Our dear friend, New York painter Forrest Williams' new show Crossways opened this past weekend at Marx & Zavattero gallery with a reception for the artist.

His work will be on exhibit from October 30 — December 18, 2010

Marx & Zavattero
77 Geary Street, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108

At once emotionally intimate and graphically bold, his new series draws the viewer in to look closer. The beautifully worked surfaces — patiently built-up layers of texture and color — create askew spaces with undefinable depth and rich luminosity. We feel very privileged to know such a talented artist.

Knack designed and produced the Catalogue for the show which is available through Marx & Zavattero. We also created Forrest's website. www.forrestwilliams.net

Above: Collector Jay Jeffers (left) of Jeffers Design Group, talks art with Forrest Williams at the opening reception for the artist. Photograph by Mustafa Onder.

This coming Tuesday evening, October 26th from 7-10 pm there will be a gala party at Terra Art & Event Gallery (511 Harrison Street, San Francisco) to raise money for the Hamilton Family Center and to celebrate community in San Francisco's SoMa District. This event has all the makings of a truly memorable experience!

One of our "give back" projects this year, we were pleased to contribute our efforts to this worthy cause. The Knack team was approached by Charmane Crain of One Rincon Hill, Jennifer Phoenix of the Martin Building Company, as well as the other members of the SFRCA, to create a brand and every extension of associated promotional collateral for this event.

From the initial logomark exploration – through the overall design and construction of the campaign website – and across the various print collateral, Knack worked to craft a visual program which captured the spirit of the event. We invite you to view the website at www.heartofsoma.com

A few of the highlights of the evening will include:

• Guest speaker Rev. Jesse Jackson will salute the community and introduce the efforts of Hamilton Family Center.

• Mary Murphy from "So You Think You Can Dance" will be our Emcee of the night.

• Music performances arranged by Music Events 4 Causes include AudioBraille, RonKat Spearman and Ricardo Scales.

• Art installation courtesy of ArtHaus will be at a special reception on the 53rd floor of One Rincon Hill.

• Culinary delights from some of San Francisco's finest restaurants including: Boulevard, Fifth Floor, Town Hall, Prospect, Epic Roasthouse, Waterbar and Bar Agricole. Chez Papa Resto and Thermidor will serve up the VIP Experience.

Tickets are still available and we encourage you to join us in making the evening a success!

HEART OF SOMA 2010

Tuesday, October 26, 2010
from 7-10 pm

Terra Art & Event Gallery
511 Harrison Street

www.heartofsoma.com

Tickets are available via Eventbrite, Get Tickets Here

Friday evening September 24, marked the 5th year Knack Design and Production has participated in the annual Art For AIDS benefit event. Knack teamed up with friend and colleague Mustafa Önder to donate his photographic piece titled "Darling" (see previous post below) - we are pleased to announce it sold and helped raise money for this important event.

Knack staff and friends gathered and a had a chance to mingle with artists, patrons, and stylish guests while having the opportunity to purchase and bid on some extraordinary artwork. We would like to thank all of the organizers, donors and sponsors involved, with a special thank you to James Bacchi of ArtHaus and Mustafa Önder for their continued collaboration.

Event Photo Credits: Özgür Özlük and Mustafa Önder

An important annual design event, the 9-day London Design Festival showcases events and exhibitions all around the Greater London area. From architecture to fashion to speculative design, the festival invites connections, explores issues, offers an exchange of ideas, and is a lot of fun.

I was pleased to attend an exclusive opening night event entitled "SUPER NATURAL". A project by Studio Toogood, "SUPER NATURAL" featured a collection of furniture using three recurring elements – wood, brass and stone – with an emphasis on English-sourced materials and English craftsmen.

One of the highlights of the Design Festival is the Open House. A weekend event where over 700 of the city's most impressive private buildings open their doors to the public for touring. We were able to visit the celebrated Lloyd’s of London building by Richard Rogers.

My trip also included a tour of the 2012 Olympics site currently under construction.

If you have not attended this event before, we highly recommend you check it out. A benefit for one of the nation's leading AIDS service organizations, the UCSF AIDS Health Project, Art For AIDS is a must-see live and silent auction of modern and contemporary art works of all types. Every year this event gets bigger and now, having outgrown its traditional venue Bonhams & Butterfields, it's moving to the spacious Galleria of the San Francisco Design Center. Whether you are there to rub elbows with art patrons and buyers, or to snap up some fantastic pieces, you're in for a good time.

Marking the fifth year Knack has contributed to Art For AIDS, our photographic entry from friend and colleague Mustafa Onder is entitled "Darling". See more here.

Art For AIDS 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
The Galleria at the San Francisco Design Center