El Papél: 0725
“God is change.”
Hello Sketchboard Community,
Apologies for the very late newsletter. To be honest, haven’t had the mental strength to want to do much. However, in light of ongoing violence that has been targeting our communities, we feel compelled to say something.
Our art spaces have always been more than just places to draw - they are sanctuaries of creativity, dignity, and human connection. We have always been vocal about our values and where we stand with human rights.
Our sessions have been, will continue to be, spaces where every person's humanity is celebrated and protected, regardless of documentation status. We have always encouraged everyone to be, either themselves, present, or open to play. Play is hope in action, liberation embodied, and the way we will collectively make progress towards prosperity and peace.
From our bold events like Baroque Delights to Shibari and Pole - we have collectively used our resources to create art as imagination in action. Imagination helps us survive despair, makes hope tangible. Radical imagination is what emerges when we refuse to give up. And it isn’t just fluff - it’s groundwork, it’s the blueprint for post-capitalist futures.
To our artists, models, and community members who are feeling fear and uncertainty: we see you, we stand with you, and we will continue fighting to create spaces where you can safely express yourself and find community. Art is not just an act of creativity - it is an act of resistance and solidarity. The role of the artist is to fill in the gaps that institutions and power structures of dominant culture deliberately avoid. Creativity is not a luxury—it’s a cornerstone of our economy and our national identity.
We also started a social political art group! This is a free group that gathers 1-2x a month in both sides of the Bay, all ages, and all skills/mediums welcomed. If you have been wanting to be with other artists in grief, joy, rage, - come join us. Email us for the Signal Chat link! This group isn’t public, by invite only, due to the Big Brother wtaching NPO’s.
Let’s build worlds we haven’t seen but know are possible. What will we dream into existence next? Let’s dream beyond this crisis. Survival isn’t about staying alive - it’s about building a future worth living in. Community isn’t a buzzword - it’s a practice.
In Solidarity,
Nat + Sketchboard Team
Upcoming Events:
Come see our 12 Years Group Art Show @ Madrone Art Bar!
Thanks for making this happen with us, y’all. We deeply appreciate everyone who submitted AND bought a piece. Big love.
📆 Show Ends on July 20th
📍 500 Divisadero Street in San Francisco
🎟 Free to anyone 21+ with a valid ID.
Our next themed salon is called “Maize Deity: Figure Drawing Salon”
We are excited to collaborate with our friend and artist, Daniel Parada! Daniel is a Salvadoran artist in San Francisco who creates beautiful Mesoamerican comics and art. He began this work to address the lack of accurate and respectful cultural representation in media. Daniel made the vibrant Mesoamerican stories he wished existed, bringing historical cultures to life. With years of deep research, he tells stories that are easy to enjoy and inspire interest in these cultures.
That's why we teamed up—to create a blend of cultures and art forms that tell powerful visual stories.
This is the start of something we have been working on, so come through :)
📅 September 21st, 2025
⏳ 2pm to 4pm
📍 Monument, 140 9th Street, SF
🎟️ $25 admission
⚠️ Uninstructed, all ages, live music, and refreshments available
🎨 Art by Daniel Parada
Sketchboard Co is proud to present the Figure Drawing Marathon.
This large event is celebration of the community and is also acts as our bi-annual fundraiser. Come join us for a half or full day of creativity.
📅 October 19th, 2025
🕰️ 10am to 5pm
2️⃣ 2 sets of sessions: 10am to 12pm / 1pm to 3pm
📍 140 9th Street in San Francisco
✏️ We’ll have 8 models split across 2 sessions.
✏️ 4 stages, spread out through the venue.
✏️ A gesture stage, a short poses stage, and 2 long poses stages.
Community Events:
stop watching “Love Island” and GTFO to nurture your bonds IRL. we got some special highlights of a few events we will be at.
Carolyn Chu + Lys Yang’s “Hold Me Close”
📍 SF Ocean Avenue, 1720 Ocean Ave, San Francisco
📅 Opening Reception on July 12th
⏳ 4-7pm
”We invite you to think about — what does it mean to hold and be held? What does it mean to care for and protect, not just the people we love, but also the most marginalized groups in our neighborhoods and global community?”
Alexa’s Treviño’s “Existir Es Resistir”
📍Accion Latina Gallery, 2958 24th Street, San Francisco
📅 Opening Reception on July 25th
⏳ 5-9pm
“EXISTIR ES RESISTIR is a tribute to the resilience of our communities. As culture keepers, we move through the world guided by our ancestors and held by the strength of each other. This work is a celebration of identity, resistance, and the vibrancy of cultures that continue to bloom despite erasure, displacement, and oppression.“
Pablito Raiz’s Solo Art Show, “Random Art Patterns”
📅 ⏳ Show will be running until the end of August
📍 Against The Grain Gallery; 850 42nd Avenue in Oakland
(inside the Faultline Artspace Building!)
”This collection started with the idea of comparing a slow spiral of progress in life and how similar it looks like a repeating loop of the same events. I wanted to explore the process of painting, beginning with simple repeating designs. The doodles are inspired by various symbols taken from alchemy, berber culture, and andean culture loosely interpreted on each painting. From that point, I allowed myself to push and pull figurative subjects from the design.”
