Some words of deep appreciation to the @sfstandard for the studio (and exhibition @amarchthroughtime preview) tour, written with care by @ErinFeher and shot brilliantly by the untouchable @MarenCaruso .
Erin’s column ‘The Looker’ has documented many of the overlooked and unique locations throughout the Bay Area.
I also have to thank my studio mate @Georgia.Hodges for her generosity in welcoming me into this space almost a decade ago. We’ve made so many things in this very sacred space. My evolution as an artist would be incomplete without speaking about our kinship.
I am very grateful to the folks who are curious and interested in A MARCH THROUGH TIME. This long-gestating project (itself an evolution of my book ILLUSTRATED BLACK HISTORY: HONORING THE ICONIC AND THE UNSEEN) taking shape in the Pier 29 @sightlinesf space. Thank you, Miriam, Xavier, Byrd, John, Stephanie, Aya, Dylan, Maya, David, Catherine and Louise.
👋🏾👋🏾👋🏾 to all the new folks who are here!
Rooted in the belief that time is not linear – it flows in cycles, folding memory into the present, and shaping our collective future.
What is A March Through Time?
It is a show, an exhibition, a salon, and an experience by artist and author @george.mccalman . With performances by Michael Wayne Turner III (@sirmichaelwayne ), Nkechi Njaka (@ndnlifestylist ), and Gabriele Christian (@gabriele.mov ) at @sightlinesf in San Francisco.
The exhibition reimagines the way our stories live in space asking viewers to examine their place in the fabric of time.
Photography by Brandon Ruffin (@ruffdraft )
My name is George McCalman.
I am an artist and author. I’m also the creator and custodian of A MARCH THROUGH TIME.
I’m still taking in the power and potency of our @Nexussfbay preview event this past weekend at @SightLineSF . What a special experience! I am still buzzing.
There will be more to share in coming days and weeks on our sister page @AMarchThroughTime .
My deepest gratitude to the community that arrived to witness an eight year old dream come to life.
Thank you to Miriam, Xavier, John, Byrd, Stephanie, David, Michael, Nkechi, Gabriele, Marvin, Nikki, Teaja Maya, Catherine, Aya, Dylan, Ricky, Carah Jo, and Anaya, along with the rest of the @CastSF and @amplitude_hq team. What an incredible and dedicated collection of special human beings.
A March Through Time (AMTT) is rooted in the belief that the lines of time are not linear, they are not flat but rather, they exist cyclically. Our collective paths are holistically interconnected.
Portrait by Salvatore Fullman (@slvtrfilms )
In partnership with 18 Reasons, we are pleased to announce ‘The Legacy Table: A Benefit for ‘A March Through Time’ on Sunday, June 14th!
Join us for an intimate benefit dinner in support of A MARCH THROUGH TIME, a monumental archive exhibition celebrating the richness of Black history. The evening features a live presentation by artist and author George McCalman, whose celebrated work ‘Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen’ will set the stage for a stunning multi-course ‘edible history’ by Chef Gracie Schatz - think fried green plantain with jerk aioli, whole roasted branzino sauce with tamarind chili glaze, and Mexican marigold ice cream. Every ticket purchased goes directly toward the continued growth of this vital cultural archive.
Link in bio for tickets and details!
Photography by @MarenCaruso taken at Pier 29, the San Francisco home of A MARCH THROUGH TIME.
I’m a few weeks behind the intention to mark the three year anniversary of ILLUSTRATED BLACK HISTORY: HONORING THE ICONIC AND THE UNSEEN winning an NAACP IMAGE AWARD for Outstanding Literary Work - Debut Author (a mouthful, I know).
Thinking back to the instructive (and exhaustive) process gained while creating this book, I’ve poured the lessons into its evolution into A MARCH THROUGH TIME, the next stage of my long form obsession with the intersection of culture, history and art.
One of the many gifts of this project: the teachers / professors / educators who have reached out to say that this book has been incorporated into their school curriculums. It has become the spine of what AMTT (shorthand name of the exhibition this fall) was meant to embody.
It was also wonderful attending the NAACP IMAGE awards. Queen Latifah said she loved the color of my suit. I can die happy.
This Black History Month, revisit our conversation with Illustrated Black History author @george.mccalman . In this Alta Live event, McCalman explores Black emotion and character while taking a broad—and at times corrective—view of U.S. history.
Watch the full event through the link in bio.
#BlackHistoryMonth #GeorgeMcCalman #IllustratedBlackHistory #AltaLive #AltaJournal #BlackHistory #USHistory #LiteraryEvents
More than any 10-year trend. Feb 1st 2016, I began working on self-initiated project called ILLUSTRATED BLACK HISTORY that would reshape my life. In doing so, i announced myself as the artist I had always been, and anointed a path that has given my creative life purpose.
#IllustratedBlackHistory was birthed on this public social platform, a daily black-and-white fine art portrait study of Black pioneers, an investigative marriage of culture, history and storytelling. I had an inkling of what I was taking on, but as the days deepened and my curiosity swelled, the enormity of my undertaking began to congeal.
Ten years later: one book (ILLUSTRATED BLACK HISTORY: HONORING THE ICONIC AND THE UNSEEN) and its evolution A MARCH THROUGH TIME in development; I have to marvel at the unplanned convergence of my internal human interest wed to the larger (and louder) cultural imperative.
This is a Black History Month like so many others through America’s inconsistent timeline: a clarion call of outer insanity: where we are under assault from multiple quarters, a mad obsession with diminishing our rightful place as co-conspirators of American culture.
We have been here before.
Every year I stare at the original portraits, and I gain clarity and solace from the Black progenitors of innovation, science, technology, culture, music, language, cinema, spirituality, and faith. And I say, “Thank you.”
Photographer @MarenCaruso attended the November 22nd Pop Up of @AMarchThroughTime at Pier 29 @Sightline . She documented some special behind-the-scenes show moments with her film camera, and in her own words…
Photo 1
“The “Ghost Frame” on film knows it…McCalman is on fire! About to March Through Time arm in arm with Rev. Martin K. White, one of his many collaborators. There is so much more to share than what started as a book project, #IllustratedBlackHistory.”
Photo 2
“And just in case I missed the first capture, I quickly composed another. Pure joy, documented, ready for the next moment. When shooting film, there’s no going back, just moving forward, fully present.”
Photo 3
“Work wife (@OffmenuSF ) and kids, family photo op.”
Photo 4
“Teachings for the next generation.”
Photo 5
“Key players are doing whatever it takes.”
Photo 6
Architect @ToyaStudio_AD
“Toya is proud of his scissor lift capabilities.”
Photo 7
“It was a full emersion of walking through suspended silk fabric carrying illustrated portraits of select black pioneers. Each holds detailed strokes of artistry and a story that seems to infuse itself into you as the participant/guest.”
Photo 8 and 9
“Experts in their craft led us through the show: a thespian/poet @marvin_k_white ), a preacher (@sirmichaelwayne ), a neuroscientist/choreographer (@ndnlifestylist )…all amazing performers and speakers. And then there was McCalman himself, introducing the journey and vision, welcoming us all into community.”
Photo 10
“There’s a different cadence when taking pictures while not on assignment. Most of what was unfolding was meant to be experienced rather than documented. This shot got photobombed but it kind of sums it up.. you really need to be there to appreciate the full story.”
In developing a choreographic response to @george.mccalman ‘s Black History Illustrated for @amarchthroughtime , I find myself moving through questions, rather than answers…
Questions that feel both personal + collective:
How do I honor the people who have shaped my existence?
How do I live inside the stories and lives that brought me here?
I’ve had the honor to work alongside George and his illustrations, to dance in duet with @gabriele.mov to the spoken words of @sirmichaelwayne for @nexussfbay . And in the way art often does, it changed my life 🫀🌹
I am excited to embark on another performance this weekend. Please join us, DM for the ticket link. I’ve also wrote about my #choreographicprocess on @substack if you like words as much as images 💝
Photo: @ruffdraft 🤲🏾😍 | Wardrobe @anaakcollection
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#practicebasedresearch #somaticresearch #somaticliberation #EmbodiedPresence #somaticliberation #sovereignty #impermanance #creativeresearch #bodyasarchive #movementasresearch#bodyofresearch #bodyasresearch #autotheory #autoethnography #movementresearch #artspractice #blackfeminism #practiceled #creativeresearch #sittingmatters #wellness #sanfrancisco #contemplativepractice #Meditation #Mindfulness #MindfulnessMeditation #Presence #InTheMoment #BeHereNow #contemplativedancepractice
A few days into his two month stint at @blackspaceresidency , welcome Artist, Author, and all around polymath George McCalman @george.mccalman
George is in the B(S)R this winter space in active prepare for his touring exhibition called A MARCH THROUGH TIME, @amarchthroughtime a spiritual evolution of his book: Illustrated Black History: Honoring The Iconic and the Unseen.
A March Through Time (AMTT) will be premiere next Spring 2026 at the Pier 29 Sightline location along San Francisco’s Embarcadero. The fine art exhibition will present our history as rooted in the understanding that lines of time are not linear, but rather they exist cyclic. Our collective paths are holistically interconnected.
Slides 1&2: 📷 @trina_m_robinson
Slide 3: A March Through Time’s November 22nd pop up at @sightlinesf
Slide 4: @AMarchThroughTime ’s November 22nd pop up at @sightlinesf
The Museum Of The African Diaspora proudly presents ‘A March Through Time,’ a trailblazing exhibition from artist and writer @George.McCalman .
A show, An exhibition. A salon. An experience. AMTT looks at our historical pioneers through the Black diaspora’s view of time. ‘A March Through Time’ is rooted in the belief that lines of time are not linear, that they are not flat, but rather, they exist cyclically. Our collective paths are holistically interconnected.
The AMTT preview launched as part of the @NexucSFBay Black Art week. The exhibition launches Spring 2026, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a seminal inflection point in our societal awareness. The show will offer our audiences the opportunity to testify on our collective accomplishments.
🎥 @slvtrfilms
Last weekend at @castsf ’s Sightline space, artist and author @george.mccalman brought his vision to life with a preview of A March Through Time, a powerful activation bridging his acclaimed book “Illustrated Black History” toward its next chapter.
Through art, spoken word, and dance, McCalman and performers @sirmichaelwayne , @marvin_k_white , @ndnlifestylist , and @gabriele.mov invited us to experience time as cyclical, where memory, presence, and lineage intersect. As part of @moadsf ’s @nexussfbay , they transformed Pier 29 into a space for collective reflection and the Black Diaspora’s reimagining of time.
This pop-up offered a glimpse into McCalman’s forthcoming @AMarchThroughTime exhibition. More details to come… 🕰️
#CASTSF #SightlineSF #Pier29 #MOADSF #AMarchThroughTime #GeorgeMcCalman #BayAreaArts #ArtAndTime #BlackDiasporaArt
