Join San Francisco artist Nathaniel J. Bice for his first solo exhibition! Inspired by the same love of the city that is evident in his smaller works, BEACONS honors the places that light up the streets and offer warmth, culture, and community. The paintings feature the signage, especially neon, for iconic queer spaces such as the Castro Theater, Oasis, Hot Cookie, Orphan Andy’s, Martuni’s, and Twin Peaks. The exhibition celebrates San Francisco’s rich history of neon signs, nightlife, and queer spaces. 

Queer Arts Featured (575 Castro st) displays new paintings by artist Nathaniel J. Bice, on exhibit from February 6th through the end of March 2026. An artist’s reception, which is open to the public, will be February 6 from 6-8 pm, in conjunction with the first Friday Castro Art Walk.

Known for painting En Plein Air (outdoors, from direct observation) around San Francisco, Nathaniel is diving into large studio paintings for his new series. Inspired by the same love of the city that is evident in his smaller works, BEACONS honors the places that light up the streets and offer warmth, culture, and community. The paintings feature the signage, especially neon, for iconic queer spaces such as the Castro Theater, Oasis, Hot Cookie, Orphan Andy’s, Martuni’s, and Twin Peaks. The exhibition celebrates San Francisco’s rich history of neon signs, nightlife, and queer spaces. 

This subject matter is an opportunity for Nathaniel to explore high contrast, strong saturation, and extreme perspectives. Neon signs have to be handmade, so they are not just examples of typography and design, but of craftsmanship. They also affect everything around them, creating a unique lightscape. The rich glow of neon gas and the memories the locations evoke come together in this series.

Just in time for the re-opening of the Castro Theatre, BEACONS also grapples with mixed feelings around the restoration/renovation of the theater and Another Planet Entertainment’s choices and management. It’s good to see the sign glowing brightly and the interior details restored, but the loss of some historic features and the ongoing concern about the potential displacement of two local businesses tinges the celebration.

Starting his career in theater, Nathaniel first came to San Francisco as a fellow at American Conservatory Theater, and still assists Nina Ball with set designs around the Bay Area. Nathaniel has shifted his focus to fine art, and his work has been shown in galleries and shops around the Bay Area, such as STUDIO Gallery, änalog Gallery, Queer Arts Featured, Fleet Wood, The Drawing Room, Sanchez Art Center, and Gearbox Gallery. He also channels his scenic paint experience into murals for local businesses, including Tala Wine, Sour Cherry Comics, Mersea, and House of Tadu.

Curated by Devlin Shand