White Walls (gallery)

White Walls is an art gallery located at 835 Larkin Street in San Francisco, California. It is open from noon to 7pm on Tuesday-Saturday and can be reached at via telephone at 415-931-1500 or via email at info@whitewallssf.com and sales@whitewallssf.com.

From the gallery's website:

White Walls Gallery is the premiere destination for urban art. Combined with the Shooting Gallery just next door, the new 4,000 square feet space is one of the largest art galleries on the West Coast. Named for the plain white walls that serve as the backdrop to art pieces, White Walls aims to do just that: take a backseat to the real focus - the art. (And yes, we have white walls.)

Most art galleries these days are stuffy, pretentious places with arrogant staff who are out to make a sale. The White Walls staff will treat everyone with respect and ensure that art newbies and experts alike are welcome to enjoy the art in a friendly, comfortable, and educational environment, all with no judgement.

Art is constantly evolving to reflect the culturally diverse subject matters and artists' backgrounds. White Wall aims to bring this new urban art to everyone in the community, not just the fine art connoisseurs. By showcasing culturally significant urban art, White Walls elevates street-based art to fine art.

Urban art is a loose umbrella term to describe a myriad of art forms that stem from non-traditional subject matters or from non-traditional artist backgrounds. Urban art carries an edgy, raw feeling that comes from a lack of boundaries. This creates extraordinary freedoms of expression and creativity, and with no limits, anything can happen. White Walls cares less about defining the urban art movement than about harnessing collective powers and sharing it with the community, the fine art crowd, and the world.

Owners Justin Giarla and Andres Guerrero have almost 30 years of combined experience in the urban art world. Justin also owns the Shooting Gallery, an internationally known gallery where he helped establish many artists' careers. Justin also serves on the Hospitality House Art Auction committee where he gives back to the Tenderloin community that houses his galleries. Andres has curated numerous art shows in California and abroad, and is entrenched in the urban art movement. Starting off his art career in graffiti art, Andres now enjoys working in the grey area between street art and fine art.

Drawing from their roots as artists, Justin and Andres understand artists' needs and have a unique insight into the art world that many gallery owners lack. Through White Walls, Justin and Andres hope to spread their love and knowledge of urban art to art lovers across the globe. And they hope to inspire other artists to unleash their creativity and ultimately bring urban art into every community.

White Walls hosted a Shepard Fairey art show that ran from April 1 to April 29, 2006. Photos from this gallery show can be viewed here.