FIFTY24SF Gallery Debuts New Exhibits from Hera, Ala Ebtekar, Rene Almanza
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 3, 2008 from 7–9:30 p.m.
The Exhibits will be on Display July 3–24, 2008

FIFTY24SF Gallery in San Francisco is pleased to announce the opening of “Therapy Dropout,” an exhibition by German street artist Hera and “Descriptive Verse,” a two man show featuring the works of Ala Ebtekar and Rene Almanza. The three exhibits will be on display from July 3–24, 2008.

Therapy Dropout by Hera
A Solo Exhibition in the Ground Level Gallery

German street artist Hera announces her debut solo show, Therapy Dropout. The exhibition will showcase a new body of work including paintings, drawings and installation. Hera’s new works reflect her use of graffiti as an outlet for her restlessness. The use of graffiti is a method that Hera uses to reach out to people that would otherwise not listen to her and she also uses it as a form of therapy. Hera quit regular therapy, which she believes saved her creativity.

“If you paint what you feel, you drag it out of yourself and put it in front of you, where you can see it and deal with it. Once that’s done you can turn your back on it and leave it behind. Others will eventually paint over it, but that doesn’t matter, because you had never planned on keeping it anyway. You’re moving on. That’s it,” states Hera of the meaning behind her Therapy Dropout exhibit.

Hailing from Frankfurt, Germany, Hera’s spontaneous and unrestricted style derived as a reaction to her formal art background and education. Her painting skills became further developed as she began painting in large scale in urban environments in 2001. Hera has also gained national recognition for her collaboration with the artist Akut and together they are known as Herakut.

For more information on Hera, please visit: HYPERLINK "http://www.herakut.de/" http://www.herakut.de/

Descriptive Verse
by Ala Ebtekar and Rene Almanza
A Two-Person Exhibition in the Upper Level Gallery

Bay Area artist Ala Ebtekar and Mexican artist Rene Almanza present Descriptive Verse. Both artists will offer new collections of works on paper, drawings and paintings. The works illuminate a subtle commentary on their culture, human interaction, their similarities in their use of the figure, and a strong attention to their line work.

Ebtekar describes his works as visual narratives that are a “crossroad where present day events meet mythology.” He also seeks to create “unkown” or “unfinished” moments with his pieces; therefore the stories he creates offer many interpretations or outcomes. He has been prolific in showing in the San Francisco Bay Area and has had exhibitions with Lisa Dent Gallery, Paule Anglim and the De Young Museum. He received his MFA from Stanford University in 2006 and currently is a fine art professor at UC Berkeley.

Almanza’s work focuses on introspection, while also being an assiduous glance into his surroundings. He is a founding member of the Arte Cocodrilo Gallery in Oaxaca, Mexico, as well as the graphics workshop Pata de Perro. He is currently working with the publishing house Sirpus in creating series of illustrated bilingual books relating to stories of the Zapoteca culture of Oaxaca.

“My inspiration comes from almost everything, I'm trying to condensate in my drawings what is happening to my surroundings, its aesthetics and authenticity. Every living moment seduces me to portrait it in its more absolute context, that is what I try to do,” comments Almanza about his art.

For more information on Ala Ebtekar, please visit:
HYPERLINK "http://www.torandj.com/ala-ebtekar/" http://www.torandj.com/ala-ebtekar/

For more information on Rene Almanza, please visit: HYPERLINK "http://www.renealmanza.net/framesalmanza.html" http://www.renealmanza.net/framesalmanza.html

Upcoming Shows at FIFTY24SF Gallery
August:
Ground Level Gallery: Basco
Upper Level Gallery: Marco Zamora, Jess Reno and Keith Shore

September:
Josh Graham, Seldon Hunt, Aaron Horkey, Aaron Turner, Stephen O'Malley, John Dyer Baizley,
and Stephen Kasner

FIFTY24SF Gallery Contact Information
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Sunday from 12-6 p.m. and by appointment
Address: 252 & 248 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA 94117
Contact: Kimberly Verde / Phone: (415) 252-9144 / Email: Kimberly@FIFTY24SF.com