Contemporary Art in Oakland since 2015
About GearBox Gallery
Art Gallery
GearBox Gallery is an artist-run contemporary art gallery located at 770 W. Grand Ave, Oakland, directly below the well-established Transmission Gallery. We are a member of Oakland Art Murmur, which promotes Oakland arts and sponsors events, including the famous First Friday Art Walks.
GearBox Gallery is dedicated to showcasing the work of its members and a broad range of regional contemporary guest artists, fostering community and education through intellectual and cultural exchange focused on the visual arts.
With an exhibition program that includes about 10 shows a year, the gallery also hosts receptions and artist and juror’s talks as well as other events such as sound experiences, poetry readings and book signings. Events are free and open to the public. Please join us in embracing the creative spirit in person by coming to our events!
History
Gearbox Gallery was founded in 2015 by a group of artists from Gallery 621 in Benicia, CA. After finding out the Benicia gallery’s lease would not be renewed, several artists began looking for a new space to house their vision for a collectively-run art gallery.
At a gallery meeting, Transmission Gallery Owner/Director Ruth Santee offered to rent a space she co-owned in Oakland just downstairs from Transmission Gallery. Many members drove to Oakland to see the new space. In the meantime, another space was found in Benicia. Half of the Gallery 621 members decided to stay in Benicia and the other half rented the Oakland warehouse space. Founding members Susan Aulik, Kari Brink, Jules Campbell, Susan Dunlop Stevenson, David Fitzgerald, Betsy Kluga, Phyllis Lasché, TaVee Lee and Joseph Mele worked together to transform it into GearBox Gallery, opening with a pop-up show, Engage!
In the years since, the gallery has expanded and improved the space with street level windows and upgraded lighting installed along the way.
Artists’ Opportunities
Membership
GearBox members work together to run the gallery, exhibiting their own work regularly in the gallery and periodically showing their work in featured two-person exhibitions while providing exhibition opportunities for others.
📣 GearBox is currently accepting new member applications!
👉 Click here for more information about applying to be a member artist.
Annual Juried Show
The gallery hosts an annual call for entries for a juried show inviting entries along a theme with a notable juror selecting the accepted work in a blind jury process. Typically the annual juried exhibition takes place in August/September with two prizes awarded. The Jurors Award Winner is invited to participate in a featured two person exhibition the following year and the GearBox Gallery Award winner is invited to show their work in a special exhibition in the Inner Room of the gallery.
Past jurors have included Jeremy Morgan, Jack Fischer, Nancy Toomey, and Auriel Garza, among others, with themes ranging from Sanctuary and My Back Yard to Bluets and Wild Mind.
Annual Call for Entries for the Inner Room
The gallery hosts an annual call for entries for the Inner Room, a special intimate viewing space within GearBox Gallery.
Gallery Contacts
Gallery email: info@gearboxgallery.com
Business Director: Jules Campbell
PR Director: Christine Ferrouge
Exhibitions Director: TaVee McAllister Lee
Secretary: Rachel Major
GearBox Alumni
Chronological, including years of membership, linked to their websites.
Linda Stevenson Dunlop, 2015
Kari Brinck, 2015-17
David Fitzgerald, 2015-17
Jerry McLaughlin, 2015-17
Darrell Hunger, 2015-18
Jeff Snell, 2017-18
Joseph Mele, 2015-18
Phyllis Lasché, 2015-21
GearBox Guest Artists and Jurors
Alphabetical order by last name. Please pardon our transition to a new website, names to be linked to their GearBox Gallery exhibition as time allows.
Above image: Revealing/Concealing, exhibition of work by Jules Campbell and Rachel Major, Oct/Nov 2024