PopTech and San Francisco friend Brad Nye has been inviting me to his ArtSFest events for years. Primarily based in LA and San Francisco, its rare that I’ve been in town the same day one is being held….and even then, there were always other things to distract me.
I finally made it to an ArtSFest shindig, which is a non-profit that produces an annual arts festival and works year-round with artists, performers, art patrons, arts organizations, civic agencies and businesses to promote the Bay Area art scene and advance its economic potential.
The theme? Hard to say. I found myself surrounded by dark lights, blue light overlay and a back-drop of “MusicMatch Skin-like” images on a screen.
Tonight’s event, with exhibitions by Debra Walker, David DeRosa among others, was held at the Blue Cube on Mason, which is a dingy, seedy pocket of town…..an area where you don’t feel that knives will start flying, but you also don’t feel like wandering around alone or leaving your car unattended for too long.
A tall thin blonde in a long red suede dress entertained us with opera. We were all shocked at the volume that came from such a petite frame. While her voice filled the room, a handful of people moved gracefully to the music.
I did find a fabulous authentic Indian hole in the wall on the corner however and managed to end my evening gorging on a large vegetarian saagwala with raita for $5.95.
Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
