Rocha Art Announces New Gallery, Public Art Initiative, and Non-Profit in SOMA District
San Francisco, CA. 1/26/15.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — With plans for expansion underway, Ian Ross Gallery re-opened its doors under the new name Rocha Art at its Brannan Street location in San Francisco’s SOMA district. Spearheaded by partners Daniele Rocha, Ian Ross, and Rob Evans, the business’s new incarnation will encompass curatorial projects at various venues, a public art initiative, and an educational non-profit in addition to the brick-and-mortar art gallery currently in place.
The inception of Rocha Art comes as Rocha, Ross, and Evans turn their focus to art as a force of positive social change. After a successful two years of showing contemporary painters and street artists such as Cryptik, Eddie Colla, and Zezao, the team has goals to increase underserved San Francisco residents’ access to the arts and reinvigorate San Francisco’s gallery and street art scenes. Their vision as an interdisciplinary arts outfit outgrew their former incarnation as a straightforward art gallery, Rocha said, and the rebranding symbolizes their increased involvement in philanthropic endeavors and public art projects. In addition to launching their non-profit, 1 Brush Initiative, they will use their gallery space to host educational panels, workshops, and fundraisers for charitable organizations and collaborate with the City of San Francisco to bring more murals to the city.
Rocha Art’s New Non-Profit, 1 Brush Initiative
A major focus of Rocha Art is 1 Brush Initiative, which was founded with support from public works organization San Francisco Beautiful. For 1 Brush, Daniele Rocha will recruit well-known local artists such as painters John Wentz and Nellie King Solomon to work with youth from underfunded public schools and the juvenile justice system, providing them with mentorship and high-quality arts education. In addition, the young people in the program will have the opportunity to work alongside professional artists in Rocha Art’s mural projects to improve their painting skills and learn what it takes to have a professional career in the arts. Inspired by the success stories of many of the artists she works with, Rocha sees art as a transformative tool that can change people’s lives by empowering them to express themselves in positive ways.
Rocha Art Garners Support for the Arts from the Tech Industry
It’s an undeniable fact that San Francisco’s art scene has suffered due to rising rents, but Rocha Art seeks to foster collaborations between the tech and arts sectors with the goal of a better future for San Francisco in mind. While other Bay Area gallerists scratched their heads at how to “tap into the tech market,” Daniele Rocha and her team have already successfully worked with tech companies on mural projects as well as fundraisers for local organizations like City Youth Now and the Global Fund for Women. With Rocha Art expanding their operations, these collaborations will continue with larger public art projects and fundraisers for worthy causes.
More Public Art Means a More Beautiful City and Opportunities for Artists
While operating as Ian Ross Gallery, the team at Rocha Art facilitated many murals and public artworks by acclaimed local artists including Ian Ross, Eddie Colla, Cannon Dill, Ricky Watts, Hueman, and many others in their SOMA neighborhood. Rocha Art now has its sights set on commissioning Bay Area and international artists to paint murals in Bayview, the Dogpatch, and the Design District in order to bring cutting-edge public art to areas of San Francisco where murals are scarce. The new murals will brighten the landscape and continue San Francisco’s legacy as a premier destination for the arts.
For any inquiries, please contact Rocha Arts at:
466 Brannan St.
San Francisco, CA
[email protected]
www.rochaart.com