San Francisco’s eclectic array of galleries and museums, unique neighborhoods, and legendary cultural scene, all with the Golden Gate Bridge as the backdrop, make it a city like no other. The people who live here are pretty special as well. Especially these people.

We’d like to introduce the American Craft Council’s San Francisco Style Makers, an extraordinary group of folks in the Bay Area who celebrate the one-of-a-kind. They understand and appreciate the importance of artistic expression and live a life filled with beautiful handmade objects. Like our Style Makers in Baltimore, Atlanta, and St. Paul, they are individuals who proudly display their personal style in the objects they treasure, wear, and bring into their homes.
 

Nancy Bechtle is a longtime supporter of nonprofit organizations and the arts. Her appreciation for art and design stemmed from a love of furniture by Western artists, such as the bed made from an apple tree by a Colorado artist. Well-known in San Francisco society, Bechtle is often seen wearing one-of-a-kind fashions, including an outfit made by Nudie Cohn, the designer who made Elvis’ famous suit of lights. Bechtle is inspired by the ingenuity of designers. “It’s always amazing for me to see how talented they are,” she says.

Elizabeth Shypertt and Mike Holmes are co-owners of San Francisco’s Velvet da Vinci gallery, which shows and sells contemporary art, jewelry, and metalwork. Both have a background in jewelry-making; Holmes, who also studied metals and design, has curated more than 40 exhibitions of contemporary metalsmithing. Shypertt recalls her mother occasionally pulling her out of school to visit the de Young Museum or the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. “They were special times with my mom, spent bonding and looking at masterpieces,” she says. The duo have a deep love of handmade items, especially jewelry, and a profound knowledge of the contemporary craft scene, locally and around the world.

Courtney Cochran, wine expert and certified sommelier, credits her love for style to her grandmother. “There’s a great vintage shop in my hometown, called Peddler’s Market, that my grandmother turned me on to,” says Cochran. “Every time I go home to see my folks, I pick up a few pieces. I heard once that buyers from southern California make pilgrimages just to go to this spot – it’s that good.” Cochran likes to add unique accessories to her ensembles. “Right now my favorite is an almost psychedelic-looking hand-wrought piece from artist Orlando Richards. What could be more San Francisco than that?”

Roberta Gonzales, a news anchor for CBS 5 TV, likes to dress in clean lines that can transition from day to night; her gal pals call it “rock and roll meets Jackie Kennedy.” During a trip to Europe for a marathon, Gonzales fell in love with the history of art. “I love Picasso. I collect Picassos—but of course not the originals,” she says. Gonzales also finds hairstyles a unique form of self-expression. “I have a lot of hairpieces. I enjoy trying to feel like somebody different.” The wackiest item in this fashionista’s closet is a running skirt. “I like it because it’s feminine, and I like standing out — especially when I run marathons in Europe,” she says. “When you’re wearing a skirt and running, people are like, ‘That’s a lady.’ ”

Craig Davis, CEO and founder of the mobile marketing startup Relevvant, describes his style as unconventional yet classic. Davis learned to appreciate art and design from his mother and father. “She taught me the joys of building things with thread and fabric, stones and wood, paint and canvas,” says Davis. “My father, a computer science professor, taught me to express creativity indirectly and abstractly through code.” Davis is inspired by design with depth that prompts a moment of pause. “Great design is not accidental,” he declares.

Jan Wahl is an Emmy-winning media veteran and beloved film reviewer and historian. She reviews movies for San Francisco’s KRON4 TV and is a regular contributor to KCBS radio and All News 740AM. Her mother introduced her to art at an early age, telling her to “learn to draw outside the lines.” A collector of all things style, Wahl has a remarkable collection of movie memorabilia — posters, photos, and clothing — with a special nod to Mae West and Asta, the dog from the Thin Man films. Wahl’s unconventional style is a reflection of her love for San Francisco, a city that “celebrates eccentrics and those who march to their own rhythms.”

Regina Connell is the editor of Handful of Salt, an online magazine that explores the craft of modern design and DesignCraft, a genre that blurs traditional distinctions between art, design, and fine contemporary craft. Connell grew up in Tokyo in a family of art- and design-lovers.  She embraces San Francisco’s unique climate, evident by her personal style — coats and boots year-round, and of course, lots of black. Connell is inspired by great design’s ability to move people. “Our ability to design — with beauty — is what makes us human.”

Aaron Silverstein grew up surrounded by artists and craftspeople who lived with the things they made. Now he’s a designer of furniture, art, and objects, and an admirer and collector of realist paintings and art. He derives his unique style by looking to the artists, designers, and craftspeople from the Bay Area who were working during his childhood. As a Bay Area resident, Silverstein draws inspiration from the unique nature of the area, including the beaches and the indigenous shells, flowers and birds, as well as beautiful craft and simple design.

Tim Wu is chief strategy officer of ZeroDivide, a nonprofit organization working to transform underserved communities through technology. Wu is a collector of unique design. “I was born in the year of the rabbit and have perhaps the world’s largest and most eclectic collection of rabbits.”

Leah Garchik, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, is a third-generation trendsetter, inspired by three grandparents, tailors who immigrated to the United States. She remembers her mother shaking a finger at her, saying, “You don’t have to look like everyone else.”

Lisa Bayne is the CEO of Artful Home, an online collection of fine art and craft that connects artists and shoppers. Bayne grew up the child of an artist and an art appreciator and continues to nurture that love in her own life.

Brother and sister Ben and Chris Ospital are co-owners of MAC — Modern Appealing Clothing, an upscale/eclectic San Francisco clothing and accessory boutique. They proudly describe themselves as open-minded bohemians.

Photographs of our San Francisco Style Makers were shot on-site at two iconic locations: Anchor Brewing Co., America’s first craft brewery, and Public Glass, a studio and school for Bay Area glass artists.

Anchor Brewing Co., located in the Potrero Hill district, practices the ancient art of handcrafting its unique all-malt beers in a traditional copper brewhouse. Anchor’s flagship beer, Anchor Steam, is a San Francisco icon and has been brewed in the city since 1896.

Public Glass is a fixture in the area's handmade arts scene. It's a creative space for glass blowing, casting, and molding.

Thank you to Anchor Brewing Co., Public Glass, and all of the talented ACC artists who made our Style Makers project possible.