The musical scene of the Bay Area has encountered a number of challenges in recent years, from the closing of many artist warehouses where underground events were held after the Ghost Ship fire, to the closing of struggling venues during the Covid-19 pandemic, to the exodus of many musicians and artists due to rising rents and costs of living. While the vibrant and resilient arts community of the Bay Area, in a broad sense, has always managed to survive challenges of the past, something, too, has been lost: communities that coalesced around a particular sound or scene, venues where memories were made, and the stories that bring us together. In particular, the queer and BIPOC contributors that have had an enormous influence on the present-day musical culture of the Bay Area are recognized broadly for their impact, but not always celebrated in their specifics.

The purpose of (re)collection is to resurrect these performances and these stories, to reconnect participants in musical communities that have drifted apart through time, to renew networks of musical collaboration that have lain dormant, and to invite newcomers to these communities to celebrate those who have come before, inspiring upcoming artists with the rich historical tapestry of Bay Area creativity. 

(Re)collection is not a melancholy monument to things that have passed, or a bleak statement on the impermanence of the connections we make through musical scenes, but rather an invitation to revitalize those connections that still exist. The purpose of this project is to strengthen and reconnect individuals with the intention of fostering not nostalgia, but rather a renewed interest in collaboration, creation, and continuity of community.