loved the band i saw but security was a lot on the way in dude checking my ticket took my phone out of my hand and got handsy w me not crazy handsy but enough that i shoved him off of me and ditched my phone w him. whatever. on my way out I asked one of the girls about getting my phone back. They asked what he looked like and I said 'a white guy'. she said no white guys work there and it just super immediately seemed like bad vibes so i left. phoneless. which was awesome. update: called today, they have my phone and will not do a handoff with my friend. sick. im not going back to that place. read more

The modular synthesizer breadboarding workshop at Gray Area was a hands-on learning experience that didn't require very much experience. I started with very little electronics knowledge and worked into building working synth modules. It unlocked a new creative medium. The leader of the workshop made circuits approachable without dumbing anything down, and it was exciting hearing sounds come out of something I'd just wired together on a breadboard. It was a good blend of technical skill-building and immediate payoff. It will give you the confidence to keep experimenting with DIY music hardware on your own.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

I saw George Clanton here recently. It's a good space for music. The main area is like a movie theater, without the seats. Pretty wide open area and the audio acoustics were great for electronic/chillwave music. It was $11 for a cider at the bar they have inside. read more

I was here for a concert on Saturday, acoustics are nice and the venue is relatively clean not so much the bathrooms but what can you expect. The stage isn't very high up nor is it very big but it suits the venue. Not a lot of ventilation so I'd dress light. There's also a bar with some nonalcoholic drinks. read more

Stopped by for the Rafael Lozano-Hemmer exhibit, Techs-Mechs. Highly recommend this wondrous exhibit by such a world renowned artist, that I'm so excited Gray Area has brought to San Francisco. The show is small, featuring 10 works, and each one is mind blowing. Check it out for yourself before May 31. The venue is a cool space that was once the Grand Theater in the Mission. read more

See all

Admittedly, I've only been a relatively few times over a decade, but they've been some of the best contemporary arts events I've ever been to on the entire US west coast: OtherMinds and SFEMF & BBC events; Touch designer label & WIRE magazine showcases of new music -- for that, I'm so very grateful read more

I love Gray Area and just want to mention they also rent the space for events occasionally- the bad reviews I'm seeing are for those nights. Definitely check out the space, it's incredible read more

Great space, unique events, amazing art, and some really great performances! What's not to like?!

I visited their Nocturne X exhibit at this location that ran during October 2021. Nocturne X is advertised as an out of this world experience, with "plants that may respond to your touch, sound, or proximity." They urge you to "lean in close, whisper, tap, sniff, move your limbs [as the] plants may react differently to each being." Nocturne X fell short of their ambitious goals, and we left thinking to ourselves - "that was it?" For a cheaper price, TeamLabs blows this place out of the water. Long story short, save your money and explore elsewhere. The environment and plants were not as interactive as advertised. The room was filled with lots of LEDs and carefully crafted fauna illuminated with LEDs. Overall, the room was aesthetically pleasing and the effort was clearly there. We spent the time going around the exhibition carefully touching the alien plants, and making a variety of silly noises to elicit a response from the environment. Ultimately, our efforts were wasted. We found that no matter what we did, the LED would shimmer random colors (regardless of the presence of someone or not). Despite visiting on their second day of their opening weekend, it was clear many of the LEDs were not functional, and the 2nd "underground" room had a significant portion of the room's LEDs that were not on. In addition to that, you could tell that some things were handled too roughly by previous guests and things were detached from their anchor point (or completely gone). While that is at no fault of the exhibition host, it would have been nice for indicators to show what we should touch and should not, as well as the amount of force necessary for a sensor to activate. However, the lights or sounds did not appear to change to our touch which encouraged us to be more rough. Some things also came off their anchor point even though I lightly touched it, indicating it was previously broken by a guest. I can't imagine what this would be like after a week of showings. Overall, it was clear the hosts put in a lot of effort into the artwork, and the project incurred a significant amount of hours. The concept was there, but could have been executed better. I would have expected some carefully placed cameras and microphones to detect visitors and thus allow the fauna to react to our presence. Lots of options here for implementing multiple raspberry pi controllers into the exhibit. read more

My boyfriend and I went through it for a date night and we were left very underwhelmed. We bought tickets for the Nocturne X event which were $77 in total for the two of us. Advertised as needing an hour to go through this interactive exhibit. I had high hopes for this place especially for how much I had paid. The elevator down to the second floor was broken so we didn't even get to see all of it which sucked. The parts that were interactive were pretty cool but honestly only a handful of things were interesting. The plants were definitely manhandled too much. My boyfriend tried moving around a plant and it just fell over. We tried touching random plants to see if they would move or change lights, but only one of the many plants we touched made any noises. Needless to say, should've read the reviews beforehand and saved my money because it left us wanting WAY WAY more. read more

Nocturn X definitely over delivered from the marketing promises. The gallery itself is pretty small and there are only a handful of things that are truly interactive. Compared to the caliber of some thing like meow Wolf, this place is about 5% of the size. I wanted this to be better but it was really small and super short-lived. There was one guide Who really redeemed the experience by explaining how a lot of the art was made and revealing some of the secrets. Pro tip: If you do end up going. Make sure you find all 10 secrets. This place is also very family friendly. read more

This review is for the Nocturne X exhibit. What a JOKE. Spend your money elsewhere. An unreasonably high cost to visit this exhibit. Super small. I was in there for maybe 7 minutes max before leaving. Interactive parts are all the same and not that interesting. Extra flashing lights, cool. Granted I do think the art is great but the exhibit itself could have so much more potential. Also there's an "elevator" in the middle of the exhibit that leads you to think it goes to another floor but it just takes you to another room that is accessible without the elevator. I honestly found this stupid and hilarious. This is also in a dicey location.....it was uncomfortable visiting. All in all this place is for the most part a marketing ploy. read more

I wish I would have read the reviews before I bought tickets to Nocturn X. I too was sucked in by the advertisement of "Out of this world" sensory experience. Let me tell you, $40 a tickets was NOT worth it!! We spent about 15 minutes in there looking for the real experience, we thought it was a joke. Very disappointing. read more

Severely Underwhelming and basic. You basically go into a dark air-conditioned room and a half with some very simple light-up plant toys. The majority of "plants" don't respond. None responded to sounds, a few respond to touch. Everything can be seen and interacted with within 15-20 minutes. I left wondering if this event was actually meant for small children. read more

An outstanding non-profit and art gallery resource in the city - which really captures the essence of San Francisco and it's dynamic innovative and digital art scene. You only need to check out some of the Burning Man themed events in San Francisco to understand that this city is comprised of forward thinking and creative people. Gray Area Foundation for the Arts harnesses the spirit of the city in a magical way. Their exhibits are thought provoking and unique. And they also strive to stay intertwined with the local community of Taylor Street. Definitely stay on top of GAFFTA's fun schedule of events, classes, and such during the week. And make sure you check out their new interactive current exhibit. Trust. read more

The Gray Area Gallery is an amazing new spot for anyone looking to immerse themselves in art, music & culture in San Francisco. I've heard stories from friends about the space--it used to be a warehouse that hosted late-night rave parties. Since then, it was torn down & remodeled into a wonderful space with great acoustics for a music event--DJs or live performances. I first heard about this new gallery from friends in Los Angeles, it's actually the sister space to the Hear Gallery Los Angeles...a spot which hosted similar work to what is shown in San Francisco. I visited the most recent exhibit last weekend, and have been a fan of this gallery since it opened last November. 'Lonesome Lover' was well-worked, with artists from both Portland & San Francisco. While it wasn't as hyped as other recent shows at the space, the work produced was at a higher-caliber than before. I've heard rumor that the gallery owners will be curating shows themselves later this year, changing the format from a month-to-month curator. $5 for a Bud Light on opening night is a bit much, but the Pizza downstairs is awesome & most all of the gallery collectivists i've met there are awesome. ---- EDIT: Gray Area Gallery has moved...see the website for more information. read more

I took some pretty pictures because I liked the colorful lighting. That being said, that was probably a clue that this exhibit was meant for kids, which isn't revealed on the website at all. $40/adult for a 15-minute experience wasn't worth it at all. I tried to "interact" with the "plants", but they didn't respond to my talking or tapping. This exhibit is enticing for little kids whose parents want them to have an interest in science, which is commendable, so I was fascinated by the "research lab". There was one tiny "elevator", which just rotated a few revolutions in one direction to misdirect guests into thinking they were going "upstairs into the lab", as I heard an employee explain when he exited said alleged elevator. Once we exited, we realized we were just in that room right before we reached the elevator room. Tl;dr NOT worth it. The pretty colors don't make up for its other flaws, I'm afraid. Perhaps the kids could overlook them if distracted by the bright lights, but this exhibit isn't for adults at all. If you have little kids, then feel free, but otherwise spend your money elsewhere. read more

Cool SoMa art space. The gallery itself seems like the perfect location for a variety of art-type events. The events change so depending on what event is being held there and who is hosting that event, the attending crowd changes (I was there for an event that was hosted by a wine company and it attracted hipsters). This is in a good location that is close-by to other great venues such as Slim's and Fat City. read more

While nocturne x is a little smaller than the price tag implies (it's about two medium sized gallery rooms worth of stuff -- despite the 4,000 square feet mentioned in the advertising, not all of that space is being actively used to exhibit art), I think the exhibit has improved since some of the earlier reviews were posted. It's pretty neat with a lot of detail to explore and discover -- about 30-40 minutes of material if you look at every nook and cranny. When I visited, a hostess was there to help demonstrate how to activate the different interactive parts of the exhibit -- this might be a new addition, and she was very helpful as I don't think we would have figured everything out on our own. read more

Only because I had to give at least a one star rating. This exhibit was advertised as a "multi sensory adventure" and unfortunately fell very short of that. The total time I spent in this "exhibit" was five minutes and couldn't believe I was tricked into paying upwards of $30 per ticket. The only highlight of my experience was the coffee I had purchased next door. Please take your money elsewhere, you will be disappointed. read more

Not worth the money. It took all of 15 minutes to get the whole experience. So poorly put together. Huge rip off.

This place, the concept, and the people involved are pretty damn cool, despite the fact that the art here, once in a while, looks like something a junior college student with a bit of talent could churn out. Small co-op gallery right next to Slims which showcases local artists of all sorts. They have a lot of events here, with DJs, bands, performances etc. and sometimes have a hosted bar with cheap drinks for these. Support our local artists and check this place out. read more

Nocturne-X is an over priced and over thought wet dream. The back part looked thrown together like an afterthought. Was there for 5 minutes and left. Best part was rotating door that turned you around to the back, saved me no time. read more

Attended an event here recently and thought it was a great space. Perfect for a small concert or other show. Great vintage feel, with a lot of stylish details. Very good location near food and beverage spots, and of course right up the street from 24th street BART. read more

I visited their Nocturne X exhibit at this location in October 2021. Nocturne X has very convincing marketing and is advertised as an out-of-this-world experience, with "plants that may respond to your touch, sound, or proximity." They urge you to "lean in close, whisper, tap, sniff, move your limbs as the plants may react differently to each being." This was completely untrue, the experience was not immersive at all. Long story short - Nocturn X was a complete and total letdown, the exhibit felt like a bunch of 6th graders came together on a big arts and crafts project with their Elmers glue and play-doh. It was almost comedically bad. For 30$, save your money and explore elsewhere. read more

GAFFTA is incredibly impressive. I always leave this gallery feeling so inspired. They have such a unique presence and their installations are creative, no where else are you going to see a full gallery of multi media arts in SF, they are pioneers. I spent NYE here a few years ago, and have attended a few of their openings. I wish I had gone to ALL of them!! I am looking forward to seeing their new home in the Warfield! read more

Congratulations GAFTA on raising the money to make this happen. What a dream, art + coding under a single roof. I've been to two parties here now, solid sound system. The crowd has been great both times = fashiony, friendly, music hip crowd. Because the room is fairly large it seems challenging to make it feel full and the ventilation isn't great. Can't wait to go back! read more

We checked out their "Lonesome Lover" opening tonight. The venue is very small. The art at tonight's opening was interesting; I still don't quite know what to make of it; some of the images/drawings were cute yet the messages were sad. There was a band setup in the middle of the small gallery. We didn't stay to see them play though. The Gray Area Gallery certainly worth a visit although I must say that it literally took me less than 10 minutes to finish admiring all the pieces. I'm probably just not cultured enough for this sort of things. read more

Awesome, just awesome. I was a bit skeptical when my friend talked me into going to this place, if for the location alone. This gallery is in fact smack in the middle of the 'Loin, with all the expected side-effects. But it's Ok, cool even since the entire point about opening of this gallery is to draw attention to the neighborhood and get some new blood in it. The space is nice and open, the crew is friendly and passionate. In the back, you will see the incorporated brick wall of the old building -- really awesome. I also must comment on the bathroom (as those things are important to me!) -- large, clean and modern. I am not going to talk about the particular art show I saw as those will obviously change, but I am definitely looking forward to coming back and seeing what these guys will come up with. read more

I just got back from six months in Berlin, and this place, the art installations and exhibits reminds me so much of Berlin! Very rad and very refreshing. read more

Been to a few shows here (ARCA, ATOM etc.), and it's always top quality. Though I now miss the old setup (or lack of setup) where you had to enter through the side door, and the performers was just in the center of the floor in a large vacant theater space. Those large speakers were so loud so good. The whole experience was different from anything else in the city. Now there's a proper entrance and gallery space, the show space is smaller, and there's a stage. Feels more like proper show stage, but can't deny seeing a show Boiler Room style gives you something different to look forward to. read more

Learn about Technology, Dance to Techno Music, Look at rad art, Mingle with SF's technologist and art aficionados. I love Gray Area and would highly recomend all to visit the website, see when there is a great event with cool music happening and go have a good time! read more

Just goes to show you that really smart people with too much time on their hands can make some pretty cool stuff.

Just wanted to state that these reviews are for the old Gray Area space in SOMA on 11th above Bowzer's Pizza. Gray Area has become a non-profit Arts Foundation, with a new facility in the Tenderloin at 55 Taylor St. Here is the Yelp page for the new space. http://www.yelp.com/biz/gray-area-foundation-for-the-arts-san-francisco-2 read more

Nice new art space...a friend was showing at their opening night so I know they will be showing other talented artist...I'm just excited to find out what will come of the gray area gallery! read more

Seabrook and the team at the Gray Area Theater could not have done more to ensure that our show ran smoothly. We were delighted with all the support we received and it really is a great space to work in. Our audience seemed to enjoy it a lot too. We are so pleased to have discovered the Gray Area Theater - it was a fantastic choice of venue for us. read more

great location (right next to dna) so has the potential to throw some awesome after hours. opening night was a really great show (art-wise), though the crowd sided on the stuffy and artgeeky. but well, i guess it was an art-opening read more