About
L7 is creating a space for imaginative and inspiring contemporary artists to show their work.
Our overall aesthetic and selection process is based on artistic originality and personal expression, whether that is realized by neo-figurative, neo-expressionist, spiritual abstraction, outsider or other approaches.
We believe art should be considered a vehicle for personal fulfillment and community well-being, not used as a commodity for investment purposes. Recognizing that an artist needs to be able to make a living wage pursuing their craft, we are dedicated to creating opportunities where that possibility can be achieved.
We hope you will join us in our journey forward.
Who we are
Jo Ford
With a unique take on art-curating, Jo has asssembled many interesting and successful exhibitions. As part of the San Francisco Art Institute Artists’ Committee “Adeline Kent Award” jurors, Jo awarded Richard Kamler a solo show for his Table of Voices, which premiered at the Walter McBean Gallery, eventually being installed at Alcatraz Prison where it was viewed by thousands of visitors. Her tenure with the Artists’ Committee also enabled her to curate “Hover”, the 118th annual art exhibit/event at the SF Art Institute.
Individually, Jo created the show “California History” an exhibit at the Oakland Art Gallery (co-curated with Maria Porges), and more recently produced “Connections”, a show of Bay Area Artists at the People’s Bazaar Gallery in Berkeley in 2022.
Jo received her BFA from the SF Art Institute and her MFA from UC Berkeley in 2002. She is excited to bring her lengthy history of curating great art as CEO and Managing Director of L7 Gallery!
Blaise Smith
As CEO of Music Orange San Francisco, Blaise has headed commercial productions for Sony, Apple, Microsoft, Unilever (Dove products), Salesforce, Google, Mitsubishi and the NFL, as well as numerous other national and international businesses. His company has also provided music for network TV shows, movies and award-winning documentaries. In his capacity as CEO and Executive Director, Blaise developed one of the most respected global music libraries called “Music Orange Library Online” (MOLO). He also co-wrote the theme song for "SpongeBob Squarepants" for which he has won the ASCAP Top TV Show Award for six seasons and the ASCAP Screen Music Award for Top Rated Series.
Blaise’s transition into the art world was relatively seamless, given his lifelong friendships with artists such as Pope L, Richard Kamler, Ward Fleming and Ted Terbolizard, just to name a few. His collaborations with animators from Pixar, Paul Tippet Studios and Dreamworks also helped to exapnd his artistic knowledge and experience. He is passionate about great art, and is continuously inspired buy the now famous Picasso statement "A gallery is only as good as its worst piece". As Executive Director and artistic co-ordinator at L7 Gallery, Blaise is committed to achieving that level of artistic integrity.
