Bay Area Then reflects on a period of crisis and creativity in the 1990s Bay Area, when artists responded to political unrest, natural disasters, and cultural upheaval with urgency and imagination. The exhibition highlights the role of artist-run and alternative spaces as vital places for gathering, learning, and expression. Through photographs, ephemera, and artworks, it documents a time when creating was both a form of resistance and a way to build community.
Nao Bustamante, Carolyn Castaño, Bill Daniel, Sergio De La Torre and Chris Treggiari, Beatrix Fowler, Mike “Dream” Francisco, Johanna Jackson, Chris Johanson and Ajax Oakford, Arnold Kemp, Margaret Kilgallen, Josh Lazcano, Alicia McCarthy, Barry McGee, Ruby Neri, Manuel Ocampo, Eamon Ore-Giron, Gina Osterloh, Rigo 23, Spie One, and others.
