Liminal Space SF is San Francisco's first Transgender-centering art gallery recently unveiled with a grand opening on April 29th. Located in SOMA on 7th and Folsom Street near the Transgender Cultural District, this vibrant new space highlights extremely talented local Trans artists and strives to elevate them by establishing greater opportunities for accurate representation.
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While this positively outstanding studio may be small in size, it is certainly a powerful venue, also including a 35-seat black box theatre for thought-provoking and educational screenings. And all of this was made possible thanks to the diligent dedication of trans artist, writer, and activist Sam Carmel.
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“I want trans people to have access to show in a professional gallery, so I built a gallery for us,” Carmel elucidates, "I wanted to create a place where we can come together and be in community, and engage in a space that is open to new ideas and modes of artmaking.”
Carmel understands the importance for proper representation of trans voices, perspectives, and art, and so they were able to secure grants to renovate the perfectly sun-lit space, previously just abandoned.
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Carmel also gave significance to its name, calling it Liminal Space because "it's a beautiful term to think about in conversation with trans identity,” emphasizing that it “also speaks to what feels like the inevitability of displacement."
By drawing emphasis to the concerning uncertainty of permanence of both the space and the city's historic Trans community, the 2019 Mills College graduate hopes the name's term draws attention to the undying solidarity, perserverance, and activism of their community and prolific, yet often unseen, art scene.
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The gallery's opening featured fun and upbeat DJ sets, moving performances by Bored Lord, Rose Cherami, and more, and a curated multidisciplinary show titled "sensor."
Sensor showcased the various masterpieces of diverse Trans artists across generations, particularly miniatures by the late painter Jerome Caja, and videos from San Francisco talent Texas Tomboy, who created the first and only film to have over a hundred transgender actors.
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Liminal Space is located on 16 Sherman St and is open from, 1 p.m. to 7 pm. Sunday to Thursdays. You can help support their space by donating to their GoFundMe.
See also: The Drawing Room Is An Expansive Creative Space Dedicated To Fostering Community