Grosvenor’s North American property business announced today it has donated a 1,500 sq. ft. ground floor retail unit at 251 Post Street in Union Square to local artists, Peter Shaw and Sameh Khalatbari, who will host a two month art exhibition named ‘Art in Honor of Women’/‘Creative Women’ 2023. 

The show will be open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 11am to 6pm and by appointment from now through April 9. There will also be an opening reception on Saturday, March 18 from 4pm to 7pm that is open to all. 

Proceeds from the show will support women’s initiatives of the African American Arts & Cultural District (AAACD), a San Francisco non-profit organization whose mission is to advance and advocate for African-American equity, cultural stability, vibrancy and economic vitality.

Avison Young arranged the retail lease on behalf of Grosvenor, who owns the 115-year-old, six-story 37,000 sq. ft. LEED Gold Certified property.  

“It’s great to see Grosvenor leverage its premier high-street retail space to give back to the community by supporting local artists and a non-profit organization,” said William O’Daly from Avison Young’s San Francisco office, who identified the artists and arranged the lease on behalf of Grosvenor. “This exhibit will contribute to the vibrancy of Union Square, focusing on the people and culture that make San Francisco a world-class city.”  

“We recognize and appreciate the important role that art plays within communities, and we strive to make art more accessible for people,” said Nathan Lundell, Senior Investment Manager of Grosvenor’s San Francisco office. “It is a pleasure to continue our contribution to the community with this exhibit and shine a light on talented artists with profits benefitting a very worthy cause.” 

The exhibition is a collection of mid to large-sized paintings on canvas with ten installations each by Shaw, and Khalatbari in honor of creative women throughout history. A number of notable San Francisco artists have contributed additional eclectic contemporary artworks to the exhibition. Shaw, a fifth generation San Franciscan, and Khalatbari, an Iranian-born San Francisco artist, presented a similar painting exhibition in honor of women from history and contemporary time in 2014 to 2016 in SoMa.

“As a native Californian and fifth generation San Franciscan with heritage dating back to early 1800s and with my great great grandfather and grandmother considered earliest of California pioneers, I believe in fostering relationships between diverse cultural artist groups in San Francisco. These relationships are truly creating and supporting pragmatic progressive relationships and initiatives that may not otherwise promulgate and come to fruition,” Shaw stated.

O’Daly, along with Avison Young’s Kelly Glass, Sean McCallum, William O’Daly and Melinda Ta, were selected by Grosvenor in September 2022 to serve as the exclusive listing agent for office space within a portfolio of four boutique, mixed-use properties located in Union Square. Totaling just over 133,000 square feet (sf), the high-quality, office and retail properties are located at 240 Stockton Street, 214 Grant Avenue, 170 Grant Avenue, and 251 Post Street.