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garamondemagazine · 7 years

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PROFILE: Alejandra Frank of Teros Gallery

Teros Gallery is a San Diego gallery supporting local and bi-national artists. They do exhibits, music shows, installations and contribute immensely to the SD local art scene.

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in San Diego, then lived in SF/Oakland for almost eight years. Pretty sure I left my heart there.

What is your background?

Family-wise: My mother is from what was once a small town in Nayarit, Mexico called Tepic. She moved to Guadalajara when she was seven. My dad was born in the Bronx to Russian/Romanian Immigrants who had fled to NYC as Jews escaping the Bolshevik Revolution. They moved to Binghamton, NY in the Fifties. My parents met in Guadalajara while my father was in medical school. They got married in Texas on Halloween and ended up moving to San Diego in 1972 when Fashion Valley was still grazing land for cows. Unfortunately, many of the important family members on my father's side had passed by the time I was born, and I was mostly raised around my mother's Mexican side of the family, a family made up almost entirely of artists.

Discipline-wise: I attended City College of San Francisco for several years, taking classes in Graphic Design, World Music, and Journalism. The need to work eventually lured me away from school, although I left with what was a good platform of skills and knowledge to inspire my desire to begin my magazine.

How did Teros Gallery start? What inspired Teros?

Having a workshop/show space was an idea marinating in my brain for a while. In 2011, some friends and I got together to create our first zine. "We are Speakers of an incomprehensible language" was our motto, something I had read regarding the Sioux Tribe. This was a group of artist friends coming together to do things for the sake of art/storytelling, riffing off a feeling for the need to create. These issues would come out about every other month, depending on when I could scrape/raise enough to print them. I insisted on the zine being free.

After the 3rd issue, I organized our first fundraiser in San Francisco. We had the show at a convent where my friend, Drew Fehlman was living. Drew built these bizarre, impressive wood panels to hang art on. All of the artwork was inside the church meanwhile bands/music were downstairs in the basement. It was a pretty amazing and exciting experience, especially since it was our first show. From then on, we kept doing events in different spaces, tying together and curating a subversive blend of music and art. I wanted to avoid having shows at bars and be as innovative as possible.

it was important for me to be consistent and never give up on making magazines, it was one of the only things that made me feel like I accomplished something. In 2015 I was going through some tumultuous times. We had to move out of our place in Oakland. I decided to quit both my jobs (Shout out to Little Star Pizza and Children's Creativity Museum) and focus on other aspects of my life. I ended up surviving without a home and doing odd jobs for over a year.

In the midst of this endeavor, my friend Amanda and I went to Tijuana to visit our friends Celeste and Aaron who were painting a mural outside of "Out Here". That weekend was very special and inspiring for many reasons. This was the same weekend I completed the 11th issue of Teros Magazine. On our way back from the border, Amanda asked me what my intentions, were for Teros. My response, was "I want a space, warehouse, any type of physical foundation for I'm doing." She immediately took me to 3888 Swift Ave. Her friends were living in a house behind an old Palm Reading place that was pretty much abandoned. I had the vision of art hanging on the walls, a place to create, meet people who are like-minded, play music, record, hang out, engage in the community, and most importantly, a safe space.

Thanks to all the amazing people that helped manifest this vision! You know who you are : )

Are you an artist yourself?

I grew up with a family of artistic freaks, the best kind of freaks. My mother was always painting or playing the piano. She is very generous with her materials and encouraged us to be artists. Her famous quote is "USA la Cabeza," or "use your head," artistry can be used to solve almost any situation. For a while I didn't understand the formal, collegiate concept of "art" but I always gravitated towards the weird shit, the mysterious, the psychedelic... the dare I say.. "artsy.." The creativity involved the music I listened to, the way I dressed, and my journals filled with scribbles and rants. I wasn't producing art, per se, but it became a part of everything I was into. Once I left San Diego, I felt more comfortable being myself and exploring my identity, realizing that being an artist could be more than producing original work. That an artist can be someone who chooses to live their life artistically, who reveres the importance of the senses and the exploring/pushing of cultural boundaries. I do feel what I do with Teros, both on paper and in the gallery, is an art. It takes a creative flair and knowledge to curate and organize an experience that itself is an original work (whether it be an art show, a musical performance or film screening).

Does teros have a mission?

Teros is a place for creation, a workshop for the realizing of dreams and a haven for community-based artists to thrive. Our mission is to do good for our neighborhood, to give the artist's a place to have a voice and to hold a place and a space for new and exciting Art and Music.

What do you think differentiates teros from other galleries in San Diego?

We transform the space as much as possible. We step out of the boundaries and keep it DIY. Due to the size of the gallery being so small, we have the advantage of being able to really play with the space, to take artists' rad ideas and make them happen! For instance, Melissa Walter, a former resident artist at NASA created a black hole in the corner of our gallery space using light-absorbing black paint and thread. It was like something out of 2001: Space Odyssey! And "Yenta" painted every wall with tall figures and designs in black, including a white flooring to give it a warped fun house feel. We don't focus on gaining capital with our shows; I work at a restaurant which pays for most of the expenses! But I enjoy the hustle.

What do you think about the art scene here in San Diego?

I feel incredibly lucky to be here, a place surrounded by truly inspiring people making incredible things happen. However, sometimes it feels like we are going in circles like we are doing things for our group of friends. I think a lot of San Diego is enamored by all the breweries suffocating our city and don't want to scratch the sun-soaked surface. If you dig deep, there's something very special. Just keep digging.

I think, the most recent show at SDAI, "Millennial Pink", was a turning point for San Diego. The exhibit was centered on the beauty and emotions invoked from our queer culture. Located in Balboa Park, many tourists from all over visit and get a chance to expose themselves to something different, and innovative. I think that says something.

How do you find the artists that show here?

I started showing artists I've published in Teros Magazine, including friends and family. Since then it's been a domino effect. The space became a meeting ground for creative, like-minded people. Nowadays, you can find new artists on social media and they can find you, so that's also a nice thing.

Any upcoming projects?

I'm currently working on the newest issue of Teros. The cover is set to feature one of my favorite visual artists, Davor Gromovlic, from Sombor, Serbia. Davor's work illustrates an incredible folklore tale, characters amongst nature cohabiting with extraterrestrial figures. I'm excited to see what will happen with this issue. Hopefully, it'll be complete by our two-year anniversary party in late October.

What is your message to the world?

Sometimes, your actions are your message. I am holding this gallery space for something I value as dearly as Art and Music because I think the world needs it. That's my message.

To find out more about Teros gallery and their upcoming shows you can check out their Instagram: @terosgallery or check out their space in San Diego!

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