This exhibition presents the work of LGBTQ artists in the Bay Area who employ practices such as world building, alter-egos, performance, pleasure, humor, disco/music, and speculative fiction to imagine alternate spaces, realities, and possibilities, not only spark hope but also challenge prejudice in order to foster a sense of belonging. These practices, many of which have long histories in LGBT communities, present models of how the joy of culture can reconnect us to the world and remind us that anything is possible, if we are willing to fight for it.

Standing on the shoulders of great photographers such as Dorthea Lange and Ansel Adams, artists of today continue to transcend reality through the medium of black and white photography. Art Works Downtown’s exhibit—Photographic Essence—exposes a poetically dynamic experience by showcasing 25 artists working in this timeless medium. Viewers will surely discover new worlds, self-reflection, and fresh perspectives in the dance of texture, shape, subject, and light.

Art Works Downtown offers Harmonic Material, an exhibition of artworks utilizing various mediums to achieve visual, narrative, or compositional harmony; which is loosely defined as a pleasing effect or balance with a sense of movement.

Art Works Downtown presents Contemporary Botanicals to celebrate spring by showcasing an artistic garden of varied approaches to, interpretations of, and expression through, our relationship to flora and fauna.

It all begins with an idea.

The annual Small Works Exhibition offers over 80 fine artworks to the art-loving and holiday gift-buying community.