Wine Tasting & Art Inspired Poetry - A Hope Lives: Art for ALS Event

You're invited to become your own wine expert and hear beautiful poetry inspired by the artwork in the Hope Lives: Art for ALS exhibition.

By Melissa Stephens

Date and time

Saturday, May 18 · 2 - 4:30pm PDT

Location

San Francisco Women Artists Gallery

647 Irving Street San Francisco, CA 94122

About this event

2 hours 30 minutes

Saturday, May 18th from 2 - 4:30 pm
Begin your weekend with a casual afternoon surrounded by beautiful artwork, sipping delicious Corner 103 wines or TÖST, a flavorful alcohol-free bubbly alternative. Listen to wondrous words inspired by the artwork that surrounds you. The artwork at the Hope Lives: Art for ALS exhibition is particularly motivated because it is created by people with ALS.

Red and white wines are on the tasting list, while dark chocolate and cheese will add to your tasting experience. Tost, alternative beverages will also be served. Everyone is welcome.

Participating Poets: June Halebsky, Amanda Moore, Dean Rader, Sarah Rosenthal, Kim Shuck and Rebekah Wolman.

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Hope Lives: Art for ALS was launched by Melissa Stephens in 2020 as a way to honor her sister, Lynn Giovannelli, who bravely battled ALS from July 2020 to November 2023. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that breaks down the communication between a person’s brain and muscles. It steals one’s ability to walk, talk, eat and breathe.

Due to the debilitating symptoms of ALS, participating artists deliver their creative expressions using unexpected techniques. Discover Sandra Murphy-Pak's "inner universe" - paintings that she completes using only her right foot. Embrace color and form in Ken Brenner's artistic collaborations and be amazed by technology assisted artists, Brandy Trigona and Scott Craig, who draw and paint with apps that utilize their mouth and eyes.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I park?

There are parking meters on the streets surrounding the Gallery and two paid parking lots on 7th and 8th Avenues, which flank the Gallery.

Is the Gallery wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The door that enters the Gallery is electric and the interior pathways are wide enough for a large wheelchair or scooter.

Are there restaurants nearby?

Yes, many of them are walking distance from the Gallery. Anything from a slice of pizza to reservations required.

Are there other things to do in the Inner Sunset Neighborhood?

Yes. One of the main entrances to the Golden Gate Park is 2 blocks away. At the Park there are baseball fields, open spaces, a bandshell, the CA Academy of the Sciences, water fountains, walking paths and more.

Organized by

Melissa Stephens

Melissa Stephens is an encaustic painter, photographer and printmaker who has spent 15 years educating children and adults in the arts. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a BA in Art from Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa, she continues her own arts education through workshops and specialized instruction. Her encaustic paintings explore personal stories with themes of: healing, hope, gratitude, and communication.

She is an encaustic painting instructor, working artist, curator and advocate for the arts in Walnut Creek, California. Her encaustic paintings show and sell in galleries throughout the United States, and she is the President and Social Media Chair of Valley Art Gallery in Walnut Creek, CA. In 2022 she co-founded the NorCAL Wax Chapter, an extension of the International Encaustic Artists organization, of which she is the Director of Memberships and Chapters.

In May of 2022, Stephens honored her sister who was diagnosed with ALS in July 2020 by curating a month-long educational fundraising exhibition in San Francisco. Hope Lives: Art for ALS raised nearly $2000 two years in a row for the ALS Association Golden West Chapter. This exhibition is an annual event that occurs every May, which is ALS Awareness month.

Stephens records encaustic tutorials on her YouTube channel The Encaustic Edge, is an art business coach and web designer for older artists; she volunteers at several galleries in the Bay Area, raises money for ALS research and The CleanUp Project with sales from her Little Art Gallery and Mediterranean Series, and hosts live and virtual encaustic demonstrations. Her artwork recently exhibited at the San Antonio Arts Alliance and Museum, San Antonio, TX (Juror’s Award); Encaustic Art Museum, Cerrillo, NM; Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Ellensburg, WA; Morro Bay Art Center, Morro Bay; Propeller Gallery, Toronto; Art Benicia, Benicia; Bedford Gallery & Valley Art Gallery, Walnut Creek; San Francisco Women Artists Gallery, San Francisco; Sara Lisch Gallery, Berkeley; and Chaffey Community Museum of Art, Ontario, CA.