The BIG Opening Celebration

On March 7, both Amitin and Bonugli will host “The BIG Opening” as part of the SF First Thursday Art Walk. This event marks a significant milestone for both founders as they transition into art gallery ownership, tapping into their extensive backgrounds in the city’s queer nightlife and events scene.

“Shannon and I have been running around in San Francisco for 15 years just being complete goofs,” said Bonugli.

From Concept to Reality

The idea to establish a gallery stemmed from Bonugli’s need for workspace due to his rug-making and photography projects, while Amitin required an office space. Their initial brainstorming quickly evolved into a plan for a space that would foster queer community engagement.

“It started with, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we could just hang out and be stupid and queer all the time?’” Amitin remarked, highlighting the playful spirit that inspired their venture.

Location and Community Support

Finding a suitable location, they selected a previously vacant and dilapidated building on Larkin Street, known for its rich queer history and proximity to several queer-owned businesses. This neighborhood’s cultural significance, coupled with the supportive relationships they built with local business owners, reinforced their decision.

“My friend [the artist Seibot] who’s trans owns an art gallery [Moth Belly] across the street. … So it was like a little enclave,” Amitin noted.

Using a Storefront Opportunity Grant from the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, they successfully completed their business plan, receiving $25,000 to assist in their project.

“We were like, ‘Oh sh-t. We have to do this,’” Bonugli expressed, acknowledging the gravity of their commitment.

Community Engagement and Artistic Focus

In preparation for the grand opening, Amitin and Bonugli actively engaged with their queer community to feature artists and performers, many of whom are their friends. Seibot, a queer, trans nonbinary artist, has contributed a mural for the gallery’s façade and designed its logo.

The inaugural exhibition will showcase works that examine themes surrounding the queer body, featuring artists such as:

• Jackie Brainland
• Jun Yang
• Ashley Salaz
• FotoHoto
• Vinsantos DeFonte
• Mister TUFT Guy (Bonugli)
• Seibot

“Showing queer art—that’s the backbone of what we’re doing,” Amitin affirmed.

The gallery aims to spotlight underrepresented queer artists, emphasizing new talents that may not have had traditional exhibition opportunities.

A Celebration of Queer Culture

The opening event promises to be an energetic celebration of queer culture, featuring a variety of performances and collaborations with local businesses. Highlights include :

• Dance performances by Jocquese Whitfield (Sir JoQ)
• DJs CarrieOnDisco and Cheon
• Legendary drag artist Juanita MORE!
• Food and drinks from DACHA Kitchen & Bar

“It’s a community event. We’re all supporting each other as much as possible,” Bonugli stated.

A Safe Space for the Community

In a climate where LGBTQIA+ rights face increasing challenges, Amitin and Bonugli believe that establishing a visibility-focused space is more important than ever.

“What we can do is continue to just push and be an entity, and just show up and be us,” Bonugli stated.

Amitin reiterated the gallery’s commitment to offering a safe environment for individuals to express their authentic selves. “Everything out there, we cannot control, but in this room, this is a safe space,” he said.