SF Open Studios - October 11th

Intrigue & Empathy – Art & Music on Potrero Hill

This October, the Bogdanov Studio opens its gates for a two–day celebration of art, music, and community as part of ArtSpan SF Open Studios. On October 11th and 12th, our doors at 10 Arkansas Street on Potrero Hill will be open to the public, transforming our park-like courtyard into an immersive art exhibition and gathering space.

At the heart of this year’s show, titled Intrigue & Empathy, are two artists whose works orbit around raw emotion, transformation, and the haunting beauty of human experience: Jun Yan, whose sculptures blur the line between myth and mortality, and Peter Bogdanov, whose paintings and surfboard art confront viewers with bold colors and surreal storytelling.

The Art

• Jun Yan’s SculptureJun Yan’s bronze forms capture the fragile tension between life and death, emptiness and becoming. A skeletal figure cradling a newborn, a bell suspended within a hollowed figure, a cloaked body sprouting into tree roots—his sculptures hold a quiet gravity that speaks to impermanence, renewal, and the mysteries of existence. They invite stillness while simultaneously unsettling the ground beneath your feet.

• Peter Bogdanov’s PaintingsIn contrast, Peter Bogdanov’s canvases blaze with color and intensity. His portraits and surreal scenes channel heartbreak and myth through a pop-surrealist lens: a boy crying rivers of black, a white rabbit glowing with eerie violence, a fiery-eyed spirit staring with unsettling empathy. Alongside his hand-painted surfboards, these works balance ferocity and vulnerability—pulling viewers into a visual storm both deeply personal and universally human.
  

Together, their work frames the essence of Intrigue & Empathy: the collision of unsettling questions and the tender human need to connect.

The Event

The exhibition runs both days, October 11th and 12th, during daytime hours, but the main event unfolds on Saturday, October 11th, from noon to 4pm.

In the studio’s beautiful courtyard—with its koi pond, trees, and garden setting—art meets music in a vibrant neighborhood celebration. Bands Scatterbrained Uncle, The Batrays, and Fast Disaster (with roots right here in Potrero Hill) will fill the afternoon with live music. Friends and family from “Pot Hill” will gather, turning the showcase into a reunion of old ties, new discoveries, and the unmistakable energy of San Francisco’s art community.

Food and drinks will be flowing, conversations will spark between neighbors and strangers, and the works of Jun Yan and Peter Bogdanov will surround the crowd, offering both mystery and empathy in equal measure.

Why You Should Come

This isn’t just an art show. It’s a neighborhood revival, a reunion, and a chance to step into a space where sculpture and painting, music and friendship, lightness and heaviness all collide. Whether you’re an art collector, a music lover, or simply someone who calls San Francisco home, Intrigue & Empathy is an invitation to come closer, look deeper, and share in the experience.

Join us October 11th & 12th at 10 Arkansas Street, Potrero Hill.

Joining the artists is music bands - Scatterbrained Uncle, The Batrays and Fast Disaster for a full day of art, music and good times. Enjoy food and drinks while getting to know the artists.