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HOME(in)STEAD: A New site-specific dance performance by artists-in-residence, Megan Lowe and Johnny Huy Nguyen

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Bay Area dancers Megan Lowe and Johnny Huy Nguyen investigate the meaning of home in a new, site-specific performance work developed during the duo’s 16-week residency at The David Ireland House. HOME(in)STEAD, an hour-long dance experience for intimate audiences of just 10 per performance, moves from front door to salon, utilizing the entirety of late conceptual artist David Ireland’s unique historic house turned work of art to explore themes of home and the intersection of dance, sculpture, and performance. The piece features original music by cellist Peekaboo and lighting by Rico Duenas.

June 24 & 25, 2022: 5pm & 8pm (SOLD OUT)

June 26, 2022: 4pm & 7pm (SOLD OUT)

NEW DATES ADDED

July 1 & 2, 2022: 5pm & 8pm (SOLD OUT)

July 3, 2022: 4pm & 7pm (SOLD OUT)

Tickets: $20-150
Available on a first-come, first serve basis. No one turned away from lack of funds.


The residency marks a developing collaboration for Lowe and Nguyen, who are building a dance together in co-collaboration for the first time. The two artists share a deep interest in immersive, sculptural, site-specific work, bringing their own strengths to the partnership—Lowe as a specialist in contact improvisation, aerial, and site-specific dance, and Nguyen with a multifaceted movement practice that includes breaking and other street dance forms.

Lowe and Nguyen were inspired by The David Ireland House’s residency open call in early 2022 to investigate and heal the concept of home together. “In our lived experiences, both of us have had complicated relationships with home. In interacting with the physicality of The David Ireland House through place-based movement interactions and contact partnering, we hoped to unlock new possibilities within the architecture to inspire embodied reflections on home and how we can define it for ourselves as an expansive space for healing, freedom, and connection,” they wrote.

Collaborative residency partner Minnesota Street Project will host a further performance program by the resident artists in summer 2022.

Lowe and Nguyen were selected from more than 60 applications. Jurors for the selection process included Aay Preston-Myint, Program Manager at Headlands Center for the Arts; Julie E. Phelps, Artistic & Executive Director of CounterPulse; and María Elena González, Sculpture and Ceramic Department Chair at the San Francisco Art Institute. 


About the Artists

Megan Lowe is a fierce female dancer, choreographer, performer, singer-songwriter, filmmaker, teacher, and administrator of Chinese and Irish descent, creating dance art in the SF Bay Area on unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Territory. With an affinity for dynamic places and partners, her creations through Megan Lowe Dances tackle unusual physical situations and invent compelling solutions, opening up the imagination to what is possible. Megan has performed with Flyaway Productions, Lenora Lee Dance, Dance Brigade, Scott Wells & Dancers, Lizz Roman & Dancers, Epiphany Productions, and more. She teaches for Joe Goode Performance Group, Bandaloop, Flyaway, for contact improvisation gatherings, and for her alma mater Theater, Dance, & Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, where she currently works as the Office Manager. Megan’s artistic process thrives off of collaboration, prioritizing creating relationships of respect, generosity, and gratitude. This culture of magnanimity is infused in the dance classes Megan teaches all over the Bay Area, for organizations, schools, universities, and dance festivals, serving movers of all different ages, experience levels, body types, races, cultures, and socio-economic status—building community, connection, and understanding. meganlowedances.com

Johnny Huy Nguyen is a second generation Vietnamese American multidisciplinary somatic artist based in Yelamu (a.k.a San Francisco) and son of courageous refugees. Fluent in multiple movement modalities including myriad street dance styles, contemporary, modern, and martial arts, Nguyen weaves together dance, theater, spoken word, ritual, installation, and performance art to create immersive, time-based works that recognize the body’s power as a place of knowing, site of resistance, gateway to healing, and crucible of imagination. In addition to his work as an individual artist, he has appeared in the works of Lenora Lee Dance Company, KULARTS, Embodiment Project, the Global Street Dance Masquerade, and James Graham Dance Theater and has performed in the Bay Area, Oregon, Boston, and New York City. His individual work has been presented at the Asian Art Museum, the Chinese Historical Society of America, APATure, and SOMArts. His most recent full-length work, Minority Without A Model, premiered in 2021 as part of the 24th United States of Asian America Festival.

Peekaboo (they/them) is an experimental cellist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and youth educator situated on Ramaytush Ohlone land (SF). Their compositions are rooted in honoring the essence and spirit of past, present, and future Queer ancestors, prioritizing sonic exploration practices towards the decolonizination of Euro-centric structures embedded in youth and adult music education and performance. Through multiple collaborations with QTBIPOC2S Bay Area-based performers, they continue to work in togetherness, sonically activating bodily vibrations, readying the move towards non-binary Queer liberation, strengthening connections between Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Filipinx ancestry, and celebrating freedom of expression, rest, and breath.

Rico Duenas was born and raised in San Francisco. As a child, he spent time on the east coast with his grandfather, a sculptor and founding member of Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. In San Francisco, he also often accompanied his father to flea markets and garage sales, where his father bought, fixed, and re-sold furniture. It was there that he was introduced to artist Kevin Randolph, who was repurposing lights, and quickly developed a love of lighting and sculpture. He lives and works in San Francisco as a union electrician and artist.



HOME(in)STEAD is generously sponsored by John Sanger.

Image by Henrik Kam

Domestic Affairs: Protocols For Living Together

On May 18th, 2022, join us for a conversation on the protocols used to organize and catalyze collective living projects. Protocols encapsulate the often invisible forces that underlie collective living projects—from land acquisition and tenure models, to economics and resource allocation—these protocols form the critical foundations for commoning practices. During this conversation, voices from residents in collective living communities will be joined by Zarinah Agnew from District Commons, Sunny Angulo from the City of San Francisco, Saki Bailey from the San Francisco Community Land Trust, and Kate Conner from San Francisco Planning. This event is supported by the CCA Architecture Division and organized by The Urban Works Agency, and is presented in association with the House of Commons exhibition at The David Ireland House that is on view through May 31. 

Please note that this event will be taking place outside on the terrace. Doors open at 6pm, program begins at 6:30pm. 

Remembering Constance Lewallen (1939-2022)

The David Ireland House warmly remembers Constance Lewallen (1939-2022). She was a champion of conceptual art and was an advisor, mentor, and friend to so many. As a prolific curator in the Bay Area Art scene and master collaborator, Connie wrote about and produced over 100 exhibitions, including the works of David Ireland, Jay DeFeo, Bruce Nauman, Larry Sultan, and Dewey Crumpler. She authored 500 Capp Street: David Ireland’s House, published by UC Press in 2015. Connie served as our Interim Executive Director in 2018, leading the organization through a transitional period of growth, and has sat in the formal role of an advisor to the organization since then.

Connie’s most recent work includes Editor-at-Large for The Brooklyn Rail. A few of her groundbreaking curatorial works include the 1980 chronology for SFMOMA, Space, Time, Sound: Conceptual Art in the S.F. Bay Area, the 1970’s; her essay, “Metaphor, Matter, Canvas, Stage: Conceptual Art, 1968-1995” from the de Young Museum’s Facing Eden exhibition; and the 2011 BAMPFA exhibition, State of Mind: New California Art circa 1970.

As a beloved member of our community, Connie will be deeply missed. Our condolences are with her daughter Nina, son Jonathan, and close friends at this time.

*Constance Lewallen with (from left) Trustee David Wilson, Advisor Rico Duenas, and longtime friend and supporter Jim Melchert during a fundraiser dinner organized by Board Chair and Founding Trustee Jock Reynolds, September 2021

Artists in Conversation: Amy Berk and Georgia Horgan.

The week starting March 28th saw the inaugural Spring Break Intensive for youth aged 13-18 at the David Ireland House. In this interview, participating artist Georgia Horgan talks to SFAI City Studio Director Amy Berk about why 500 Capp Street is such a rich resource for youth and artists alike.

Amy Berk pictured here with teens in the dining room of the house. Image courtesy of Christian Casillas.

Georgia Horgan: From your perspective as an educator, why do a program aimed at teenagers at the David Ireland House?

Amy Berk: Thank you for that question Georgia!

GH: It’s big isn’t it…

AB: It is a big question, but it’s one I feel really passionate about. When I walked into that house for the first time I thought it was magical; it offers a counterpoint to the rigidity that many teens and tweens experience at school or in day-to-day life. They often exist in environments where there is a right answer or a wrong answer. There’s no answer in the house. It’s extraordinary in its ordinariness and that’s why it offers a portal to really think about what art can be.

GH: And I think this offers a path to question everything, right?

AB: Absolutely. It opens up a path to criticality in general, giving them the tools to question the status quo. It’s not necessarily about art-making, it’s about thinking differently. And that’s my whole ethos with City Studio. I’m not out to make artists. I want thinkers.

GH: I completely agree. My own practice is based on how we know things, how we learn, the methods through which this is achieved, and how, in turn, this impacts society. Art offers new approaches to these questions; from its very foundation in language to how we interpret popular culture or apply teaching methods. I think the house is an amazing resource to prompt these questions. This leads me to ask: why do you think David Ireland offers this gateway versus any of his contemporaries in the Conceptual art movement?

AB: I think it’s the house itself. It’s a really intimate space, a space that everyone can connect to. Everybody has a home, or we hope so, at least. This extraordinary ordinariness makes the house very approachable. A lot of Conceptual art is pretty austere whereas, David Ireland’s work has a warmth. Even literally speaking, the golden color of the walls has warmth in a way that embraces you rather than pushes you away. There is often something tomb-like about the environment other Conceptual practices are shown in; the David Ireland House is almost womb-like.

GH: Right! I think that’s a really interesting observation. Many of the artworks from this era are presented in institutional settings on epic scales. They’re edifices, whereas the domesticity of David Ireland is part of what makes his work so approachable. I think this is the case from multiple perspectives. From my own observation of youth education projects, there tends to be a bit of a pervasive attitude that only certain types of art practice lend themselves to education programs. I think we’ve established that David Ireland’s practice indeed does, but it’s so multilayered that there are many ways to enter the work. I think this creates a nice opportunity for artists that maybe aren’t such obvious choices for youth projects to come in and do something, using David Ireland’s work as a lens.

AB: I love that! And I know that the David Ireland team has worked really hard to facilitate that. David Ireland is very multifaceted, so you can access his work in a lot of different ways, be it through different media, perspectives, or capacities. It’s a challenge for artists and educators to create workshops that represent their work and David Ireland’s, kind of honoring him rather than copying him. I think that’s when teens can see that they’re being given the agency to form their own interpretations, as opposed to being told what’s right or wrong.

GH: Right, and ultimately, I think this further exposes them to different ways of making art, to different ways of thinking, encouraging this criticality that we already identified as key. 

AB: Exactly. It’s empowering them to think differently.

GH: Before we wrap up, anything else you’d like to add?

AB: Yes – it was really great to see institutional support, not just from the David Ireland House, but from the new partner Park and Rec. It’s a pretty out-there collaboration from a city department, so it’s amazing to have them on board. It bodes well for the future of San Francisco, at least in regards to art education.

Image courtesy of Stephanie Dolores Rose

Amy Berk is an artist and educator based in San Francisco. She is the Director of City Studio, SFAI’s program to engage underserved youth in their own neighborhoods through art classes that are both rigorous and joyous.

Georgia Horgan is a British artist based in Mexico City. She makes videos, textiles, and texts that explore feminist methods of writing history.

Announcement: Our Latest Resident Artists

Megan Lowe and Johnny Huy Nguyen

The David Ireland House is proud to announce Megan Lowe and Johnny Huy Nguyen as the recipients of the 2022 Artist Residency Program focused on the performing arts. The duo’s residency begins this month and will culminate in June with site-specific performances at The David Ireland House and collaborative partner Minnesota Street Project. Expanding the potential of their new collaboration, the duo will explore the intersection of dance, sculpture, and performance as they investigate the meaning of home. 

After receiving more than 60 applications for its 2022 Artist Residency Program focused on the performing arts, The David Ireland House at 500 Capp Street is pleased to announce the selection of Bay Area dancers Megan Lowe and Johnny Huy Nguyen. ​​The duo’s 10-week residency begins this month and will culminate in June with site-specific performances at 500 Capp Street and collaborative partner Minnesota Street Project. Expanding the potential of their new collaboration, the duo will explore the intersection of dance, sculpture, and performance as they investigate the meaning of home.

Jurors for the selection process included Aay Preston-Myint, Program Manager at Headlands Center for the Arts; Julie E. Phelps, Artistic & Executive Director of CounterPulse; and María Elena González, Sculpture and Ceramic Department Chair at the San Francisco Art Institute. 

The decision to focus the 2022 Artist Residency Program on the performing arts was inspired by a January 2021 report from the NEA that stated, “…although the COVID-19 has impacted the entire arts sector, nowhere has the effect been more direct, deep, and immediate than on the performing arts.” 

“In light of the pandemic’s ongoing impact on this sector of the arts community, we felt it was essential to invite performance artists and collectives in the Bay Area to apply for the 2022 Artist Residency Program, and it was clear in the applications we received that so many Bay Area performers had faced enormous challenges over the last two years,” says Lian Ladia, Curator, Exhibitions and Programs, The David Ireland House. “David Ireland himself collaborated with dance groups including Douglas Dunn + Dancers, and the House’s archive includes costumes, props, and drawings of these collaborations. There is a rich history of performance here, and we are thrilled to add a new chapter to that history while providing needed support to two exceptional Bay Area artists.”

The residency marks a developing collaboration for Lowe and Nguyen. The two artists share a deep interest in immersive, sculptural, site-specific work and were inspired by The David Ireland House’s residency open call to investigate and heal the concept of home together. 

“In our lived experiences, both of us have had complicated relationships with home, growing up in unstable family structures shaped by trauma; Megan as a biracial Chinese American and Johnny as a child of Vietnamese refugees,” they write. “The physical features of a house—a living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, and the objects contained within—they each serve practical functions, but additionally hold emotional weight for the bodies interacting with them. This acknowledgement of what is stored in our bodies and the desire for transformation is the driving force behind this work, as we both see movement as an expression of possibility. In interacting with the physicality of The David Ireland House through contact partnering, we hope to unlock new possibilities within the architecture to inspire embodied reflections on home and how we can define it for ourselves.”

The residency provides the artists 20 hours of studio time per week inside the House, access to the David Ireland archive and study center, an honorarium, and production funding. 

Details about performances and associated programming at The David Ireland House and Minnesota Street Project will be posted as they develop at 500cappstreet.org.

About the Artists

Megan Lowe is a fierce female dancer, choreographer, performer, singer-songwriter, filmmaker, teacher, and administrator of Chinese and Irish descent, creating dance art in the SF Bay Area. With an affinity for dynamic places and partners, her creations through Megan Lowe Dances tackle unusual physical situations and invent compelling solutions, opening up the imagination to what is possible. Megan has performed with Flyaway Productions, Lenora Lee Dance, Dance Brigade, Scott Wells & Dancers, Lizz Roman & Dancers, Epiphany Productions, and more. She teaches for Joe Goode Performance Group, Bandaloop, Flyaway, for contact improvisation gatherings, and for her alma mater Theater, Dance, & Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, where she currently works as the Office Manager. Megan’s artistic process thrives off of collaboration, prioritizing creating relationships of respect, generosity, and gratitude. This culture of magnanimity is infused in the dance classes Megan teaches all over the Bay Area, for organizations, schools, universities, and dance festivals, serving movers of all different ages, experience levels, body types, races, cultures, and socio-economic status—building community, connection, and understanding.  

Johnny Huy Nguyen is a first generation Vietnamese American multidisciplinary somatic artist based in San Francisco. Fluent in multiple movement modalities including myriad street dance styles, contemporary, modern and martial arts, Nguyen weaves together dance, theater, spoken word, ritual, installation, and performance art to create immersive, time-based works unraveling the complex intersections of identity through the personal and the political. In addition to his work as an individual artist, he has appeared in the works of Lenora Lee Dance Company, KULARTS, Embodiment Project, the Global Street Dance Masquerade, and James Graham Dance Theater. He has performed in the Bay Area, Oregon, Boston, and New York City and his work has been presented by the Asian Art Museum, the Chinese Historical Society of America, and SOMArts. His most recent full-length work, Minority Without A Model, premiered in 2021 as part of the 24th United States of Asian America Festival.

Spring Intensive for Teens

March 28 – April 1, 1PM – 4PM; Cost: Free

The David Ireland House will be hosting our annual Spring Intensive for teenagers 13-18 years old at the end of this month. The week-long event will give participants an introduction to conceptual art practices and the opportunity to create collaborative pieces with our resident artists. Participants will be creating works at the nearby Mission Arts Center led by artist and educator Amy Berk of City Studio. Participating artists include Hannah Yost, Megan Lowe, Michael Zheng and Rico Duenas. Registration begins on March 5, 2022.