CELLspace

CELLspace RIP CELLspace: 1996-2012 ....
Please join us in an "Arrrrrgh!!" of agreement:
"Thanks for all the wild memories..."

The Mission of CELLspace

Our mission is to provide a safe and supportive public environment for the exploration of art, education, performance and community building. Through cooperative relationships, CELLspace encourages the celebration of intergenerational, cross-cultural collaborations and the promotion of social justice. History

CELLspace was founded on the Spring Equinox of 1996 when a gro

up of artists and educators leased a former screen printing warehouse on Bryant Street to develop a communal workspace for collaborative and community-based arts. This dedicated staff of volunteers nurtured and developed their vision over the years, and eventually filed for 501c3 (non-profit) status. Events, classes, exhibits, and other types of arts and programming happened while the community developed the actual space inside of CELL, and grants soon came in to support our mission. CELLspace grew in its scope and outreach, expanding into youth services that offered after school arts classes, tutoring, counseling, off-site workshops, leadership opportunities, and vocational training. A three year capital campaign helped a city-mandated renovation project needed to obtain our Place of Entertainment permit. Since our inception, we have provided affordable space for artists to work on many types of media. This not only includes events and exhibits, but also the following: puppetry, circus arts, metalsmithing, fine arts, performing arts, craft making, music recording, and more. Due to many financial difficulties, the Great Recession, and lack of a younger generation of volunteers and supporters, CELLspace dissolved as an organization in 2012. Inspiration, drive, and the DIY ethic lives on in many other art spaces, artist's projects, and hearts and minds of the thousands who created and spectated at the warehouse space.

09/09/2025

Finally, the CELL Metal Mural walk-by outside the Midway. Was a pleasure to visit it over the past month and glad it will be there in the future. Beats once again from the STAMPED: AYA x Friends event.

09/09/2025

Here is the 2nd walk-through video of the CELL PopUp: the right-side wall with ephemera, history, murals and fresh new art (beats once again courtesy of the STAMPED: AYA x Friends event).

09/08/2025

The CELLspace PopUp was a fun first-ever exhibit for the folks who worked at and ran the space. For folks who could not make it, here is the first of 3 walk-throughs showing most of the new art, classic murals, and CELL ephemera. (beats were live from the DJs at the Stamped event).

A few more photos of the CELL PopUp exhibit just before folks started showing up last week, including a pic of Jonathan ...
08/28/2025

A few more photos of the CELL PopUp exhibit just before folks started showing up last week, including a pic of Jonathan with Bob Burnside.

You can still stop by the CELLspace PopUp until early September: 8/25-8/29: Monday to Friday, 10am-3pm9/5: Friday 10am-3...
08/26/2025

You can still stop by the CELLspace PopUp until early September:

8/25-8/29: Monday to Friday, 10am-3pm
9/5: Friday 10am-3pm
9/8: Monday 10am-3pm
Weekend visits may be available. DM Russell, Jonathan, or Jane.

Photos by Maya Melenchuk - www.mayuchka.com

(mostly) good times all around......
08/24/2025

(mostly) good times all around......

Thanks for coming out Friday night! More photos coming soon, but here are hours for seeing the show:Gallery and Cafe are...
08/24/2025

Thanks for coming out Friday night! More photos coming soon, but here are hours for seeing the show:

Gallery and Cafe are open this week as follows:

8/25 -8/29 Monday -Friday 10am-3pm
9/5 Friday 10am-3pm
9/8 -9/29 Monday 10am-3pm
Note: Show will come down 9/10.

Jane Verma laid out this portion of the show. Tees and jackets from Russell and Jonathan's CELLspace stash. Posters and collage from the CELLspace archives; The Home collage from Russell's stash, brochure from Jane's stash, and the No Smoking sign was pulled out of the ruined building on Bryant by Russell. Group efforts and collective memories all around :)

Just a few more posts of the Bryant St. walls. See you all tonight! No Tickets Required. FREE EVENT. Enter on Michigan ...
08/22/2025

Just a few more posts of the Bryant St. walls.
See you all tonight! No Tickets Required.
FREE EVENT. Enter on Michigan St. around corner from main Midway entrance on Marin

CELLspace PopUp: Metal Mural Opening
Friday, August 22, 2025
6:30 to 9:30pm
Exhibit up until September 10
The Midway Gallery
900 Marin St, San Francisco, CA 94124-1217
enter around corner on Michigan St.

Had to dig deep for these photos, pulling them off of www.stencilarchive.org. In 2005, Peat "Eyez" Wollaeger asked about some wall space to throw up a few of his comedian stencils. CELLspace obliged. Then in 2007, Peat wandered back to SF and dropped a Skully stencil. Over the years, he added a luchador, a hippie, an elephant and possibly a few others to the Bryant St. walls (and in Clarion Alley).

The stencils in the photos below ran until the end, and this piece of plywood was taken off the wall around 2015. Cy Wagoner had added fills around these stencils, but in this older pic, you can see work by Claude Moller, empte eyes, and Craig McPhee.

The comedians, and Skully, will be on the wall tonight at The Midway SF gallery! Just got word that Peat will be flying in from St. Louis to peep the show. Let's hope he has a trouble-free airline experience :)

Update for Friday: AKASHA will be providing the beats and music 8-9:30pm at for the CELL PopUp. Another daily dose of ...
08/20/2025

Update for Friday: AKASHA will be providing the beats and music 8-9:30pm at for the CELL PopUp.

Another daily dose of CELLspace muralism. Cy Wagoner created this amazing work on the Florida St. doors in 2010, anchoring the new works at the back of the CELL warehouse bay. This image tells an amazing story of creation and creativity.

While saving the murals that we could, there was serious thought into how to take these doors off to preserve this piece. Alas, it never happened.

To the right, not yet installed in this pic, was the Bike Kitchen monkey mural (the BK took it), and to the left was a Jet Martinez work (he took it). Scott Williams worked with Russell Howze on putting a huge gorilla stencil on the fire exit door (not pictured).

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San Francisco, CA
94110

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