Drawn to Painting: The Secret Life of a Muni Illustrator features reproductions of colored pencil drawings and oil paintings by professional artist Keith Scott Ferris. Drawn to Painting invites library patrons to connect fine art to their daily lives, and to feel community pride in seeing the work of a neighborhood artist. Moving freely throughout the library, viewers create a personalized and kinetic visual experience from familiar images. For Ferris, the drawings from his book, Muni Is My Ride: Portraits of Muni in Words and Images, not only give back to the community but pay tribute to Muni operators who have provided him with transportation, a feeling of belonging and a means to interact with and learn about his fellow San Franciscans. By including oil paintings inspired by his neighborhood, his city and his places of refuge from our urban environment, Ferris shares important aspects of himself, suggesting that viewers see themselves similarly capable of producing art and text about the subjects that interest them.
Artist Bio
Keith Scott Ferris received an MFA from the University of Oregon and has painted and exhibited since the 1970s. He helped found Trinity House Cooperative Gallery in Austin, Texas, and was represented by SFMOMA’s Artists’ Gallery from 1986–2021. Primarily an abstract oil painter, drawing remains foundational to his art practice.
LOCATION:Portola CLASS:PUBLIC TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VALARM TRIGGER:-PT1440M ACTION:DISPLAY DESCRIPTION:Event Reminder - Drawn to Painting: The Secret Life of a Muni Illustrator END:VALARM END:VCALENDAR