican artist Pablo Solares creates bold portraits of his native people. Heoiyun Jeong paints surreal tributes to her home of South Korea, while Michael Van weighs in with colorful farm animals of the American heartland. Adding balance to the Pop melee, Sara Sisun offers classic Bay Area images that are as powerful as the abstract pieces created by Lana Williams. Where’s the melting pot now?

UGallery has played host for Silicon Valley giants like Kevin Systrom, CEO of Instagram, and his tech-savvy cronies. With wine flowing freely, hip attendees, and a crowd waiting to applause at every sale, the opening night will be as much a work of art as the pieces hanging on the wall.

Attendees: Please register for the event by visiting the event page at http://fromhere.eventbrite.com. The show will remain up until December 28.

See you there!

UGallery is turning the digital art world into a truly “at your fingertips” experience.

Gregor Hochmuth and Philippe Jestin are joining forces in UGallery’s Mission headquarters to present “insert ___ here,” a show that melds pop panache with humor and sophistication. Gregor is a photographer as well as an engineer at Instagram. His work proves that art can maintain its integrity on and off the touch screen. Philippe works with resin to create semi-sculptural pieces. Both artists will be present at the show to discuss their complete body of work.

Attendees must email social@ugallery.com with their full name to RSVP. We hope to see you there!

Our artist this week is Maria Dimanshtein. Timing couldn’t be more perfect. She is having a show next week. If you like what she has to say and what she has to paint, stop by! She will be wearing one of her pieces. What does that mean? She told me, but I can’t say. It’s a secret. I guess you’ll have to stop by if you’re in the area.

If you’re not in the area, there’s no need to fret. Check out the work she has displayed with us. It’s equally as awesome. Let’s get started.

What’s your earliest art memory?

I remember doing the drawings with color pencils where the grass was a green stripe at the bottom and the sky was a blue stripe at the top of the sheet. I was big on drawing Pinocchio, so there would usually be a Pinocchio in the middle. 

What inspires you?

I get my inspiration from paying close attention to what’s around me as well as my own feelings and emotions. I am inspired by my dreams: magical and mysterious places, environments and experiences. 

What is your favorite piece from your UGallery portfolio?

“Thinking About Space 1” is currently my favorite piece. I think it’s really neat with many subtle colors in the background and a variety of colorful dots sprinkled overall. It has a weird mood.

What’s one word to describe your art?

Mysterious

What advice would you offer for other emerging artists?

Live a full and interesting life - stay curious. You have to have something to share with the world, something to say. If your life is rich, you will find not only inspiration, but also content for your artwork. 

For fun, what’s your favorite city?

I am lucky. I happen to live in my favorite city – Chicago. My close seconds are San Francisco and New York. 

Here’s the invite to Maria’s show. She made her invites by hand and spent a couple hours dipping 100 cards into “silver” water. Perfect for the theme. You can see and read more on her blog.