About Avenue 12 Gallery
Avenue 12 Gallery was established in 2016 by husband and wife team Vince Meyer and Rachel Murray Meyer. Our mission is to support the arts in the San Francisco Bay Area by showcasing the work of emerging and established artists. We aim to make exceptional art accessible to all, offering thoughtfully curated exhibitions in an inviting and inspiring space.
See our Artists page to learn more about our current artists.
Before the advent of Avenue 12 Gallery, Vince had operated a Japanese art and furnishings gallery in the same space since 2005. Rachel has her studio behind the main gallery.
Our Lake Street at 12th Avenue Location
Located in the heart of the beautiful Lake District of San Francisco at 12th Avenue!
Nearby attractions abound:
de Young Museum 7 minute drive, 28 minute walk
Legion of Honor 10 minute drive, 43 minute walk
Presidio of San Francisco Immediatly across Lake Street
Slow Lake Street We’re on Slow Lake!
Golden Gate Bridge 4 minute drive, 46 minute walk
Golden Gate Park distance varies depending on destination
Eateries Many on nearby California and Clement Streets
Mountain Lake Park Immediatly across Lake Street
Baker Beach 8 minute drive, 23 minute walk
Presidio Golf Club 7 minute drive, 19 minute walk
Review: Avenue 12 Gallery Enlivens Lake Street Neighborhood With Contemporary Art
Richmond Review November 2, 2020
By Judith Kahn
Avenue 12 Gallery
Avenue 12 Gallery on Lake Street at 12th Avenue is a unique art space which continually displays paintings by artists in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area and has large glass windows which allow people to view the exhibit from outside. Artists who display their work are dedicated, established, professional fine artists, and all the works exhibited are originals and are content driven, such as Lynn Sondag’s watercolor landscapes, which are interpretations of street scenes of Lake Street, Sea Cliff and the Presidio.
Before becoming a gallery, the space was the location of Lake Market. Then in 2005, owners Vincent Meyer and Rachel Murray Meyer transformed the space into a Japanese art and antique store. In 2016, they decided to turn the space into a contemporary art gallery. Vincent said he feels it is important to display art that conveys images of what is going on now. “The newer the better when it comes to the type of art displayed in the gallery,” he said.
Vincent said he likes art that uses traditional media, like oil, as long as the subject is conveying the present. The gallery is particularly important because it brings culture to the neighborhood and now that Lake Street is a “Slow Street”, more people are stopping to view the exhibits instead of driving by in their cars.
Vincent Meyer
Vincent is a native of the Richmond was inspired by his father, a painter, who taught him about art.He started a metal works shop, Metal Mending, on Clement Street and later received his landscape architecture degree from University of California at Berkeley.
Rachel Murray Meyer
Rachel’s background is in math, engineering and photography. She has displayed her photography at various galleries and is currently exploring other avenues to show her new bodies of work. Growing up in Los Angeles, she took art lessons when she was a youth at LACMA and frequented the Getty Museums. Art has always been an important part of her life.
During the height of the pandemic, Avenue 12 created a window display of art submitted by artists who were creating work in reaction to the pandemic. Artist Yuriko Takata submitted watercolor paintings of windmills titled “Winds of Change.”
“My work is definitely influenced by the feelings I’m experiencing at the moment,” Takata said. “This moment in time is both frightening and extraordinary. The windmills are whirling a bit too fast, at the mercy of a brutal and mysterious killer in the air we breathe. The lights are on inside; signs of fellow human beings sheltering in place. What needs to be changed to go forward and stay alive?”
Vincent and Rachel look forward to continually supporting artists in the community and giving them a place to exhibit their work, while attracting people in the neighborhood.
I live in the Richmond neighborhood and when possible I visit the Avenue 12 Gallery, and I am truly impressed by the vibrant atmosphere and the incredible array of artwork on display. The gallery does a fantastic job of showcasing emerging and established artists, keeping the experience fresh and intriguing. One highlight for me was Rachel Murray Meyer’s “Stored Memories” series. Her work embodies a mesmerizing blend of mystery and abstraction that truly captivates the viewer. It’s always inspiring to see how other artists interpret themes that resonate with my own work, like her symbolic references to film noir. What I also appreciate about Avenue 12 Gallery is the focus on local painters pushing traditional genres’ boundaries. Seeing such creativity and innovation in landscape and abstract art is refreshing. The space itself, though small, is welcoming and encourages conversation. There’s no rush to move through the exhibits; instead, you can take your time to absorb each piece and chat with fellow art lovers. I wholeheartedly recommend stopping by Avenue 12 Gallery for anyone in the area. It’s a gem that deserves attention, and I always leave feeling inspired and uplifted! – JAN DOYLE
Avenue 12 Gallery offers an ongoing well-curated and inspiring group of artists, inspiring the neighborhood and the city. LAURIE GHIELMETTI www.laurieghielmetti.com
Vince and Rachel are two of the nicest people you will have the fortune to meet. They have beautiful taste in art and carry a diverse selection of artists. They went above and beyond for us, helping us acquire a piece from an artist we admire. I look forward to my visits to the gallery to see what is hanging on the walls and love when I have the great fortune to see them at art events. Go and visit, you may find something you love. We did. – JOSHUA S. via Yelp
Avenue 12 Gallery is a hidden gem — a bit of real, honest local character. A wonderful selection of rotating, interesting art. – JEAN J. via Yelp
So grateful to have a local gallery that celebrates the area and its artists! We enjoyed chatting with Vince and picking out a piece which we have enjoyed for some time now. Swinging by gallery to see what is new is one of our favorite stops. – JOHN W. via Yelp
Gallerist, Rachel Meyer, and her husband, Vince have been at this site for over a decade. They feature area artists whose works range from purely abstract to various levels of representational image making. Small in space but big in vision the gallery has a steady group of patrons who regularly keep an eye on the art being shown in the “window” gallery and space beyond. The location is one block off Park Presidio Blvd which is a major artery through San Francisco. With a small stable of artists who regularly rotate their work with the gallery there is something new to view if one is looking for work by regional artists. – WILLIAM O. via Yelp
Vince and Rachel have created a beautiful and safe place for artists to be seen and celebrated. They feature emerging, energetic artists seeking fans and patrons to continue their vision. Great art nugget in the Richmond District. – SUSAN H. via Yelp
The nicest gallery owner! I just stopped by on a run down the street and ended up staying for 30+ minutes chatting. Love seeing the new local artists featured. A hidden gem in the neighborhood – Jessica Kiever via Google
Awesome art gallery! They have a versatile selection of art from local artists, and the shop owner truly loves art and works hard on curating an ever-evolving, interesting collection that showcases the talents and beauty of San Francisco. Receiving their newsletter with art announcements is one of my favorite mails in the inbox. – Diyi Zhu via Google
– Mark Massie via Google
1101 Lake Street at 12th Avenue
San Francisco CA 94118
415-750-9955