About the box: Take Me to the Cleaners

Curator's Note: As part of extending the "Looking for Loci" exhibit, we've photographed the boxes and are posting them online. It's a bit hard to see in this image, but this box has a transparency in front of it, and behind, it is filled with dryer lint.


Genius Loci: "The World's Largest Discount Laundromat"*
By: Kirsten Vermulen

Smiley's Cleaners has seen a lot of dirty laundry. A classic Colfax haven for cleaning up and drying out, "the world's largest discount laundromat" is a home-away-from-home to all. With 24-7 rumble and spin, Loci finds no shortage of socks to steal or unmentionables to mangle.

*Apparently, there is more to Smiley's than lint. A Google search takes me to:

CD: A Swan at Smiley's
Blog: Life Behind Smiley's
Flickr: Somebody included it in their photostream
Yelp: Smiley's Cleaners

Box detail.

"Looking for Loci" Closes in the Park

Looking for Loci had its last showing in a San Mateo park last weekend. It was a brisk NorCal day but there were lots of folks out enjoying the exhibit.

While the crowd in SF tended to take the Museum a bit for granted, the San Mateo audience tended to be more surprised to find it in their park- and were excited to have it come to them. It was interesting to show it in both an urban and suburban environment- especially since many of the pieces came from both "worlds".

We'll be posting the rest of the boxes, as well as some of the notes that visitors wrote on our map while we retool the platform ...and enjoy the holidays.

Venue Change Tomorrow: From SF to SM

Sorry, Cole Valley- due to construction on the tracks and city permits, we're going to be in Central Park tomorrow. Central Park in San Mateo, that is. 1:30 - 4pm at:

http://bit.ly/centralparksm

Come check out Looking for Loci and add to our Bay Area map of stories!

Come shine, coming to Cole Valley

Weather permitting*, the Mobile Museum is going to the dogs this Saturday afternoon. We'll be at the Cole Valley Dog Park, right by the N-Judah stop near Carl and Cole from 1 - 4pm. One of our last "Looking for Loci" stops. Come say hello!

"Cole Valley grew up around the streetcar stop at the entrance to the Sunset Tunnel at the intersection of Carl and Cole Streets. That intersection is still the center of the neighborhood's small business district, and the N Judah light rail line still stops there." -Wikipedia

*We'll brave the beasts but not the elements. Check back here or follow us on twitter, @sfmobilemuseum if things look questionable.

Excellent Resource for Exhibiting in Empty Storefronts

Via newcurator.com > Artbase:

Artists and Makers Magazine in the UK produced this very thorough workbook on DIY'ing exhibits and artwork in empty storefronts. It's quite applicable here.

http://artistsandmakers.com/images/emptyshopsworkbook1.pdf