Klaxons whirled and fizzed in my brain as I read a twice forwarded message (off the grapevine): “Slough City might not make rent this month.”
“Ugggh,” I sputtered, “not another one…” If this cool summer season has been bad for venues generally, it has been terrible for queer-led art spaces, from the closure of local Strange Constellation to the pending closure of immortal Oasis in San Francisco. Blame the Trump chill; this is terrible news for those who love the weird and the wonderful.
It’s time to activate. Message received, I hopped on my steed (Prius) and tooted over to Petaluma to inquire why this art space might be worthy of fresh drafts of support. What I found there, next to Pinky’s Pizza, were wide open doors (symbolism alert). Barn doors, flanked by a progress pride flag on the right and a smirking image of “Sloughcy,” tentacled guardian of the slough and the right, on the left.
Passing through open doors, one enters the gallery space, which is divided in two down the center line. One half is chock a block with the art and craft retail of 50 local artists. The other half is spare, hung and mounted with the current art show (at time of our interview, Dyllan Hersey). Through a second set of open doors is a common work table and the Slough City studios—a set of eight small art studios (one is open).
As I entered, Bonnie and Ani Bonani waved from the common table, and their elderly small dog barked. The two were piecing together rainbow shards of mirror glass (symbolism alert) for an infinity room for another artist’s Burning Man installation. The whole looked like a rocket ship or a virus (symbolism alert?). Random drop-ins like myself were welcome to help or not or to buy a fundraising T-shirt Bonnie Bonani had made to pitch in. Fun cheesy dance music played as we chatted.
Cincinnatus Hibbard: How would you describe the Slough City art space?
Bonnie Bonani: DIY at its finest.
What are some of the media practiced in the Slough City studio spaces?
Bonnie Bonani: By the slough crew?
Ani Bonani: I do drawing and printmaking and painting and collage…
Bonnie Bonani: Ani just won first place at the Sonoma County Fair.
Ani Bonani: Blue ribbon, baby. Lucas is a photographer and mixed media painter. Bird is a fashion designer and organizer—she organized our ‘Rats in Hell’ fashion show. Gabe is a painter. Paris makes festival wear, works leather, makes prints and paints. She makes all sorts of stuff for the Wasteland Festival in Death Valley.
Ah, the ‘Mad Max’ festival; fun. What a rich community you have. You could do anything together…
Ani Bonani: And collaboration happens naturally through sharing the space. We want local artists to know that we have free supplies to make art with. People donate lots of supplies.
Tell me about your curation of the gallery and retail space ?
Bonnie Bonani: We don’t say no—to anyone. It’s art. And all art is important.
Did you combine your first names to create your last name?
Bonnie Bonani: Yes.
Learn more. Peep their Instagram gallery and showcase at @sloughcitystudios. Help them with rent at sloughcity.com. Check out their Queer Collage drop-in Fridays or their Community Craft Circle, Saturdays. One is encouraged to bring old, half-finished projects. Bonnie Bonani recommends toddling over for some slow time after a heavy brunch at Sax’s Joint Restaurant, saying: ‘There’s new art every month. You don’t have to give us your money; just get art in your eyeballs.’
