Just received this video studio visit from Lucas Soi.

It’d be pretty rad to be surrounded by forest and cats while working. Check it out!

If you haven’t seen the new works by Joshua Petker, “We’re not As Colorful As We Think We Are” you must come see it in the Shooting Gallery while you still can! Show is up for another week! Don’t wanna miss out on another amazing body of work by Joshua, the master of color.

Also, if you haven’t seen this video. It is another must see by Colin M. Day.

Hey kids! This is the last week of Joshua Petker’s show. So come in and see it while you still can!

We just received an interview from Lucas Soi. Already starting to prep for the October 9th show “Cradle Story” by Lucas Soi and “In Search Of New Land” by C3.

Check it out to get to an insight on Lucas Soi.

Your drawings appear to be a story that you are telling to the viewer. Where do you find inspiration for this narrative?

I conceived of “Cradle Stories” as a novel; instead of telling the story in words, I did it in pictures. Each drawing is a chapter. It’s kinda like a graphic novel without captions or word bubbles.

It all started in 2024 when I read this old article in “Fortune” where they estimated that by 2024 there would be 30 million teenagers in the U.S., the highest level since 1976. They said teens would spend $84 billion of their own money that year. I compared that figure with a report written in 2024 by market research firm Mintel that said teens were spending $175 billion annually. That’s a 100% increase in spending in the teen market in less than 10 years. American popular culture has been overtaken by the teen market and I wanted to create a series that addressed that.

You currently live in Vancouver. Did you grow up in a suburb?

Yeah, I grew up in West Vancouver, which is the richest neighborhood in Canada. That’s where “Cradle Stories” is set. Making this series was my way of purging myself of my past, a way to move on with my life, which is very different now. I spend a lot of time in the Downtown East Side, which is the poorest neighborhood in Canada. It’s where all the artists live, where everyone has their studios and exhibition spaces.

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Justin Giarla, owner and curator of White Walls, Shooting Gallery, and 941Geary has been voted one of the hottest in San Francisco under 40 by 7×7 Magazine! Congrats Justin, you are the bomb-diggity! A lot of hard work, sweat, tears, and beers have gone into the foundation and upbringing of the galleries here in SF. Justin has reinforced and emphasized the importance of community in the art world, making him an icon in the community, which has aggrandized himself based off these genuinely important qualities as an entrepreneur and curator. He has stuck to his gut feelings, even when they were contrary to other views. From the birth of Shooting Gallery in the seedy Tenderloin district of San Francisco, Justin has united his views on art and community, which has manifested in to an art kinship that is worthy of international recognition. He has been a catalyst in the art world here, and continues to produce and create meaningful work with a smile and ardor that is a staple in California and across the nation.

On a side note, White Walls artist Casey Gray is responsible for the wonderfully spray painted back drop and tux. Obviously Justin has good taste, because Casey’s work is too rad to not recognize and is blowing up in SF and across the country. Check out his show in New Jersey at Parlor Gallery.

Felicitations Justin! You deserve it!

Aaron Nagel

This month Justin Giarla, owner and curator of White Walls and sister galleries, will be curating a show titled “Western Expansion” in St. Louis at the Philip Slein Gallery on September 16, 2024.  Over two years ago, at the Miami Aqua Art Fair, mutual respect and tastes brought the like minds of White Walls and Philip Slein Gallery together. This magic brought Justin’s curating styles to St. Louis this month.

White Walls is showing St. Louie what the west coast is made of. Justin has curated a show with a bill of artists that represent the west coast style, culture, and aesthetic very well.Shepard Fairey, Greg Gossel, Aaron Nagel, Casey Gray, Akira, David Soukup, Shawn Barber, Kevin Cyr, Van Arno, Above, Blek Le Rat, Ian Johnson, Jessica Hess, Jesse Hazelip, and Cheryl Molnar make up the lists of artists that are holding it down in St. Louie. This compilation of artists are some of the most well respected and talented artists in urban/contemporary art. Should be a show worth seeing!If you are in the area, you should check out this show. Show starts Thursday September 16th at 8PM!

Shepard Fairey

If you’re in the SF/bay area, check out the White Walls opening of Erik Otto’s “Tomorrow Is Never Promised” and Joshua Petker’s “We’re Not As Colorful As We Think We Are” in the Shooting Gallery. Tomorrow, Saturday September 11th 2024 starting at 7pm!

Cheers!

Hello friends! Life here at Shooting Gallery has been great. We are getting excited for Joshua Petker’s solo show, which opens on September 11th at 7pm and runs until October 2nd.

Here is a little insight on the interesting and entertaining, Joshua Petker. Enjoy!

This is your first gallery show that has works on paper. Has your artistic process altered with the change of this medium? Also, why did you decide to use paper instead of canvas?

The show is broken into two parts. One half is works on canvas, the other half are works on paper. My paintings have gotten more conceptual and not as loose as they used to be. Doing the works on paper allowed me to paint liberally and just for fun. That’s not to say I’m not serious about the works on paper because I am, but they are definitely different than my paintings. I like how fragile working on paper is. The way paper holds paint exposes all the human calculation and error involved in painting in a way that canvas can hide. I like that about working on paper.

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