San Francisco Art Exchange

If you love rock and roll, or just love iconic photography, don’t miss a chance to visit SFAE. On a Friday afternoon in May, while my wife was at a seminar, I walked up Geary and right past SFAE, deciding that I’m not a gallery guy — probably felt guilty about no cost to enter and treating it like a free museum. But when I walked back down Geary from the other direction and saw a great Jerry Garcia photo through the window, I had to go in. I stuck my head in and asked a woman that turned out to be Anna Hartley if it was ok to just look around for 5 minutes. She assured me it was ok, and about an hour and a half later I left, after Anna’s incredibly complete tour of the gallery and archives. The collections are nothing short of stunning and you won’t believe how many of these photos you will recognize from over the years. And not just rock and roll. And not just photos but album cover artwork, too. And while I won’t name drop, a couple of well-​known types were there that day. Anna’s a sweetheart and her Dad Jim is a great guy. Of course he wondered if I was interested in anything I saw. Interested yes; buying, no. I’m not a collector, and there was no pressure at all. In fact we then talked music and photography for another 15 minutes and I left empty handed, but feeling like I made life long friends. Long story short, I am back in Connecticut, and now proudly own two pieces, and of course one of them is the Garcia photo. It was one of the best Friday afternoons I had spent anywhere in ages. You have to go here.

Anna Hartley is an amazing, talented and kind woman. She open her stellar gallery to my wife & I earlier this month. I felt like I was a guest in a sacred shrine. SFAE is the crown jewel of the San Fran art scene. Thank you Anna!

I just received my 4^th and 5^th image’s from SFAE. The Gallery is a must visit for me when I get a chance to visit San Francisco. Very happy with the framing and shipping.
Thanks Jim

I loved the classic photos of classic rockers from the sixties and seventies, as I am of that era. A real treat and just a short stop, so don’t miss it.

Hello again! I am here to do an about-​face on my review of the SF Art Exchange, which was given due to a misunderstanding on both sides. The gallery is a great place to visit. If you are walking down Geary St. and happen to pass by, please stop in and take a look at all the wonderful photos showcasing music and other historical events in life. I am still a fan!

Well, to start off with… the gallery itself is great. Great photo’s, a couple of Ron Wood paintings etc. I came with a budget of $ 5,000. I didn’t buy anything, not because of the work itself but because of the snarky comments I received from Melissa.
She of course didn’t know that I had intentions of buying at first. I asked about a few of Linda McCartney photos. I love Linda McCartney. I grew up in the 60’s and have met some of these people. I jokingly referenced McCartney as a «groupie» to some of the artists and said, «But you probably don’t know that because you’re to young.» Innocent and basically a compliment to Melissa. She rolled her eyes at me and said, «You think I don’t know what a groupie is?» So I thought to myself maybe I unintentionally insulted her. I tried to move on and in all honesty she became friendly and very knowledgeable but referenced the ‘groupie’ remark one more time.
I’m old school. I’m the potential customer and to be frank I can buy any of these items on Wolfgangs Vault. Which I did.

Ever wonder who the 6^th member of Pink Floyd was?
I stumbled upon this place completely by accident. My best friend Peter and I were supposed to take the BART all the way to the record store and stumbled through our path some cool Pink Floyd art in the window.
We walked inside and it was a gallery display of Storm Thorgerson’s work, the guy responsible for the majority of Pink Floyd album covers (before Photoshop). It was a good marriage of ambitious music meets ambitious photographer pulling all the stops to make unique, ambitious, unbelievable and iconic album covers. We watched a 4 minute preview of the movie «Taken By Storm.»
The gallery was predominantly focusing on Floyd as well as a the Rolling Stones to celebrate the 30^th anniversary tour and their upcoming San Fran gig.
Cheryl, the owner, was impressed by Peter and I’s knowledge on music history as well as our knowledge on photographers… something I am guessing she doesn’t stumble upon often with passers by. Our 10 minute visit turned into an hour long history music lesson and shop talk. I could tell that we were doing each other a favor by going over some iconic and inspirational photos.
I missed the Floyd exhibit when it was in Vancouver, therefore, was glad that I stumbled upon this treasure today.
There were other artists represented and each had their own viewing room. For me it was cool to see the Sullivan Beatles stuff in color.
Talking to Cheryl I could see what I would be like at 60+ with music and passion. Cool glimpse into the future of the person I might become.
The candid photos told a story and made me feel as though I was living in the moment. I wasn’t born during the Stones or Beatles, therefore, those photos spoke to me on different levels.
One Stones picture caught my attention for obvious reasons and captured something not documented about said incident when the Stones hired The Hells Angel to bodyguard the gig. You could see the mixed emotions (no Stones pun intended) of both joy and fear on the fans faces. The eeriness of the simplest things that that tell you so much in a single frame.
You realize that it is more than just the rock star that makes the picture, it’s also the photographer. The honesty that the lens captures. This was before TMZ when the lens captured more than a tabloid did.
The candid photos told a story and made me feel as though I was living in the moment. I wasn’t born during the Stones or Beatles, therefore, live through pictures like these.
One Stones picture caught my attention for obvious reasons and captured something not documented about said incident when the Stones hired The Hells Angel to bodyguard the gig. You could see the mixed emotions (no Stones pun intended) of both joy and fear on the fans faces. The eeriness of the simplest things telling you so much.
You realize that it is more than just the rock star that makes the picture, it also the photographer and the honesty that the lense captures. This was before TMZ when the lense captured more than a tabloid did.

Very, very cool spot K and I happened upon while walking from our hotel to grab a beer. Music-​themed photography? Yes, please!
While the front room had lots of Rolling Stones (the band not the magazine) stuff and we’re not fans, the room of Storm Thergensonfeld (not his last name but the best my brain can come up with pre-​coffee) was mind-​blowing. One of the docents was overly chatty, but super nice, but we would have preferred more quiet time to view and read. And really, despite my vacation wear my bag wasn’t nearly big enough to steal anything.
Anyway, Storm is the artist who designed the iconic Pink Floyd prism. Yeah, him. And the rest of his stuff is amazing. Reading the descriptions makes the experience even better. Take the Disco Nuggets (disco biscuits?) — the picture was freaky as hell but reading the description made it all click.
Go. Look. Read. Buy if you can afford it and want to blow away your friends with a piece of artwork that any music lover would swoon over.

Dude, this place rocks.

Always had a Great Time at The SF Art Exchange. Cheryl and the rest of the SFAE Team are the Best In The BIZ… Bill Griffis

We saw an article about the Keith Richards exhibit, in conjunction with his book release and thought it would be fun to check out. As gallery novices, we weren’t sure what to expect… but were pleasantly surprised. As we walked into the gallery a midwestern «dude» who worked there graciously explained the exhibit to us and told us to let him know if we had any questions. It was an incredible exhibit of rare Keith Richards photographs, which was amazing to see, but around the corner in a little room tucked off to the side was a separate exhibit which was truly awe– inspiring. We had no idea what a talented artist Ron Wood is.
We were on vacation and visited the gallery on a whim and are so glad we did. The staff who works there lets you experience the exhibit on your own and doesn’t treat you as an inconvenience, but a potential buyer, so they treat you with respect.
We highly recommend checking them out. Who knows, you might just leave with your own piece of artwork to take home!

There are differences between going to a gallery and going to a museum, and each has its merits. What I love about the gallery experience is the personal connection you get, rather than seeing something that has been passed through conservators, curators, and other powers that be, and is then represented countless times in the gift store. It can be desensitizing.
San Francisco Art Exchange offers the best of a personal experience, whether you are seeing fine art or photography. I went there to see the current Vargas retrospective, celebrating the 25^th Anniversary of the gallery showing Vargas’ work, the 50^th Anniversary of Vargas’ work in Playboy, and the 70^th Anniversary of Vargas’ work in Esquire.
The pieces were amazing, and the collection was impressive in its scope. It was more Vargas than I had ever seen, and I enjoyed the journey through his early work in the 20’s through the more recognizable pieces from the 70’s.
One of the staff members answered all of our questions with a smile and was so knowledgeable about Vargas and the work. She was great to talk to and I felt that I learned so much, and left with a greater impression of this prolific artist than I came in with. The nice thing is, that the pieces are even affordable, so if you are in the market for some great pin-​up art, do not miss this showing.

I just got home from an enjoyable trip to the gallery where I got to chat with Ethan Russell and Jim Hartley (executive director of SFAE). It was awe-​inspiring to see Mr. Russell’s photos of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and the Who all in one space. Some of these photos I recognized from growing up but there are many I have never seen before. This particular show includes many photos he took while on tour with the Rolling Stones during their 1969 American tour, including the infamous Altamont concert. In several of the photos, he captures the moment so succinctly; fans crowding the stage, the desire to get closer to the band reflected in their wide, frantic eyes.
The photos, in general, suggest an intimacy Ethan shared with the subjects he was shooting. The b/​w photo of Mick talking with Chuck Berry in the dressing room is so personal and non-intrusive.a moment in time when an idol meets his idol.
The colored photo of Brian Jones in his flag shirt is beautifully haunting. Here’s a brilliant man soon gone from this earth but here he is, boyishly playful, looking straight at the camera.
To my mind, there isn’t a weak photo in the bunch. Whether it’s the Beatles posing together for the last time or John, the Who posing at the monolith or Mick in makeup, lost in thoughts. they are all poignant
and personal.
It was a pleasure to chat with Jim. I hadn’t ever heard of SFAE and it’s been around for 25 years! I learned they had started the gallery as a high-​end art mecca for Picasso, Dali, etc. but had really made their mark with their collection or rare prints by Alberto Vargas and his Varga girls, as they were known as back in the 40’s. From there, Jim has branched out to rock and roll with the likes of Ron Wood, Roger Dean and, of course, Ethan Russell.
I would like to thank Melissa who took time out from her job to show me the Vargas collection in back. She was quite knowledgeable about the history. I got to see an original water color by Alberto Vargas whose price would have elicited a «You got to be kidding!» from me had I been on Antiques Roadshow! She also told me that the gallery was doing quite well in this economy, so unique are their artwork. In contrast, auction houses like Christie’s are selling pieces at under their desired value.
In all, a fabulous day at SFAE. Thanks to all for taking time from their busy schedule to accommodate me!

When my friends come to San Francisco from out of town this gallery is always on my list of things to do for them. If you like rock n roll even casually, this place is a godsend. SFAE has one the most extensive collections of art, photography and other cultural icon stuff that you’ll find anywhere. Dylan, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, The Boss, the Grateful Dead, The Who, YES, you name it and chances is they have it. Even Antonio Vargas from those old Playboy Magazines that your dad used to have. They always have some original paintings and such by Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and every month or so they have some really cool art parties where you never can tell who will show up. Iconic photographers Elliot Landy, Terry O’Neil, Robert Freeman, Ethan Russell, and if you don’t know who these guys are then Google them. The SFAE is an amazing place as everything in the place is real and 100% authentic something that you can’t say for some of the other Union Square art galleries. I’m a both a fan and a customer of the place and if you’re there ask for Marcie. The SFAE is the real deal.

Being a photographer, I specifically sought this place out last year on my trip to San Fransisco and was not disappointed. Steve showed me around to some amazing photographs of the Beatles, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and The Rolling Stones to name a few. I also had a wonderful conversation with Steve and found out he has some local ties to my area. He made this 1 of 2 of my trip highlights. I will be definitely be back to visit next time I’m in town.

This place is right next to the place I work at night, so I actually haven’t been in here when it’s open.
One thing I do know that they know — Sex Sells.
They have neked paintings of women out in the front and it’s just so funny to see Panhandlers get a hard on at night.
I do want to visit someday, eventually. =) I think I saw some pretty cool paintings of SF.

Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kickin’ down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy.
Hello lamppost,
Whatcha knowin’?
I’ve come to watch your flowers growin’
Ain’t cha got no rhymes for me?
Doot-​in’ doo-​doo,
Feelin’ groovy…
Moptop alert!
…Interested in seeing some iconic images of 20^th-​century musicians? You may want to make periodic stops at the SF Art Exchange where you can see some rock n’ roll-​related art whether they be paintings, photos or illustrations. The gallery is just across the street from the Curran and ACT on Geary.
Right now through April 4, they have a nice gallery of photos taken by Ethan Russell of the Rolling Stones’ 1969 U.S. tour including the notorious Altamont concert where four people were killed. But they always have cool stuff there, even for non-​acidheads. It’ll like blow your mind. LSD anyone?
Doot-​in’ doo-doo…Feelin’ groovy.

The Art Exchange always has great photo shows. I’ve met some cool people and seen their work and love the access to the artists. The people at the gallery love what they do and can tell you all about the work there and do it with a lot of passion.

Open late! Largest collection of Beatles photographs right now! Amazingly helpful, knowledgeable staff! I love this City!

Billed also as the gallery of the popular image, this place quite literally rocks. If you like like the Stones, Hendrix, the Beatles, their collection of original prints, taken by an all-​star cast of photographers, is something of a rock ‘n roll fantasy.
Great for just strolling through, and the staff is really cool too (look for Steve). I stopped in last night and was blown away by their current show, featuring classic shots of the Beatles, together and individually. Truly gorgeous work.
One day when I can afford it, I’ll be making a purchase here for sure. Make sure to visit their website too, you can see their whole range of art and artists.