Jul 5, 2023
In Part 3, we pick up where we
left off in Part 2, with Mike's story of arriving at Bluxome Street
early in the morning on Dec. 4, 2022. His San Francisco legacy
business, Babylon Burning, was on fire.
Mike recounts the SFFD firefighters
taking care when breaking into the 63
Bluxome art gallery doors that led to Babylon Burning. It
was Mike, his wife Judy, and his brother, Clam's, gallery, and it
was special. Firefighters also saved finished orders that were just
inside the doorway to the screenprinting shop. Some fire had
trickled in, on the ceiling and in the back of the shop. But most
of the damage came from water, as is the case in most
fires.
They saved as much as they could and
got to work getting that stuff to storage. Rains were on the way.
But their friends, Balboa Theater owner Adam
Bergeron and his wife, told them it was time to go home
and sleep. They took their friends' advice, but Judy was already at
work looking for a new spot.
They lucked out getting an insurance
broker that Mike had an immediate connection with. Judy liked him,
too. Meanwhile, the task of salvaging what there was to salvage and
getting it into storage began in earnest. The heavy rains didn't
stop them. The work was under way.
Once they got the main business
computer out and back to their coworker, Seth's, apartment, they
could really get things going again. Friends with much smaller
shops offered their spaces. They now credit their team, their
friends, and the community with helping them keep the big ship
going. They also got a lot of help from the folks at San
Francisco's Legacy Business
Program.
Judy was working with the realtor
and they began looking at spots around SoMA. They brought the
broker to the old Babylon site so he could get an idea of who they
were and what they were looking for. They ran through a checklist
of things they needed—enough power, gas, walls that could be
fashioned into a gallery. After only three weeks, they found 939
Howard Street.
It seemed too big at first. And the
landlord's construction crews stored equipment there, so it was
hella cluttered. But they liked the front room and could already
envision a gallery there. There was a strange middle area that
intrigued them. And the back provided ample space for their new
shop. Mike and Judy brought Seth to see the space, and it lifted
him out of a funk he'd been in since the fire.
They knew that they had to show some
big-time love to everyone who got them out of the wilderness and
into this new phase. In late-May, they threw a party with music,
art, a taco truck, and filled with members of the community who
love Babylon Burning. Jeff was there. It was magic.
Now that they're operational,
they're planning more events, including a July 29 benefit for The
Stud collective, as that group continues the search for a new
permanent home. Follow Babylon
Burning to stay up to date. And please consider
them for any screenprinting needs you might have. Also
follow Gallery
939 for updates on art shows and other
events.
Photography by Jeff Hunt