A Day Trip to San Francisco

I'm not really known for my spontaneity. I tend to sit on things for too long: ideas, tasks, thoughts, emotions, planning, blog posts... then last September during a slow morning at the shop, I received a reason to be spontaneous.

Sent as a courtesy more than an expectation, the small postcard was an invitation to the opening of Mingei Archive's gallery space in San Francisco. It read, "Thanks for leading the way on Brick and Mortar! Please visit the next time you're in SF - Aubrey." I knew I couldn't miss it. 

In 2022, Aubrey MacKenzie and I first connected on Instagram over our mutual appreciation for Japanese folk craft, known as Mingei. Our trajectories continued to parallel each other over the years; we launched our online stores around the same time (I was his first customer), and we both aspired to open our own galleries. While I focused on contemporary craft, Aubrey highlighted objects of the past. We were kindred spirits, only separated by the 174 miles between Portland and Seattle. He even made the three-and-a-half-hour drive down to celebrate our opening in March 2024, something I think about often.

After weeks of procrastination, two tickets where purchaded for a day trip to San Francisco. Alba—our photographer, gallery associate, and dear friend—and I have been romanticizing a company trip together for months, and even though this one came with a short 12-hour turnaround, we grabbed our film cameras and comfiest walking shoes without a second thought. 

After landing, we headed straight for Tartine to plan our day over pastries, toast, and a heated debate on whether the word 'Tartine' should be singular or plural.  There are already tons to see in San Francisco, as I'm sure you know, but we prioritized a select few special places to visit along the way that did not disappoint. Star these locations and make a day out of it like us — one's a ceramic manufacturer and newsstand (Heath Ceramics + Heath Newsstand), one's an art gallery (Hugomento), one's a clothing brand (Evan Kinori), one's a design store (MARCH), and one's a Japanese antiques gallery (Mingei Archive). These images are from our trip, shot on 35mm film. 

Heath Ceramics + Heath Newstand
Address: 2900 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

Hugomento
Address: 795 22nd St, San Francisco, CA 94107

Evan Kinori
Address: 1367 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

MARCH 
Address: Permanently closed as of November 2025

Mingei Archive
Address: 1267 20th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122

We shared so many laughs and special moments on this trip, but a few memories stood out: the first was trading mingei. Aubrey had noticed I took an interest in one of his new pieces—a Sometsuke 'blue and white' Seto plate—and within minutes we agreed to a trade. The piece we were trading was the first piece I purchased from him, the first piece he sold, and one of the first pieces he had bought with his late grandfather, who introduced him to Mingei; a Seto plate depicting Hatsuyu, 'the first bath of the year'. I'm glad I was able to return it to him, especially knowing it's now part of his permanent collection.

The second was a reunion with Joshua Li, whom I ran into by chance during my last trip to Kyoto. A San Francisco local, he prepared a special pu'erh for Alba and me at a quiet picnic area in Golden Gate Park. Not only was the impromptu tea a highlight of the trip, but Josh's presence altogether was entirely refreshing. An admirer of process in all its forms, he toes the line between pragmatism and purism with an unpretentiousness that's hard to come by. Whether antiquing in Japan or sharing tea in a San Francisco park, time spent with him is always a joy. 

Congrats again to Aubrey for the opening of their first gallery—we said we'd do it, and here we are. A heartfelt thank you to Josh for his hospitality and for probably the best dark chocolate he sent me home with.