To All the SF Flamenco Readers,

After 8 years, I've decided it's time for me to stop publishing monthly SF Flamenco magazines. I'll be changing the homepage to a permanent directory of artists and venues so that you can continue to find out what's happening in our corner of the international flamenco world by clicking directly to artists' and venue websites, but at least for the time being this will be the last monthly update. It's a hard decision I've been working on for a long time, and maybe I'll start the project up again in the future, but for now the time is right.

Since 2000 SF Flamenco has been a focal point for the flamenco community. With all the flamencos working together a unified media front was built. More than 4,000 monthly readers found the place to learn what was happening in our international hot spot for flamenco, each and every month. Tickets have been sold and classes have been filled. We have assisted in raising over $32,000 dollars in donations for flamencos in need and the Madrid Terrorist Victims Fund, as well as advertising for numerous cultural resources for Roma and world-wide initiatives. Emerging artists have been given a showcase, and our established artists were able to share their art with everyone. Essays and articles are posted. Obituaries were posted and a few of our stories have been archived. Even friends were reunited. Other media sources looked to SF Flamenco for leads, contacts and SF Flamenco helped to shape the ways in which the media itself portrays flamencos and flamenco culture.

I created the SF Flamenco project as a community arts endeavor. My start came when the duende struck and I found myself deep in making improvisational, abstract bullfight paintings. Later, while out at our tablaos doing live sketches of performances, I figured we all needed a centralized place to find out where the action was, such as when the next concert or show was and most importantly how we can support our artists, as artists in turn support our cultures. The project took off. It's been a great ride for me trying to keep in compás and represent all that was happening. But for now, I'm returning more to my home and studio.

I'm excited to work on a new flamenco and duende in the visual arts directory which you can find on the homepage. This will grow over the next few months with artists including the late master dancer Vicente Escudero and many more contemporary artists. I myself am currently focusing on a variety of new photography projects including abstract landscapes, pictured right.

The greater San Francisco Bay Area Flamenco scene is thriving. Keep clicking through the web to find out what's happening here in the flamenco arts.

¡Ole!

Jason Engelund, el pintor
SF Flamenco