Day Trip: A Rare Device Staff Show
San Francisco can’t be described through words alone. It is a city that needs to be experienced to truly appreciate it. Whether you’ve lived here your whole life, or you’re new to calling SF home, you know there’s so much more to this beloved city than meets the eye.That is why the staff at Rare Device is proud to present "Day Trip", an ode to our must-wander neighborhoods, must-see sights and must-do activities that make up a magical day (or lifetime) in San Francisco
Show Dates: April 26th - June 9th
Opening Reception: Friday, April 26th, 6-8 pm
About the Artists:
Ariel Berk (she/her)
Ariel (better known as “Earl”) is so excited to be participating in the staff show for the third year with the best team of humans! Earl grew up in sleepy New Hampshire and has been living in San Francisco for the past 10 years. She dabbles in various art forms, but has recently loved taking long walks with her film camera when she’s not cozy at home with her two cats and family of houseplants. More photos @insta_earl !
"For the past decade I’ve lived in the same apartment in an area tucked between Bernal Heights, Noe Valley and the Mission. I love that each neighborhood has its own distinct personality and charm with so much to see and appreciate. It’s easy to spend a full day just walking around SF and taking it all in, so for Day Trip I’m sharing some shots from my most-wandered parts of the city."
CeeCee Hooton (They/Them)
CeeCee Hooton is a fine art photographer from the UK, trained in Chicago & calling the Bay Area their home for the last 11 years. Since moving to San Francisco they have been working in numerous mediums & taking a more intuitive approach to their art.
"When using textiles, I approach each piece with the medium dictating the final outcome. I started here by considering what makes me think of the city & the vistas that bring me joy everyday, I imagine this piece hanging in the quiet corner of a home, filled with possibilities & dappled sunlight."
Courtney Nguyen (she/her)
Courtney made the move from southern California to San Francisco 2.5 years ago and hasn’t looked back since. She is an outspoken lover of the city so this year’s staff show theme is right up her alley (or shall we say neighborhood).
"I love sending postcards from wherever I’m traveling or even just from my home in SF. It feels like sending a piece of where I am to my loved ones. Here’s a piece of my neighborhood - from the Mission to you, with love."
Giselle Gyalzen
Giselle grew up in the Philippines, and has loved, lived, and worked in San Francisco since 1996. She shares her home with her family of 2 kids, 2 dogs, and 1 husband.
April is one of her favorite times of year because the RD team gets to create their own gallery show. She gets so much joy seeing everyone’s excitement and art work go up on the walls, and she gets to use her own tactile art making skills too.
You can follow along on Instagram at @giselle_raredevice.
"When I have a day off, my favorite thing to do in San Francisco is lace up my shoes and go for long meandering walks while eating along the way. Featured here are 3 places I love to go to just to get lost in my thoughts, or be in nature. Beside them is where I would go for a bite nearby. Enjoy this glimpse of beautiful San Francisco through my eyes!"
Jeff Suppes (he/him)
Jeff is originally from North Carolina but has called San Francisco home for the past 6 years, and is beyond excited to participate in his first RD staff show!
When he’s not giving free walking tours with San Francisco City Guides or obsessively snapping pictures of every Victorian house he passes on the street, he’s either riding his bike around Golden Gate Park or singing along to his favorite musicals at the top of his lungs. You can follow along with his latest musings on instagram @jeffsuppes_art.
"These watercolor paintings showcase the three styles of Victorian architecture found in San Francisco: Italianate (1850-1870), Stick (1870-1890), and Queen Anne (1890-1910). I’ve always been inspired by the ability of older buildings, especially homes, to tell a story - of the many people who’ve lived in them, of the neighborhood as it’s changed around them, of the city as it has reshaped over time. I hope these paintings inspired by real Victorians in the neighborhood around Rare Device encourage you to take a look up and piece together the story of the street you’re walking down.
To me, nothing is more quintessential San Francisco than the California Poppy. They’re everywhere - on the trails of Mt. Sutro, in the medians of all the busy streets, in yards throughout the city. It only felt right that they also be hanging on a wall whose sole purpose is to commemorate the city."
Jenn Zipp (she/her)
Jenn was born and raised in Hawaii, but has called San Francisco her home for the past 24 years. You can follow her shenanigans on Instagram @jennzipp (mostly cat stuff with the occasional food photo), and follow the @raredevice account where she’s the occasional narrator, editor, and content slinger.
"For Day Trip, I thought about the places that make San Francisco home to me, and places that I often take visitors to in order to get a little slice-of-life experience, rather than your run of the mill tourist trap. I love taking people to diners and old-school coffee houses, ones that I frequent myself. So each piece is inspired by neighborhood diners that my friends and I go to, places that I have countless memories of. They’re represented as rooms in a fictional house - perhaps my ideal SF home."
Noa Chupkov (she/her)
Noa Chupkov is a graphic designer based in Los Angeles who is passionate about animals, architecture, and interior design. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from the University of San Francisco in 2018 and spent the following four years calling SF home. You can contact or view her work at noachupkov.com
"The Richmond District holds a very special place in my heart. While I bounced around different areas of the city throughout the years, it is the first and last place I lived. I cherish the memories I have walking the streets, admiring pastel buildings, window pets, and foggy skies. This series illustrates a couple of those moments."
Rachel T. RobertsonRachel T Robertson is a San Francisco artist with an equal passion for fine art and craft. She’s inspired by architecture, mid-century modernism, edges of things, plants & trees, geometric shapes, patterns, tiny details in nature and handmade objects, both functional and purely aesthetic. Her work for Rare Device can be seen in the store merchandising as well as in the window displays. You might even see some of her fiber jewelry for sale there too. You can follow along on Instagram @racheltrobertson
"The pieces for this show were created with mono prints that were made during an RD staff creative outing back in 2016! All the foliage used for the prints was foraged from Golden Gate Park which is one of my favorite places in San Francisco and a must see for anyone visiting the city. There are so many hidden and magical trails in the park, which is particularly lovely on a rainy or foggy afternoon."
Veronica DeMatteis (she/her)
Veronica is a creative jack of all trades from Yonkers, NY who has been living, laughing, and loving in SF for 5 years. She believes that anyone can be an artist and that making something, no matter your skill level, is always better than making nothing at all. You can catch her living her influencer fantasy of opening packages and being cute on the @raredevice Instagram account.
"Often referred to as the “quieter side” of the city, the Outer Sunset is a place I hold very dear to my heart. I am constantly inspired by this tight-knit coastal community and am forever grateful for all that it has given me. As an ode to my favorite neighborhood, this piece showcases my recipe for a perfect Sunset Sunday, represented in the style of a tattoo flash sheet (another key ingredient to the perfect Sunset Sunday)."