El Papél: 0625
“rights are won only by those who make their voices heard”
Hello Sketchboard Community,
Since it was Memorial Day, I wanted to write about reminders—a fitting theme for the season. This theme made writing this month's newsletter flow naturally, as I walked through life with that word in mind.
Earlier in May, we held our second art show—our twelve-year anniversary exhibition. It served as a beautiful reminder of our journey and our future, made possible by our collective effort. Creativity flourishes in community, which serves as a lifeline for us humans. This reminds us to bring our authentic selves forward to nurture meaningful relationships in our local ecosystem. After all, symbiosis thrives only through mutual exchange.
After the art show opening, I took some time to visit my family in Los Angeles, where memories of past and glimpses of future converged. I remembered my carless days there, the favorite spots my parents introduced me to—now gone. I'm also witnessing my parents age, facing new mobility challenges. It's a sobering reminder to cherish time with them and prioritize my own physical health.
Our final Shibari and Pole series of the year was a delight. It reminded us to slow down our practices, just as we encouraged the pole dancers to do. We were reminded that, as marginalized artists, claiming our space matters more than ever. We learned again that being present and moving through discomfort toward pleasure is fundamentally human.
Pride reminds us of our history and our aspirations. It's the perfect time to reflect on being better allies, living our truths, and showing kindness to one another. While the oligarchy seeks to isolate us and promote scarcity thinking, here's my personal reminder to you: don't fall for fascist propaganda. Stay present, stay vigilant, and stay queer.
In Solidarity,
Nat + Sketchboard Team
Important Updates:
Moving: As you may know, our Oakland venue, Firehouse, will be closing in August. We have been actively shopping around The Town, looking for a permanent space to call home. We have landed an incredible partnership, just up on Broadway with none other than Wolfepack Studios at 1308 Broadway, right in front of 12th Street Bart Station. We are starting tonight, to
We won’t be having any Thurd Sunday Salons for the summer. We will be right back in sept and oct for last 2 bangers: Maize God on 09/14 + Figure Drawing Marathon on 10/19.
Upcoming Events:
Come see our 12 Years Group Art Show @ Madrone Art Bar!
Over 50 of you are participating and helping us fundraiser for our programming. Thanks to everyone who has submitted artwork.
📆 May 1st to July 31st at 500 Divisadero Street in San Francisco.
🎟 Free to anyone 21+ with a valid ID.
LOS ANGELES! We are back at Scribble Community in Highland Park in early June.
Super excited to have more events planned down south, maybe an art model marathon??
📆Tuesday, June 3 from 630 PM - 830 PM at 5541 York Street in Highland Park.
🎟 Registration through the link: https://sketchboard.as.me/scribble
06/23 pop up at urbana dispensary in oakland
Our next pop-up is going to be at a @urbanaoakland dispensary in Oakland 💨 Excited to bring this new experience to the East Bay 🫶🏽 TYSM for the invite, Urbana 🌞
📅 June 23rd 2025
⏳ 630-830pm
📍 415 Grand Avenue, Oakland
🎟️ $20 admission; tickets via website
🔗 https://sketchboard.asme/urbana
⚠️ Must be 21 and over to attend.
🚫 No alcohol, outside cannabis, or messy mediums such pastel, oils, or charcoal.
🎨 Art by @roshpaintings
Make it stand out
Our next pop-up is going to be at a 111 Minna Gallery! Excited to br back at this awesome space with our homies. Come join us!
📅 June 24th 2025
⏳ 630-830pm
📍 111 Minna Street, San Francisco
🎟️ $20 admission; tickets via website
🔗 https://sketchboard.asme/111minna
⚠️ Must be 21 with valid id to buy alcoholic drinks.
🚫 No alcohol, outside cannabis, or messy mediums such pastel, oils, or charcoal.
🎨 Art by @lianartungart
Community Events:
being lazy without the fliers, but included some links. go outside!!!
tenderloin museum's compton cafeteria riot / an immersive play:
The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is an integral piece of the Tenderloin’s identity, and this play offers a singular opportunity for audiences to celebrate the individuals whose tenacious spirit spawned a movement against the long history of discrimination and violence.
In the summer of 1966, a trans woman and patron of the Tenderloin’s Compton’s Cafeteria threw her cup of hot coffee in the face of a police officer as he made an unwarranted attempted to arrest her.
The riot that followed would come to be known as the United States’ first recorded act of militant queer resistance to social oppression and police harassment. Three years before the famous gay riot at New York’s Stonewall Inn, the neighborhood’s trans women and allies banded together to fight back against their ongoing discrimination, beating the cops with their high heels and throwing furniture through the cafeteria windows.
While the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot has immense significance for the LGBTQ+ community at large, it was also a defining moment for the Tenderloin.
before the light changes at parts peculiar (june 7th from 6-10pm)
positives and negatives: memories from castro camera (june 6th at queer arts featured)
to be seen at jonathan carver moore on june 5th:
Be Seen is a group exhibition about assimilation. Can a person be Black and queer at the same time? Or must we always conceal one part of who we are at all times? Often we as Black queer people have questioned ourselves–are we “Black” enough to be in Black spaces, but also queer enough to be a part of the LGBTQ community? In questioning this notion, we have found ourselves caught between two worlds in the hopes to blend in and not be seen. The cost of this comes at a price of course; a price where we don’t fully get to live our authentic lives. “Try not to be seen” is advice we may have heard from relatives, friends, colleagues or mentors in their hope to keep us safe from judgement or perhaps violence, but ultimately it has had a bigger emotional and psychological negative impact on who we are as Black queer people. This multigenerational group exhibition is meant for us to boldly claim who we are by being seen, maintaining our presence and being outwardly visible.
