THE OFFICIAL PLAN Catalog

About San Francisco Artists Alumni (SFAA) SFAA is an international non-profit artist-run organization representing the alumni of the recently closed San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI). SFAI, founded in 1871, was one of the oldest and prestigious institutions of higher education in the practice and study of contemporary art. It was an institution with 150+ years of history renowned for its rich legacy of innovation in the contemporary fine arts.

SFAA was created in 2020 to advocate for SFAI alumni, the SFAI archives and to communicate with the general arts community. Our core mission is building community through events, a monthly artists’ lecture series, a newsletter and curating exhibitions. We foster a sense of community and celebrate a century and a half of artistic excellence accomplished by the alums.

Our future plans are to create new partnerships with other cultural institutions to engage in a dialogue committed to original thinking in an open, experimental and interdisciplinary context.

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Curators’ Statement The Tryst Art Fair and its singular artist side Nomad are an exciting new idea for presenting art in a Guerilla Style. In my own work I am fascinated with public installation as well as detritus as medium so the idea of launching a massive one-weekend-only show in what is basically an abandoned building was something I just had to be a part of. Having participated before I was thrilled to be asked to do it again and bring along SFAA with us. The first year I did the show, one of the other alumni and myself walked around interviewing other SFAI alums that were also a part of the show and it was a thrill to meet and talk to so many great artists. When Michael approached me about who we’d put in the show, I was again very excited to think about the local alumni to the LA area and how all of the work could go together in this unusual and interesting way. It’s been an honor to work with each of them on this project and I’m thrilled with the results.

Toban Nichols co-curator

Like Toban, I have also been a past participant in Tryst (2023) and upon my return to Chicago, I was energized and focused from the experience. I am pleased to continue this again this year as a member of SFAA, contributing as an artist and organizer. The group of SFAI alumni we have selected are artists driven to create, explore, and provoke.

Many thanks to Toban, Maria, and everyone from SFAA. Great thanks and appreciation also go out to Max Presneill, Sue-Na Guy, Carl Barratta, and everyone from the TAM team and the City of Torrance for putting together this amazing opportunity.

Michael Pollard co-curator

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ARTISTS

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MIA CAPODILUPO SFAI Alumni MFA 2002 Chicago, IL, US https://www.miacapo.xyz/

1 sweater, 1 bottle of pain reliever, 3 credit cards 2016 8” x 8” x 3” Mixed media

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ARAGNA KER SFAI Alumni BFA 1999 Los Angeles, CA, US https://www.instagram.com/aragna.ker.art

Smells Like Teen Spirit 1985 TPU Filament in shadow box white frame 11" x 14" "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is from the series “FRISSON”, which explores music and lyrical superpowers to amplify emotion, and in turn, make us feel larger than we are. A native of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aragna Ker immigrated to Southern California suburb at age 6.

Aragna Ker is a graduate of Claremont Graduate University (MFA in Sculpture) & the San Francisco Art Institute (BFA in Painting 1995).

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TOBAN NICHOLS SFAI Alumni MFA 2003 Los Angeles, CA, US https://www.tobannichols.com/

Accretion 2024 video 8 min Accretion is a collaborative improvised experimental video by Toban Nichols and Kym Preiss using the Oblique Strategies card deck as a topic selection tool. Oblique Strategies is a card-based method for promoting creativity jointly created by musician/artist Brian Eno and multimedia artist Peter Schmidt, first published in 1975.

The two artists envisioned a collaborative video created out of sheer improvisation and reacting to one another without editing. It was decided initially to bring 2 outfits and 2 items to use in the video along with an array of musical instruments that could be used in various ways. At the beginning of each 2 minute timed video a card from the deck was selected and the word on the card is the inspiration for the video. Similar to the filming process, editing of the final video was kept to a minimum using jump cuts and three image filters. The opening scene of the mushroom house, meant to establish location was made with an online AI tool.

The resulting experimental video is chaotic, loud, and rhythmic while also seeming fresh and instantaneous.

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MICHAEL POLLARD SFAI Alumni 1994-1997, 2000–2001 Chicago, IL, US michaelrobertpollard.net

Stomping 2024 Pen, marker, colored pencil on paper 10“ x 7“

I have found myself of late making work with strong lines, and bold colors, expressive and improvised.

Next stop: Be-Bop and Salt Peanuts.

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ANNIE REINIGER-HOLLEB SFAI Alumni BFA 1980 Santa Monica, CA, US https://www.instagram.com/reinigerholleb

Untitled 2024 Acrylic on canvas 36" x 24" I make abstract paintings by using intuition, spontaneity, and chance to uncover non-linear narratives that are neither deliberate nor expected. My work often contains allusions to geometry and grids, but I aim to ensure that nothing literal can be recognized. Instead, I prefer to make shapes and atmospheres that cannot be explained by words or rational thinking. The grids in my work appear unstable, dissolving, collapsing, or rebuilding into precarious and provisional arrangements. This creates an atmosphere and mood that enriches the tension between order and chaos.

Originally from New York, I drove zig-zagging across the country before moving to San Francisco to attend the San Francisco Art Institute. I earned my BFA in 1980 and my MFA from UCLA in 1993. My work has been exhibited internationally. I currently reside in Santa Monica and have a studio in Los Angeles.

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LAURA RICCI SFAI Alumni MFA 2002 Los Angeles, CA, US https://lauraricci.net/

One 2024 coffee, graphite, acrylic paint, duralar, mirrored paper, archival glue, fine scenic turf, sanded pastel paper on plexiglass lightbox 9.5" x 12" x 1.5"

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MITCH TEMPLE SFAI Alumni MFA 2002 Los Angeles, CA, US https://www.mitchtemple.com/

The Dreams of Al Capone 2023 video 1:36:01 An investigative reporter is trying to figure out how her mother’s suicide might be connected to an illegal cia mind control operation, code named “the dream machine”. She tracks down the only living agents remaining from the project in her search for meaning and justice in the chaos of recent American history.

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JUDY ZHU SFAI Alumni BFA 2019 Torrance, CA, US https://zhujudyzhu.com/

Blue Morpho 2024 36” x 48” Acrylic on Canvas INSERT STATEMENT?

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SPECIAL THANKS

Curators Michael Pollard Toban Nichols SFAA Board Maria Theresa Barbist (President) Annie Reiniger-Holleb (Vice-President) Marian Wallace (interim Treasurer) Toban Nichols (Co-Secretary) Brianna Hyneman (Co-Secretary) Cristina Velazquez Jackie Buttice ​Linda Connor Lior Bar SFAA Advisory Board April Martin Becky Alexander Jeff Gunderson Rye Purvis and all participating SFAI artists!

San Francisco Artists Alumni info@sfartistsalumni.org sfaa.art

Back cover image: Toban Nichols, Accretion, 2024

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