Arts & Culture

As part of our mission to expand our Arts & Culture offerings, the SF LGBT Center’s new Cultural Programs department will encompass visual, literary, and performance arts, as well as cultural events and civic engagement at the Center and within our local community spaces.

Current programs include our pillar concert series Queer Vibes, art exhibits, film screenings, and Vibin’ Live.

The Center offers a stimulating environment where LGBTQ+ artists can display or perform their work, share cultural traditions with the community, and tell their uniquely diverse stories.

The Gallery
Our exhibition space is a purpose-built ground-floor gallery adjacent to our lobby dedicated to showing the work of established and emerging artists. In addition to walk-through traffic, we also host gallery events to increase community engagement with the arts. 

The Rainbow Room
A 2,300 square foot multipurpose room that has held theater performances, storytelling and spoken word events, comedy shows, and film screenings.

Contact [email protected] to learn more about exhibiting your work at the Center.

Resilience in Togetherness — Navigating Uncertainty Post Lockdown

Reflecting on the radical power of community in response to personal and global crises, the exhibition presents two distinct bodies of work, The Thinker (2020) and Alleles in Flow (2024). Exploring the ways the pandemic has reshaped our sense of self and community, Oliveira’s work blends his personal narrative with broader social experiences.

Reflecting on the radical power of community in response to personal and global crises, the exhibition presents two distinct bodies of work, The Thinker (2020) and Alleles in Flow (2024). Exploring the ways the pandemic has reshaped our sense of self and community, Oliveira’s work blends his personal narrative with broader social experiences.

Resilience in Togetherness—Navigating Uncertainty Post Lockdown reflects not only Oliveira’s artistic journey but also the power of human connection in times of uncertainty. Through collaboration and community, the exhibition offers a message of optimism and transformation.

Opening night on October 10 features a poetry performance and a short panel discussion with Bruno Oliveira, Miraaj, and the Center’s Director of Cultural Programs, Timothy Hampton. The discussion will explore the intersection of art, mental health, and community. The event is free to attend; however, donations are deeply appreciated! 

Addressing the “stress paralysis” experienced by Oliveira during the first summer of the pandemic, The Thinker (2020-2022) captures the feeling of being trapped in cycles of dissociation and escapism. The work draws from interviews with peers, mental health professionals, and data from the Center for Disease Control and Pew Research Center, connecting the artist’s personal experience to the wider social environment of the time. Mirroring the physical and mental environment of isolation with its clean, yet tense compositions, the series invites viewers into the internal battle faced by so many. 

In contrast to this experience of isolation, Alleles in Flow (2022-2024) evokes a journey towards healing, connection, and self-reclamation through community. The result of careful creative collaboration with performance artist Miraaj, the series processes the artist’s personal journey of better understanding and connecting with their own queer identity post-coming out. Inspired by the kinship found in Miraaj’s performance work and spiritual ideologies, the project led Oliveira to engage more deeply with the San Francisco LGBTQ community. Empowered by the collaboration, the series offers a renewed understanding of the importance of kinship and community-building as a powerful tool that allows us to move past division and uncertainty. 

Beginning Monday, October 14, the FREE exhibit will be open for public viewing through November 14. Regular viewing hours are Monday through Thursday from 2-5 pm, by appointment only. To schedule an appointment or if you have any questions, please contact our Director of Cultural Programs, Timothy Hampton at [email protected]. 

Bill Bowers Closet: Folk, Funk, Flash 

“Bill Bowers’ Closet: Folk, Funk, Flash” celebrates the vibrant career and rise to fame of Bill Bowers, a gay artist, photographer, and fashion designer based in San Francisco. The exhibit examines his deep fascination with pop culture, world phenomena, and gay culture through his stunning fashion and photography. Bowers’ unique stylings have graced rock stars like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, as well as legendary queer performance groups such as the Cockettes and the Angels of Light Theater. Embraced by friends and fans in the gay community during the post-Stonewall era in the Castro district, Bowers’ work reflects a dynamic fusion of art, fashion, and cultural expression.

A few notable exhibit pieces include Bill’s vibrant array of jackets that rock stars and iconic performance groups have donned, art collages inspired by the likes of John Waters and Keith Haring, photography and cloth pieces that capture the essence of New Orleans Mardi Gras, an eclectic self-portrait, and so much more. 

Beginning Monday, August 26, the FREE exhibit will be open for public viewing through the end of September. Regular viewing hours are Monday through Thursday from 2-5 pm, by appointment only. To schedule an appointment or if you have any questions, please contact our Director of Cultural Programs, Timothy Hampton at [email protected]. 

Previous Exhibitions Include: 

• “Out Proud Quietly Loud” an evocative exhibition by ROUNDCOLLAB running that brings together a vibrant collection of works by emerging and established Asian artists from the U.S., Canada, and worldwide. “Out Proud, Quietly Loud” explores the intersection of queerness, identity, and representation within the queer Asian community. 
• “What Remains” exhibit, featuring original art pieces from ten local artists, which challenges Americans to continue their support of the LGBTQIA+ Community beyond Pride month each June.
• “The Act of Allyship” exhibit, created by San Francisco artist Joy Chew, the founder and owner of Joyous Joyful Joyness, wanted to use her artistic skills of fine art foiled prints to show up for the LGBTQ+ community as an ally and amplify the voice and message of Zooey Zephyr and featuring 18 LGBTQ+ Icons.

Queer Vibes and Vibin’ Live are pillar Center arts & culture program that serves as a platform to showcase budding local LGBTQ+ singers, bands, and spoken word artists. The program showcases a new local LGBTQ+ artist monthly through a virtual performance spotlighting their musical artistry.

With each performance, audiences will discover new talent coming right out of the heart and soul of our community!

1500+ Audience reached each year through art gallery visitors and cultural event attendees
200+ Visual artists displayed since 2002
160+ Public performances since 2002