The Tenderloin Museum is thrilled to present a “making-of” exhibition about the independent, locally produced feature film Life Is Fare, curated by the film’s director, Sephora Woldu. Shot in the Tenderloin, Life is Fare is a Tigrinya and English language film that explores three wildly different perspectives on the East African nation of Eritrea. Inspired by current Eritrean and Ethiopian migration journeys, the film portrays global conversations about identity with a keen, intimate sense of place. “The Shoots” is a colloquial term used by Woldu to reference the seemingly endless movie-making efforts over 2015 to 2018, the time that it took to shoot, re-shoot, re-re-shoot, post-produce, and promote the finished product of Life is Fare. The gallery show, on view from September 6th to 30th, is an existential roar that commemorates the Tenderloin and the Eritrean community that calls the neighborhood home while celebrating the success of Life Is Fare.

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Join us for a rare opportunity to see Robert Zagone's guerilla-style documentary that captures the Tenderloin transforming into a center for young queers and drug users. Premiered on KQED in 1966, this visceral flick wasn't shown again in public until 2015 when it was rediscovered by the Tenderloin Museum. Zagone's footage is a revealing time-capsule of '60s SF, and his camerawork gives a whole new meaning to "eyes on the street." The intimacy and intensity with which Drugs in the Tenderloin paints its subjects transports viewers to a time and place on the edge. The film is one of the few records of the TL’s marginalized communities during one of the pivotal moments in the neighborhood’s history.

On Thursday, August 30th, we’ll revisit this essential piece of Tenderloin cinema and are incredibly fortunate to have the director, Robert Zagone, introduce the film and answer questions following the screening. Randall Ann Homan and Al Barna of SF Neon will provide historical context for the film’s bygone neon landscapes and discuss the Tenderloin’s rich collection of surviving neon signs with an eye to restoration. Drugs In the Tenderloin is not streaming or available commercially--your chance to peek into SF’s underground of yore is at the Tenderloin Museum!

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Join us on August 9th as we announce our new initiative, Tenderloin Neon A-Z, a collaboration between the Tenderloin Museum, SF Neon, and San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) to restore neon signs in the Tenderloin neighborhood. This association is a continues and expands upon the valuable work being done by SF Shines, part of OEWD’s Invest In Neighborhoods Initiative. To celebrate this newly minted alliance between the city’s most dedicated neon people, the Tenderloin Museum is screening selections from Gay San Francisco, Drugs in the Tenderloin, and Neon, followed by a neon history & preservation discussion featuring SF Neon founders Al Barna & Randall Ann Homan as well as Darcy Bender from the OEWD.

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On August 2nd Shawna Peterson and Libby Cahill will host a neon letterform bending demonstration on-site at the Tenderloin Museum. Peterson is the artist responsible for the glowing “Home” sign-sculpture in the Tenderloin Museum’s Neon Home gallery show, and she has earned a reputation as a master tubebend and torchbearer for the light source. Her work has been featured in Wired and KQED’s Bay Curious podcast, and her piece “Neon Noise Reduction,” commissioned by Dolby Laboratories, is contemporary masterpiece of intricacy and craft. Peterson will be joined by fellow tubebender Libby Cahill for an up-close demonstration of the by-hand processes that go into creating a new neon, meticulously shaping and slicing tubes against white-hot flames. Neon Home will be on display in the Tenderloin Museum gallery through August 12, 2018. 

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The Bay Area is full of moving stories that embody the mission of GLIDE, which is to create a radically inclusive, just and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization. The GLIDE Legacy Committee has selected a few documentary short films that beautifully reflect GLIDE's values and message, which are rooted in transformation, empathy, and inclusion.

We invite you to join us for an exciting, thought-provoking evening of documentary shorts, filmed and produced by local artists, that demonstrate the resilience and grace of the human spirit. Drinks and light refreshments will be available.

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Program: 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Q&A with filmmakers: 8:30 – 9:00 pm

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To learn more about the GLIDE Legacy Committee, please visit glide.org/legacycomittee

Drag Queen Bingo returns to the Tenderloin Museum on Friday, June 29th! Inspired by the neighborhood’s long and storied history of gambling, we’ve decided to throw a fundraiser that supports the diverse, dynamic programming at the Tenderloin Museum while providing the thrill of a brush with Lady Luck. That Lady, of course, is Cruzin D’Loo, who will reprise her role as the host of Drag Queen Bingo. Unrivaled in charisma and comedic ability, Lady Loo plucks bingo balls from the basket with the utmost finesse and grace. Will the ball reveal the number you need? Buy a few cards and find out on Friday, June 29th. 

Join us for a raucous evening replete with prizes fit for a Queen, such as a signed photo of Klay Thompson direct from the Championship Golden State Warriors, a pair of tickets to a show at the historic Warfield Theater, a piece by acclaimed Tenderloin photographer Darwin Bell, and many more!

The Tenderloin Museum is thrilled to host SF Neon for an evening of illuminating presentations by graphically inclined neon enthusiasts, plus the opening of a neon-centric art show in our gallery space. Neon Light Source & Letterforms will convene the burgeoning neon community in the Tenderloin, a hotbed of heritage glow and striking neon signage, as part of San Francisco Design Week 2018. Join us for an examination of some notable neon sign survivors and preservation projects in the Bay Area, as well as several expert views on neon’s persisting allure and design potential.  

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2018 marks year number 3 for the Tenderloin Museum! Please join us for our Anniversary Party, a full day of free, family-friendly programming at the Museum that celebrates the diverse and impactful efforts of the Tenderloin community both past and present. In a time marked by an urgent and invigorating surge in advocacy, community organizing, and civic engagement, the Tenderloin’s history is more relevant and inspiring than ever.

This year, the Tenderloin Museum aims to highlight and reflect upon the pioneering activism and fierce resistance woven deep into the story of our 31 square blocks. Anniversary programming will center around the world premiere of TENDER (n.): a person who takes charge, a site-specific dance celebrating 100 years of outcast activism in the Tenderloin.

Daytime events include Drag Queen Story Hour, a preview of the Exploratorium + Civic Center Commons, live music and spoken word by Larkin Street Youth, traditional folk music, song, and dance by the Au Co Vietnamese Cultural Center, a presentation by Ivy Anderson and Devon Angus, authors of Alice: Memoirs of a Barbary Coast Prostitute, as well as a talkback and drag revue by the writers and cast of The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot.

On May 24th, architectural historian and preservation activist Shayne Watson will lead a walking tour through the TL focused on LGBTQ-sites and the discussion of how best to honor a crucial, intangible legacy in physical (but often altered) locations. Her pioneering work expands the language of preservationists to recognize LGBTQ sites as well as streamlines the process to landmark historic buildings. This special walking tour is a rare opportunity to explore one of the earliest and most historic LGBTQ enclaves in San Francisco with an expert in the field.

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The 2012 documentary Lewd & Lascivious recounts then now infamous 1965 police raid on California Hall, the aftermath of which crystallized an inter-faith alliance against the SFPD’s discriminatory harassment. Following the screening, the Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer will host a panel featuring Ms. Joanne Chadwick, Executive Director Emeritus for the Commission for Women, ELCA and The Rev. Charles Lewis, ELCA San Francisco Night Minister Emeritus, both of whom were present at the dance and featured in the film.

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Tenderloin Museum and Flyaway Productions invite the Vietnamese community to the Museum on May 6th to learn about TENDER (n.): a person who takes charge. This site specific public art performance will take place on the outdoor walls of the Cadillac Hotel and will features stories of outcast activism in the neighborhood over the last 100 years, including stories of Vietnamese people’s arrival in the neighborhood and efforts to thrive here. The shows will take place June 7-16, 2018 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

As the director of TENDER, choreographer Jo Kreiter will speak about her experiences making community responsive public art. Composer Vân-Ánh Võ will talk about making the music for this project, and will share some of that music at the reception.

At night, the Tenderloin is illuminated by some of SF's most historic and iconic neon signs. The craft and construction of this century old medium is a captivating and enduring force of color and beauty in the visual landscapes of our lives. Thus, the Tenderloin Museum is thrilled to host the Neon Speaks Symposium and Spotlight Forum, a central event in the Neon Speaks Festival & Symposium: a Celebration of Neon Signs. The weekend-long festival is presented by the San Francisco Neon/Historic Neon Network, a non-profit organization sponsored by the Tenderloin Museum that aims to raise awareness and promote information sharing about the artistic legacy of historic neon signs and restoration best practices. The ticketed Saturday afternoon Symposium at the Tenderloin Museum will feature many luminaries from the neon community, followed by a free “Spotlight Forum” on the future of neon preservation.

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The magician and raconteur Christian Cagigal returns to the Tenderloin Museum to share a freshly unearthed set of bizarre tales about San Francisco’s fantastic and forgotten past. A charismatic performer, Cagigal channels an old-fashioned showmanship to transport audiences into the uncanny dimension of his stranger-than-fiction characters and lost lore.

At this third edition of the Spooky, Strange, and Magical History of San Fancisco, attendees will be regaled with stories of Charles Carter, the famous Vaudeville magician whose show stopped traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as Gertrude Atherton, the feminist novelist whose husband returned from sea dead in a barrel of rum. Add to that a haunting at the nearby Curran Theatre and a few cemeteries full of exhumed corpses, and one is guaranteed a dazzling evening of storytelling.

Cagigal’s previous story hours at the Museum were immensely popular amongst both history buffs and acolytes of the obscure. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the underbelly of Bay Area history with a most charming, dramatic guide. Join us on Tuesday, April 10th for a reading at 7pm. 

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Photographer Darwin Bell returns to the Tenderloin Museum’s gallery with a collection of vivid imagery plucked from the streets of his adoptive home: the TL. Bell’s sense of place is a strong one. “I don’t like directing a photo,” Bell told the Tenderloin Museum, “I like letting the setting direct me.”

“Heart of the City” is comprised of twenty digital prints on metal that celebrate the iconoclastic neighborhood’s perpetual state of metamorphosis. The artist will be present for an opening reception on April 5th as part of #SFfirstThursdays Art Walk.

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The Penalty is a frightening noir that draws heavily on San Francisco's historical viceland and stars Lon Chaney in his breakout role as Blizzard, a vengeful, amputee crimelord hell-bent on robbing the Old Mint. Now, nearly a century later, the California Historical Society and the Tenderloin Museum are granting this gangster his wish by screening The Penaltyinside the Mint’s majestic receiving room, replete with a live musical score and a century-spanning presentation on the film’s many recognizable locales.

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The documentary, The Stairs, profiles social workers at Toronto's Regent Park Community Health Centre, all of whom are former or current drug users. The Stairs tells the story of Marty, Greg and Roxanne, who each survived decades of street-involvement. Using their experiences to ease the paths of others, they perform social work in their old neighborhood, while struggling to maintain their newly-found stability. Told over five years, The Stairs examines life on society’s margins. Defying stereotypes through intimate portraits, its remarkable subjects are surprising, funny, shocking and moving. This compassionate film looks at progressive urban drug policies alongside the human realities of addiction.

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The Tenderloin Museum is thrilled to collaborate with the Asian Art Museum on hosting a literary reading featuring renowned Vietnamese-American authors, Andrew Lam and Angie Chau. Both authors have written extensively about coming of age in San Francisco in the ‘80s through the lens of the Vietnamese immigrant experience. As members of the Diasporic Vietnamese Artist Network (DVAN), they have contributed to a body of work that gives voice to the immigrant experience in the Bay Area and beyond. Their personal narratives are in dialogue with the current special exhibition at the Tenderloin Museum, Voice of the Central City: The Tenderloin Times, 1977-94, which explores the history and impact of the Pulitzer Prize nominated, polyglot Tenderloin community newspaper.

The world premiere of The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is upon us! In celebration of the opening night, come see the queens behind play give a rare, high-noon show at UN Plaza during the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market. Don’t miss this chance to see our stars shine in front of the beautiful and iconic San Francisco City Hall--both cast members and co-creators of this historic production will be performing from 12pm to 1pm on Wednesday, February 21st. Meet the cast and buy your tickets to The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot with a side of fresh, local fruits and veggies. See you there!

In anticipation of The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, the Tenderloin Museum’s first ever theater production, we’re hosting an after-hours Drag Queen Bingo Party! Come down to 398 Eddy Street for drinks and good cheer, but bring your own luck. Prizes abound, from the luxurious (a two night stay at the Phoenix Hotel!) to the whimsical (kitty play time at KitTea). Others will turn this night out into another, like tickets to the Color Factory or film passes to the beloved Roxie Theater. The competition won’t be the only thing that’s fierce. The incomparable drag artist and activist Cruzin D’Loo will be mistress of ceremonies, presiding over the bingo balls and calling out those lucky numbers.

The Tenderloin Museum is pleased to present a collection of new work by painter Dennis Conkin. The eight abstract canvases on display are the fruits of his largely self-taught painting practice, developed over three decades living in the heart of the Tenderloin, and communicate the artist’s emotional relationships with color. Conkin is well known in the neighborhood for his work as a community activist and as a reporter for The Tenderloin Times, focusing on issues of homelessness, AIDS, and mental disability when few would. As such, his non-representational paintings strike an intriguing counterpoint to the linear, narrative nature of chronicling the news. “Art is the story of humanity’s quest for love and awareness, for insight and understanding about our lives,” Conkin told the Tenderloin Museum. “Art is also ecstatic celebration, belonging to no one, and, fundamentally, art saves lives.” Join us for the opening reception of Color Is Pure Feeling on Thursday, February 1st.

The Tenderloin Museum is thrilled to announce its annual Volunteer Fair will take place on Tuesday, January 23rd. This is an excellent opportunity to meet and connect with representatives from several of the Tenderloin’s vital service nonprofits. Learn about the many ways one can serve those in need and build meaningful community in the heart of San Francisco. This gathering is intended to be inclusive and engaging for first time volunteers and seasoned civil servants, so please come join the conversation about involvement and impact. 

The Volunteer Fair begins with an opening reception at 6:30 pm, followed by short presentations at 7 pm from over a half dozen local organizations. Participants include Glide, 826 Valencia, Larkin St. Youth, Coalition for the Homeless, Code Tenderloin, Project Open Hand, the St. Anthony Foundation, Skywatchers, and more. More detailed information on each group is included below. 

In collaboration with the Tenderloin Museum,Ramon’s Tailor Gallery presents a neighborhood Walking Tour & Artist Talk, inspired by the current art installation at Ramon’s Tailor by Paz de la Calzada, entitled Alhambra S.R.O. This one-night only event is an exciting exploration of the intersection of art, architecture, history, and diaspora.