CULT Bureau will open this fall to bring opportunities for collectors to connect with new experimental artworks in a more intimate setting.

OAKLAND, CALIF. – Aimee Friberg, curator and founding director of CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions, is bringing a new art project to the San Francisco Bay area for the eighth anniversary of her gallery. A second CULT location, named CULT Bureau (482 D 49th Street, Oakland, Calif.), is slated to open to the public in November 2021 and will build upon CULT’s distinct focus to present cutting-edge, conceptual and experimental art and design by emerging and established artists and designers. Additionally, the new space will give seasoned and emerging collectors opportunities to connect with artists and artwork in an intimate and relaxed, salon-style environment.

“I am thrilled to open CULT Bureau on the eighth anniversary of the gallery,” Friberg said. “This second location will be an opportunity to continue to innovate, champion the most forward-thinking artists of our day and create personal experiences for everyone who visits.” 

CULT Bureau will open in Temescal Alley, a grouping of former horse stables from the early 20th century, which has become a retail destination in the Bay Area. The two pedestrian alleys are known for their carefully curated selection of locally owned boutiques, specialty shops and small businesses in the vibrant and historic neighborhood of Temescal, off of Telegraph Avenue. Given Oakland’s legacy of activism and status as an artistic creative hub, this is an aligned setting for the next stage of Aimee Friberg’s near-decade-long curatorial mission amplifying artists of diverse backgrounds. 

The innovative project space will function beyond your average white cube gallery—operating as a nontraditional arts space to present group exhibitions within a livable, atelier-style environment. The inaugural exhibition Sapiens/Stories will feature artists who fashion personal mythologies through an exploration of environment, history and magic including Amy Lincoln, Amy Nathan, Bruna Massadas, Chris Fallon, Curtis Talwst Santiago, Dana Harel, Marcel Pardo Ariza, Marcus Leslie Singleton, Nicki Green, Masako Miki, Rebekah Goldstein, Ruxue Zhang and Sahana Ramakrishnan.

“Opening a second space allows me to play a greater part in democratizing the collecting process and bridging the conversation between Oakland, the Bay Area and the global art market.” Friberg said. “CULT Bureau will allow me to build relationships between collectors and artists and create a more approachable, accessible experience with art, particularly for newer and younger collectors.” 

Friberg collaborated with SOLID, an architectural design firm located in New York, on the design of CULT Bureau. SOLID’s multidisciplinary projects span art, design and architecture, combining an insider knowledge of the art world and cultural sector with impeccable technical expertise and a thorough understanding of zoning, building code and historical preservation guidelines.

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CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions is a contemporary art gallery for cutting-edge work by emerging and established artists, founded in November 2013 by curator Aimee Friberg. CULT bridges formal, conceptual and process-based investigations, across all media. Since its inception, CULT has quickly become the leading gallery in San Francisco for rigorous work that is both experimental and forward-thinking. CULT engages a broad Bay Area and international audience with programming that encourages artists, especially from underrepresented groups, to take risks with their work. CULT is committed to supporting international and local artists, through onsite residencies, institutional collaborations, and a nutritive dialogue with the Bay Area public. Conceived as a commercial gallery that would engage its audience beyond the white cube, CULT has quickly become renowned for its provocative exhibition programming, as well as unorthodox performances, critical dialogues between artists, curators, and critics and intimate dinners.

Aimee Friberg is an artist-curator and the founding director of CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions, which she launched in San Francisco in 2013. CULT presents cutting-edge work by emerging and established artists who bridge formal, conceptual and process-based investigations exploring the human condition. CULT’s exhibitions have been featured in Artforum, Frieze, Artsy, Art Practical, SFAQ/NYAQ, Art ltd, San Francisco Chronicle, 7x7 Magazine, KQED, Squarecylinder and Hyperallergic, among others. Prior to launching CULT, Friberg held various curatorial and film programming roles, including curating and producing public programs from 2005-2008 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. For more information, please visit cultexhibitions.com.