In 2018, curator Micki Meng founded a non-profit publication and research hub challenging the existing frameworks available to artists. She sought stewardship from leading art figures including Susanne Ghez, Hank Willis Thomas, Laura Owens, Franklin Sirmans, Nion McEvoy, and others who served on the Board. As a publication, the organization commissioned texts by notable writers including Nathaniel Mackey, Olivian Cha, and Rita Gonzalez.

In 2019, Meng was offered a hand-me-down space by the artist community, and Friends Indeed was born. Our first gallery location was founded as an absurdly small experimental vitrine featuring works for sale by leading local and international contemporary artists. The gallery borders San Francisco’s historic Chinatown and downtown Financial District, beneath a Philip Johnson designed building, overlooked by the three Corporate Goddesses. In Fall 2021, the gallery expanded to a warehouse in Bayview. The new gallery is near to the ICA San Francisco where Meng is a founding partner.

As a curator-led gallery, our artwork placements are primarily with museums, foundations or collectors involved with them to support the longevity of the artists we champion. Often times, we work with international curators to organize exhibitions, talks, and special projects. Our gallery-cum-institution reimagines the traditional framework of what a dexterous contemporary art space looks like; borrowing from both to meet the needs of artists today. We support emergent conversations of diaspora in today's hybrid and international canon, mentorship for young artists, with an overall aim of fostering a healthy and equitable arts eco-system in the San Francisco and global art dialogue.

Friends Indeed is founded by Micki Meng with Eric Li and Nazlı Ercan, and later became Micki Meng in 2021.

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Sustainability

Micki Meng dedicates a portion of its annual profit, time and activity towards land conservation.



Current Exhibitions

Danielle Roberts
Bayview
February 8 - March 15, 2024

Hassan Kurbanbaev, Logomania: Owning the World at Half Price
Chinatown
March 9 - April 19, 2024

Mad Monk
IM Pei Towers
March 16 - May 3, 2024



Locations

Chinatown
716 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

Valet garage parking is available across from the gallery at 650 Sacramento Street.

Bayview
1720 Armstrong Ave #1A
San Francisco, CA 94124

Easy street parking.

New York
IM PEI Towers



Mailing Address
2442 45th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94116

Gallery Hours
Chinatown: 12PM-3PM on Friday and Saturday
Bayview: 12PM-3PM Wednesday through Saturday
New York: Open by appointment

Happily by appointment to hello@mickimeng.com

Sales Inquiries:
Micki Meng
micki@mickimeng.com

Press Inquiries:
archive@mickimeng.com



Team

Micki Meng is a dealer, curator and artist advocate working on the West Coast in a global context for over fifteen years. She has held gallery positions at Regen Projects, Los Angeles and Altman Siegel, San Francisco; and curatorial roles with LA><ART, 12th Istanbul Biennale, 9th Shanghai Biennale and The Wattis Institute where she also served as Assistant Director for five years while managing the renown Capp Street Artist Residency. She is founder of &Art&, a publishing & nomadic partnership initiative sourcing solutions for artists in the contemporary moment. She has also been involved with councils and committees such as Artadia’s founding chapter in San Francisco, Headlands Center for the Arts, SFMOMA’s SECA Art Council, YBCA's Art+Action Committee, Founder of Patrons for Experimental Progress and a co-founder of 8-bridges. As an educator, she has taught and lectured in MFA and Curatorial programs across the Bay Area including CCA, SFAI, and Stanford. She frequently advocates next generation support for museums and volunteers as the Director of Philanthropy for Art into Acres, an environmental initiative founded by Haley Mellin.

Artist and Museum Liaison - Los Angeles
Marie Heilich

Gallery Assistant
Catherine McMahon

Press
Florie Hutchinson

Design & Co-Founders
Eric Li & Nazlı Ercan

Head of Operations and Art Fairs
Janette Lu

Gallery Assistant
Brenda Martinez

Director
Emily Small