"I split the ground, so it would not close over me"

SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2026 – The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) Main Gallery is thrilled to present "I split the ground, so it would not close over me," a two-person exhibition featuring the work of two emerging Bay Area artists, Kelley Finley and Tricia Rainwater, curated by independent curator Shirin Makaremi.

"I split the ground, so it would not close over me opens" on May 28, 2026, at the SFAC Main Gallery in the War Memorial Veterans Building and will be on view through August 29, 2026.

In the exhibition, Finley and Rainwater approach survival as both a personal and collective experience. Delving into personal and communal histories, the artists explore what it means to sustain communities and how resilience is an ongoing process.

“The Arts Commission is thrilled to continue our work supporting local emerging artists through our SFAC Galleries mentorship and exhibition program,” said Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs. “'I split the ground, so it would not close over me' offers us the opportunity to get to know artists Kelley Finley and Tricia Rainwater on a deeper level as they share and develop their artistic practice with curator Shirin Makaremi and explore the power of community.”

"I split the ground, so it would not close over me" is part of the SFAC Galleries’ mentorship fellowship program, now in its second year, where two emerging artists work closely with a curator for seven months on their professional development and to create new work for an exhibition in the Main Gallery. Nearly 130 artist applications were submitted when SFAC Galleries launched an open call for artists in July 2025. Kelley Finley and Tricia Rainwater were selected by a panel of both SFAC staff and stakeholders in the Bay Area arts community.

Kelley Finley is an interdisciplinary artist whose work is autoethnographic, primarily working in sculpture, textiles, and performance. In "I split the ground, so it would not close over me," Finley, reflecting on the resilient symbolism of birds, draws parallels between a Chinese folktale of a two-headed bird and Chinese immigrant communities in cities. Allowing for the complexities and strengths of hybrid identities, she considers how these communities sustain the cities they inhabit and survive within the boundaries and constraints it imposes on them.

Tricia Rainwater is a Choctaw multimedia artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with roots in the Central Valley and New Mexico. Her multimedia practice spans self-portraiture, sculpture, large-scale murals, and installation and is grounded in themes of identity, loss, and survival. For "I split the ground, so it would not close over me," Rainwater confronts her past as a grounding act in her survival, tenderly holding space for her younger self and other victims as she stands in the presence of places and objects that hold her violent past.

“Kelley and Tricia’s works create space for common experiences that are often not recognized, archived or spoken about,” states exhibition curator Shirin Makaremi. “In a time that feels more urgent than ever, these two artists invite viewers to bear witness to the realities and nuances of these shared realities amongst Indigenous and Chinese immigrant communities.”

“We are excited to continue this program with two artists making important work at this moment,” said Jackie Im, SFAC Acting Director of Galleries and Public Programs. “Kelley and Trisha have poured so much energy and ambition to this exhibition, embracing this opportunity to work with Shirin. We are so honored to play a part in the development of their artwork and cannot wait to share all that they have done with visitors.

About the artists
Kelley Finley is an interdisciplinary artist whose work is autoethnographic, primarily working in sculpture, textiles, and performance. Finley received her MFA from California College of the Arts and a BFA in Sculpture and a B.S. in Art Education from Kutztown University. Her work has been exhibited internationally in Hong Kong and Italy, and across the US. Recently, she was an Artist in Residence at Recology, SF, and participated in Edge on the Square’s Annual Contemporary Art Event.

Tricia Rainwater is a Choctaw multimedia artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with roots in the Central Valley and New Mexico. Her multidisciplinary practice spans self-portraiture, sculpture, large-scale murals, and installation, and her work has been presented at institutions including the Berkeley Center for the Arts, ICA San Francisco, MOCA Toronto, Muz Collective, ICA San Jose, and San Francisco Camerawork, among others.

About the curator
Shirin Makaremi is an Iranian-American artist and curator based in San Francisco, CA. Makaremi has over 10 years of experience working within the Bay Area art community where she has curated and facilitated exhibitions and programs. She enjoys working with emerging local artists, collaborating and supporting them to take a leap with their practice. Makaremi has worked with a number of Bay Area organizations, such as the San Francisco Arts Commission Main Gallery, Makaan Artist Residency, 500 Capp Street Foundation, Southern Exposure, Zamin Project, SF Camerawork, and SOMArts. Makaremi received her BA from San Francisco State University in Studio Art and Art History.

Exhibition Details
"I split the ground, so it would not close over me"
May 28 – August 29, 2026
SFAC Main Gallery, War Memorial Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 126, San Francisco, CA 94102
Wednesday – Saturday, noon – 5 p.m.
Free and open to the public

Opening Reception Details
Thursday, May 28 | 6 – 8 p.m.
SFAC Main Gallery, War Memorial Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 126, San Francisco, CA 94102
No reservation required. Free and open to the public

Public Programming Details
More programs to be announced shortly, visit sfartscommission.org for more information
All programs are free and open to the public

Artist Talk
Saturday, August 8 | 2 p.m.
SFAC Main Gallery

Join artists Kelley Finley and Tricia Rainwater for a conversation about their work in the exhibition, moderated by curator Shirin Makaremi

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About the San Francisco Arts Commission
The San Francisco Arts Commission is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy. Our programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Investments, Public Art, SFAC Galleries, and Art Vendor Licensing. To learn more, visit sfartscommission.org.