Reprinted from the original by The Bold Italic.
By Courtney Muro - Published on December 18, 2024
We got shooed out of the Academy after about 15 minutes, so we took refuge at Art House SF — a miniature, West Coast version of a high-end NYC art gallery. I considered trying to pull it together and act like I belonged here, but I was too excited about the complimentary wine after purchasing alcohol at the last two spots.
This brightly-lit venue currently features Georgian artist George Abramidze’s surrealist paintings of dancing houses, and owner Max Khusid and his pomeranian were the warm welcome we needed after The Academy.
Khusid holds a computer engineering degree from Carnegie Mellon. He was chatty, knowledgeable, and pleasant to be around. He watches artists for a long time — sometimes years — before he reaches out, and once he decides he wants their art he flies to them. It’s an old-school business model of art curation; more common in the 20s and 30s, he suggested.
He purchases and holds inventory rather than consigning it — “like a hardware store would.” I didn’t have to tell him to explain it to me like I’m 5, he could see that I don’t know shit about art. Khusid is very careful in choosing his artists because it’s a years-long commitment.
The Pomeranian passed out face down like a frat boy. We left Art House feeling tipsy, which I’m learning is on brand for Art Walk.
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