News Release

San Francisco — Using photographic portraits and personal narratives, the exhibition Stories of the City: Sixth Street Photography Workshop documents the community living in and around several Single Room Occupancy (SRO) hotels in San Francisco. Stories of the City presents a cross section of SRO residents and gives insight into who they are, where they come from, what their lives are like and what their dreams are for the future.

The exhibition is drawn from the Sixth Street Photography Workshop’s archives that provide a historical look at some of San Francisco’s low income residents from 1992 until today. The personal accounts and photographs are shared between two sites; the San Francisco Public Library’s Jewett Gallery and the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery at City Hall. Each site will include portraits of residents from different SRO hotels; the City Hall exhibition features: Wolfe House, San Cristina, Hotel Isabel, Marlton Manor, 509 Cultural Center, and students’ personal work while the Library installation will feature: Bayanihan House, Knox Residence, Pontiac Hotel and 509 Cultural Center. Although the subjects from both shows are from the same constituency group, the photos vary and each tells its own poignant story.

The Library’s exhibition opens first on April 3 and continue through May 29, 2005. 50 images will be on display in the Jewett Gallery on the Lower Level of the Main Library, oral histories will accompany 16 of the photographs included in the Library’s collection, giving further expression to the images on display. Nancy Deutsch, author/editor of the collection Voices of Our Own—Mother, Daughters and Elders of the Tenderloin Tell Their Stories conducted the interviews collecting colorful and honest oral histories. Deutsch has conducted creative writing, poetry and oral history programs for over 16 years, helping people of all ages and backgrounds tell their stories. Charles Maxwell, resident of Bayanihan House and a subject of one of Deutsch’s interviews expressed his feelings about the perceptions of homeless as, “We’re no different than they are. You know?...we’re not a leper. We’re not gonna poison the rest of society.”

The San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery opens its portion of Stories of the City on April 13 with an opening reception held at City Hall from 5:30 -7:30 pm. celebrating the collaborative efforts of the photographers, subjects and the uniqueness of dual venues.

Since 1991, Sixth Street Photography Workshop, under the direction of founder and artistic director Tom Ferentz, has been committed to sharing the art and skills of photography with homeless and low income youth and adults. The Workshop provides free, consistent photography instruction and support. Participants are recruited from shelters, residential hotels, social service agencies and community organizations. “In every way my life has improved dramatically since I joined the Workshop,” said a participant of the program. “The program caused my creativity to re-emerge and my enthusiasm to reappear.”

In addition to the opening reception, the Library will host an artist presentation and slide show on April 23, 2005 entitled Stories of the City: An Inside Look.

For information on the two exhibitions and events,
please visit www.sfpl.org or call 415-557-4277.