Agelio Batle: Artist-in-Residence

May 1 – July 22, 2023
SFArtsED gallery, 1275 Minnesota St.

The San Francisco Arts Education Project is thrilled to welcome SFArtsED Artist Mentor Agelio Batle in residence in the SFArtsED Gallery at 1275 Minnesota Street. During the first phase of this residency, Agelio will transform the open gallery into his atelier and making space, with regular hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11–6pm, as he works toward his solo exhibition in the space slated to open June 24, 2023.

Expanding upon his multidisciplinary practice, Agelio will build a series of wall-mounted sculptures that mimic highly ornate 18th Century mirrors. In this original process, rather than reproducing colonial filagree the artist meticulously cuts and re-composes small sections of gold frame molding, many pieces are small as 1/8  of an inch, in order to construct the silhouettes of warships. Inspired by his father’s crisscrossing of the Pacific with the Navy, which provided an opportunity to come to America from the Philippines, these silhouette sculptures of maritime vessels contain mirrors the artist uses as a formal and conceptual tool, engaging the viewer through a series of reflections which activate the gallery space.

Alongside the transformation of the gallery into the artist’s studio will be a pop-up shop for Agelio’s Batle Studio, opening on the first Saturday in May, May 6th 11–7pm, featuring unique and editioned works for sale. This residency is funded, in part, by The National Endowment for the Arts.

Artist Statement:

“As I go about my normal day, I find myself attracted to anomalies: oddities of circumstance or material that snap me out of my ‘routine.’  For me, routine is complacent; a slow death. I think of art-making as cultivating a specialized anomaly. First, I rummage out objects that are part of my ‘routine.’ They can be anything, really. I particularly revel in taking aim at things that are unquestioned fixtures, self-assured maybe, but mundane. Then, I zero in on a quality that might expose a ‘kink in the armor.’ With a playful attitude, I’ll add something to it, or take something away, in order to reveal its paradox. That object, which had previously affirmed the ‘routine,’ might now divulge a transcendent irony.”
artist website

Special One-Week art summer camp session: Cultivating Creativity
In conjunction with his residency, Agelio will offer Cultivating Creativity: a one-week intensive summer camp session geared towards young makers ages 10 – 14. This session will take place in the gallery the week of June 5 – 9, 2023 from 9am to 3pm. Agelio will draw on current research about creativity combined with his 30+ years as an artist/designer/maker/inventor to help students cultivate their creativity. To learn more about this intensive and register, visit sfartsedsummer.org

Free Third Saturday Workshop:
Join us Saturday, June 17 from 2-4pm in the SFArtsED Gallery for a free “Altered Photos” workshop led by artist-in-residence Agelio Batle. This workshop is part of the “Third Saturdays” series in the gallery which is free and open for art enthusiasts of all ages. Materials will be provided and drop-ins are welcome!