Recap: Barry McGee “(Almost) Free Formed: Celebrating Old Days and Hoping For New Times” at CCSF

Barry McGee has been a major influence to many artists. His now infamous ‘Twist’ tag is still looked at as being one of the best. Over the last twenty years, he’s gone from street artist, to one the most successful contemporary figures of his generation. Yet, as much as McGee is revered as one of the best, his humble beginnings started in a Community College class room in San Francisco.

With a looming budget crisis overhead and the possibility of the school losing accreditation, Barry offered to host a group show with former CCSF students Chris Johanson and Laurie Reid. The central theme of the show - ’(Almost) Free Formed: Celebrating Old Days and Hoping For New Times’ was to bring attention to the school and show how important the artists program was to them. Art Instructor and Gallery Director Nancy Elliot said, “We are thrilled that these artists not only remember us, but are passionate about us. They feel their studies at City Collge were instrumental in and essential to their artistic development. They hope that this exhibition will visibly emphasize the importance of low-cost arts education.”

The Show runs from February 21st - March 20th at CCSF.