Saturday, January 28, from 2-8PM, fabric8 celebrates over 16 years in business, the past six of which have been conducted in our Mission District location at 3318 22nd Street, San Francisco.

Our Anniversary Party coincides with the opening reception of Salon Style, a unique rotating exhibition featuring recent works by artists Brian Barneclo, David Choong Lee, Delphyne V, Doze Green, Erik Otto, Evan Venegas, Gianluca Franzese, NoMe Edonna, Reuben Rude, and Ursula Xanthe Young.

Unlike most shows, Salon Style will feature different pieces by these artists during the course of the exhibit. The show is also hung in a stacked salon style, to represent the diversity and prolificity of our artists repertoire.

It is hard for us to believe how much time has passed since we started fabric8, and how grateful we are for all the love and creativity we have witnessed and shared. Of course, none of this would have been possible without our friends and family, combined with insane amounts of hard work from everyone.

In the past six years, our neighborhood has also morphed into an entirely different place. New restaurants, new people, and new ideas have been a constant. It is exciting to see all the new families sprout up as well. We love it when kids visit our gallery and are inspired by it, and look forward to the birth of our own child this spring.

We started fabric8 in 1995 as an internet boutique selling unique items "fabricated" in San Francisco. It seemed somewhat strange and impossible at the time, and over the years we have adapted, evolving into what we are today: an art gallery featuring artists working in contemporary mediums.

Having a physical space has also encouraged us to do our part to contribute to the community. We hosted a bevy of food carts during our 2-year-long run of Street Food Fridays, and, last summer, built a public art parklet in front of the building for everyone to enjoy. Please visit us regularly to enjoy our fine art, fun boutique items, random amusement on the parklet, and, of course, the koi in our bathtub.

Thanks to all who have supported us, and may you have a peaceful and prosperous 2012!

Anthony and Olivia

In her first major body of work since the birth of her baby girl, Ursula Xanthe Young contemplates magical worlds that are not so distant from our own, and the sometimes-blurred lines between imagination and reality. Integrating her illustration background into her signature painting style, Young's latest artistic development includes inspirations from her travels around the world – festivals, skylines, landscapes, characters, flora, and fauna.

In his first-ever solo show, former medical illustrator David Garvey uses his highly-detailed technique to bring his paintings to life. His exhibition depicts scenes of a wayward reality, from whimsical creatures and scenarios to dreamscapes and poignant visual metaphors.

Two painters, with a strong sense of abstraction and color, join forces to create an exhibition that addresses these qualities in their organic and technical forms.

Artists, with an appreciation for surrealism, paint subject matter that is both representational and fantastic. While their styles vary, a common thread of psychological wonder brings the work in this show together.

With this exhibition, Martin Hsu renders the world of the Crakens, a group of grotesquely adorable hybrid misfits who love nature and all living organisms. Half-land animal and half-sea creature, CRAKENS are the ultimate winners in evolution. While naive and gentle beasts who enjoy gallivanting with their woodland friends, they also start thrashing at the sight of nuclear power plants or illegal logging.

Crakens Botanica will explore the similarities between Crakens and succulent plants, which are both sharp and pointy on the outside but soft and squishy on the inside; also both hardy and enduring yet intriguingly beautiful to the willing.

Coming fresh off several large-scale mural projects, Brian Barneclo returns to the gallery with a collection of new paintings referencing his interest in music, ecology, community, technology, and the juxtaposition of ancient and modern design ideas. Simultaneously, he explores the oscillation between craft and art; and finding the right balance of "tight" and "loose".

With Shoalmates, Ninjagrl explores the parallels between our world and that of our marine counterparts, particularly through the interactive, social behavior of shoaling fish. Relating to each other more loosely and independently than schooling fish, they still remain constantly aware of the others in the group and adjust their behavior so as to remain close to their shoalmates. This concept resonated with Ninjagrl as she found herself striving for balance between independence and community in various aspects of her life. Thus this collection of works explores different facets of community and levels of closeness within her "shoal."

Flights of Fancy is a juried group exhibition addressing things that fly or are pie in the sky. Flights of Fancy covers the gamut of luscious imagery, from beautifully rendered birds to highly textured imaginations. Artists were at liberty to interpret the theme and did so splendidly.

The jury included the principals of fabric8 along with artists Erik Otto, Reuben Rude, Ursula Xanthe Young, and NoMe Edonna.

Working in different mediums on opposite sides of the country, yet meeting at similar points visually, Geoff Campen and St. Monci discovered their common aesthetic via both exhibiting at fabric8. Though the two artists have not met in person, they've put together several collaborative works along with their individual pieces.

With Natural Patterns, Gianluca Franzese studies the systems of animal and insect life via his signature technique of combining acrylic dry brush with metal leaf. Heavily influenced by classical painting and etching on one hand, versus metalwork and decorative gilding on the other, his use of black, white, gold, silver, and copper takes old world craft to a brand-new level.

Franzese is known for rendering San Francisco structures, and he furthers the concept of architecture and landscape in this new collection by exploring it in the building of spider webs, beehives, and more. He highlights the existence of geometric patterns in many living things, as well as the honing of workmanship on numerous levels.

With this new collection, Daniel Fleres further depicts Swanicorns and the land they come from. Part swan, part unicorn, and part unexpected, his imaginary creatures have been the subject of sold-out art shows and vinyl figures.

Classic features three artists who have been showing at fabric8 since opening their doors in the Mission District (2006). They have helped define the gallery's program as well as much of San Francisco's artistic style.

A Plethora of Enchanted Delights #3 was the final exhibition at fabric8 under its former moniker. The opening reception coincided with the annual holiday party and also marked the completion of the 2nd parklet installation by Ursula Xanthe Young.