The Thacher Gallery Debuts New Exhibit ‘Studio Misión’ Featuring Mission District Curator, Cultural Leader and Activist René Yañez
Exhibit will be on display at the University of San Francisco from August 19 to November 4, 2019
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (August 6, 2019) – Rarely seen sketchbooks by Mission District curator, cultural leader and activist, René Yañez, will be on view at the University of San Francisco (USF) Thacher Gallery beginning August 19. Curated by Rio Yañez, Studio Misión: The Artist Studio as Medium offers a look into the world and creative process of San Francisco artist and curator René Yañez, focusing on his final years from 2016 to 2018. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. daily.
An opening celebration including The Great Tortilla Conspiracy and Chulita Vinyl Club will take place, Thursday, Aug. 22, 5-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Bringing together Yañez’s most recent projects and sketchbooks — seldomly seen outside of his close circle of friends — the works on display reveal his state of mind, his medically-induced visions, the faces of the Mission District that meant so much to him, and the politics that he fought for to the end. Throughout his life, Yañez sketched, collaged, and experimented with popular technologies such as 3D, Polaroids, and photocopying, all of which are present here.
About the Artist
Best known as a curator, René Yañez was a conductor of art and culture in the Mission District beginning in 1970. He dedicated his life to fostering cultural milestones in San Francisco, founding Galería de la Raza, presenting one of the first West Coast exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s art, helping to root Carnaval in the Mission, and establishing Día de los Muertos as an art practice. While he worked tirelessly to earn his nickname of Padrino of the Mission, he constructed a secret body of work that few people outside of his closest friends saw.
About the Curator
The son of René Yañez, Rio Yañez is a curator, photographer, and graphic artist who has exhibited in cities ranging from San Francisco to Tokyo. He often curates for South of Market Cultural Center (SOMArts). Yañez is a founding member of The Great Tortilla Conspiracy, the world’s most dangerous tortilla art collective.
About the University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the world’s most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Francisco’s first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student’s passion for social justice and a desire to “Change the World From Here.” The Campaign for the University of San Francisco is raising $300 million through 2022 to support student scholarships and financial aid, the creation of bold and innovative programs, and the renovation of current facilities and construction of new space, all part of expanding the university’s global influence. For more information, visit the USF Campaign Page.
About the Thacher Gallery
The Thacher Gallery is a public art gallery in the University of San Francisco’s Gleeson Library where creativity, scholarship, and community converge. The exhibitions in the 2019-20 season will examine studio practice and place. The gallery is free and open to the public from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. daily. 2130 Fulton Street, San Francisco. (415) 422-5178. For more information, visit the USF Thatcher Gallery.