If you have walked, biked, or driven around San Francisco during the pandemic, you have most likely seen them: multi-colored illustrations of honey bears painted onto the boards covering closed shops and other businesses. Did you know that masks bearing (forgive the word) the honey bear have raised more than $125,000 for local restaurants to prepare meals for people in need?
Now is your opportunity to meet fnnch, the elusive artist behind the honey bear. Wearing a mask—he likes to keep his identity secret—fnnch will join us for a lively discussion about public art, the pandemic, and touching others.
fnnch (pronounced like the bird) believes art is for everyone. He says only about 5 percent of a city’s residents and visitors tour its modern art museums; street art and murals are art for the other 95 percent, inspiring and engaging them with the arts. fnnch creates street art and murals using multi-layered stencils and spray paint. He calls his work “contemporary pop art,” depicting objects from nature and everyday life. Over time his work has gained a strong following on social media and has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle.
His art can be found in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, St. Louis, Tel Aviv and Hong Kong.
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See more upcoming and past Michelle Meow Shows at The Commonwealth Club.
fnnch
Street Artist
Michelle Meow
Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host
John Zipperer
Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host