New Gallery in San Francisco’s Castro Neighborhood Premieres with Group Show Featuring Six Artists Who Subvert the Heteronormative Gaze
Media contact: David Perry / news@davidperry.com / (415) 676-7007
Schlomer Haus Gallery Presents “Unseen Seen”
October 26 – 5-9pm
IG: schlomer_haus
New Gallery in San Francisco’s Castro Neighborhood Premieres with Group Show Featuring Six Artists Who Subvert the Heteronormative Gaze
12 October 2021 – San Francisco, CA: Creative couple and Castro residents,Steffan Schlarb and Brandon Romer, are embarking on a long-hidden dream to help artists and their beloved neighborhood thrive. The husband-and-husband duo are opening an art gallery with an emphasis on queer, underrepresented and emerging art and artists. On Tuesday, October 26 (5pm – 9pm) the couple will open the Schlomer Haus Gallery (2128 Market Street San Francisco) in San Francisco’s storied LGBTQIA Castro neighborhood. The gallery’s inaugural show, entitled Unseen Seen (IG: schlomer_haus), is an exhibition featuring six international artists: Heather Benjamin, Lanee Bird, Evan Paul English, David King, Ryan McMenamy and John Webster.
“The six artists in this group exhibition explore the dynamic ways queer artists subvert the heteronormative gaze,” said Schlarb in a statement. “The queer gaze and queer visibility are conveyed in diverse mediums, through abstract and figurative subject matter, and shared subcultural signifiers, making the unseen seen.”
“COVID really made us realize the importance of community. Opening Schlomer Haus Gallery is a way for us to foster community while expressing our love of art and our desire to help queer, underrepresented and emerging artists thrive.”
“We could have opened the gallery in another neighborhood with an established art scene,” explains Schlarb. “But we wanted to create a space in the Castro for the unseen to be seen — and where we can help foster artistic creativity and culture in the Castro.”
Schlarb is an award-winning creative director with extensive innovation, creative strategy and product design experience. He has lead teams of designers in creating innovative and engaging digital products and experiences. He has lead successful projects for such clients as Google,
Salesforce and Open Table, among others. He is also an artist. He has lived in San Francisco since 1992 and the Castro since 2011.
Romer is a film and video producer in the advertising industry for nearly 20 years, producing for Facebook, Twitter and Xbox. He has worked with world-renowned directors Terrence Malick, Rupert Sanders and Jenn Nkiru. He holds a B.A. in Art History from UC Berkeley. He has lived in San Francisco for 20 years and the Castro for 11 years.
In accordance with an order from the San Francisco Department of Public Health, all individuals regardless of vaccination status must wear a mask while inside the gallery.
Unseen Seen will open October 26 – 5-9pm at the Schlomer Haus Gallery 2128 Market Street; Gallery Hours: Tue – Sat 12-6p, By Appointment; IG: schlomer_haus; T: (415) 275-0960; E: info@schlomerhaus.com
