PlaySpace by Themes+Projects
Three Sites of Play
San Francisco, California – Lee’s Launderette
Montreal, Canada – Coming Soon
Nakhon Pathom, Thailand – Coming Soon
PlaySpace by Themes+Projects is a residency-inspired creative incubator designed to support artistic experimentation across multiple locations. Rooted in the 25+ year legacy of Themes+Projects, PlaySpace offers artists time, space, and freedom to explore ideas without the pressure of production, permanence, or marketability. Rather than a traditional residency, PlaySpace is fluid and nomadic—activating different sites as environments for curiosity, play, and discovery. Artists may create works that are finished, unfinished, ephemeral, or even vanish entirely. The value lies in process, experimentation, and risk-taking. Programming at Lee’s Launderette is made possible through Playspace by Themes+Projects, a fiscal sponsorship initiative with Intersection For the Arts.
Lee’s Launderette
3151 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, noon to 5pm
When the Moment Presents Itself
an instant film exhibition
On View: March 6 to April 19, 2026
“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”
— Dr. Edwin H. Land (Founder of Polaroid)
Moments speak to us. Whether imagined in the mind’s eye or unfolding right in front of us, there is an internal impulse as artists to respond and to act before the moment slips away.
As part of the celebration of PolaCon Bay Area 2026, an open call was extended to the instant film community. The resulting exhibition, When the Moment Presents Itself, brings together more than fifty artists working across instant film formats to explore spontaneity, chance, and the material presence of analog photography. Featuring Polaroid and Instax works across a wide range of subject matter, the exhibition highlights the immediacy and tactile presence that define instant film. In addition to traditionally created photographs, the exhibition includes three-dimensional and sculptural works incorporating instant film and emulsion lift processes, demonstrating the medium’s versatility and continued evolution.
The exhibition is curated by Danny Sanchez (Themes+Projects gallery), Niniane Kelley (Analog Forever Magazine), and Brian Brooks (SF Instant Photowalk).
Martin Souza
Water Tower Moon, 2024
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Dan Fenstermacher
Sunbrella, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Christina Ung,
Symmetry, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Rudy Martinez,
All The Places You’ll Go,
All The People You’ll Meet, 2025
Polaroid Originals SX-70 and 600 Instant Film
Kirk Crippens
Ezio, 2026
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Lucas Antony,
Kapadoccia, Turkey, 2022
Fuji Instax Mini
Matheus DeSiqueira,
Windmills, 2025
Fuji Instax Mini Instant Film
Jaya Bhat
Brisa, 2025
Expired Polaroid 669 Instant Film
Gene X, Hwang,
intrigue, 2025
Polaroid iType Instant Film
Alan Ostreicher
Untitled, 2017
Fuji FP100C Instant Film
Shayna Snider
Whim, 2025
Polaroid Emulsion Lift
Andree & Jess
Untitled Specimen 01, 2026
Fuji Fuji Instax Wide
Xian Wu,
Vein, 2025
Polaroid i-type Instant Film
Ren Wilkins,
Self Portrait No. 1, 2026
Polaroid SX70 Instant Film Collage
Emilio Benitez,
Untitled, 2024
Polaroid Instant Film
Nicole Briones,
Migraine, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Dylanger Gutierrez,
Garnish, 2025
Vintage Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Emmalyn Pure
Jessica, 2018
Fuji Instax Mini
Andrea Corrona Jenkins
Cross Country, 2014
Polaroid SX-70 Instant Film
Jane Harvey
Us and Us, 2021
Polaroid i-Type Instant Film
Tatsu Ikeda,
Akai Ito (Red String), 2025
Polaroid emulsion lift on canvas
Nick Marshall,
The wheel Takes You Up And Brings You Down, 2015
APP from Polaroid Spectra Instant Film
Fabrice Ducouret
We're Not Dancing, 2024
Polaroid 600 Yellow Duochrome Film
Phantomacabre (Brian Henderson)
This moment, this skin…, 2025
Polaroid 669 Film
Judy Li
Pride, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Lauren von Eckartsberg,
Oaxaca, 2023
Archival pigment print from
Polaroid 600 instant film
Marie Ketring,
Chit-Chat Marathon #4, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Ashley Cassandras,
Electric Blue, 2024
Polaroid I-Type Instant Film
Betty Lee,
Little Fluffy Clouds, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Alex Drysdale,
Lauren, 2025
Polaroid 669 Peel Apart Instant Film
Max Kellenberger,
Cactus #1, 1982, 2000
Polaroid Type 55, contact print on goldtoned paper
Brisa Aceves,
Ghouls, 2026
Polaroid 600 Reclaimed Green
Gene X, Hwang,
Sexy MF, 2025
Polaroid iType Color double exposure
Forrest Bourke,
Blue and Blue, 2025
APP from Polaroid Reclaimed Blue Film
Alex Cheng,
Your Turn, 2025
Polaroid i-Type Instant Film,
Andree & Jess
Untitled Specimen 05, 2026
Fuji Fuji Instax Wide
Nate Love,
Party #1-5, 2025
Fuji Instax Mini Instant Film,
Cromwell Schubarth,
Five Doctors, 2025
APP from Polaroid Reclaimed Blue Instant Film
Emilio Benitez,
ABOLISH ICE!!, 2026
Polaroid Instant Film
Steven Kimura,
Nikki's Big Adventure, 2025
Polaroid i-type Instant Film
Lemia Bodden,
Fort Funston, 2016
APP from FP-3000B Fuji Peel Apart,
Andrew Roibal,
Dyume, 2026
Polaroid Instant Film and acetate transparency
Jude Paul Dizon
Benito Bowl, 2026
Fuji Instax Square Instant Film
Chance Van Cleef II
It Feels Free, 2025
Fuji Instax Mini Instant Film
Cole Bishop,
Untitled, 2023
Fuji Instax Wide Instant Film
Kevin Kelleher & Emily Trinh,
Clara Son For New York Fashion Week, 2025
Fuji Instax Mini Instant Film
Danny Sanchez
Paint the Rainbow, 2018
Polaroid Instant Film
Alexas Monroe
I’m Not Sure What To Do With My Hands
Polaroid Duochrome-Green
Dan Fenstermacher
Champions, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Julia R. Holcomb,
The View From Both Sides of the Lake, 2021
Archival pigment print from
Polaroid SX-70 Instant Film
Memo Stone
Colors Through Shadow, 2025
Polaroid SX-70 Instant Film
Madison Cantrell,
Pearl, 2025
Polaroid emulsion lift on shell
Milo T
Up In The Air, 2024
Polaroid Color i-Type Instant Film - Summer Edition
Oleksandr Skalozubov,
Amber Solitude, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Matt Lesniewski,
The Dreaming, 2026,
Fuji Instax Square
Nicole Driscoll
Mt Double, 2024
Polaroid Instant Film
Gabrielle Preziose
Surrealist Dream I &II, 2025
Fuji Instax Mini
Rachel Winslow
Delicate Trap, 2025
APP from Polaroid SX70 Instant Film
Valentino Loyola,
Key To My Heart, 2026
Polaroid 600 Instant Film, mixed media installation,
Dylan Gaches
Montauk Daisy in Yellow, 2025
Polaroid Duochrome Yellow Instant Film
Harold Chun
Ghost Rider, 2026
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Cromwell Schubarth
Always Be Shooting, 2023
APP from Fuji Instax Square,
Tyrone Bartoli,
Happy New Year, 2026
Fujifilm Fuji Instax Wide, 4.5 x 3.5 inches, 2026, $50 or best offer
Dylanger Gutierrez,
Eyes Turned Skyward, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Lemia Bodden,
See, 2015
APP from FP-3000B Fuji Peel Apart,
Mel Chircop,
Mimi's Roses, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Jacob Paul
Blazed, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Steve Beswick
Blue Hawaii #3, 2026
Polaroid Reclaimed Blue 600 Instant Film
Carl Fisher,
Owning it, 2025
Polaroid 600 Instant Film
Danielle Kelley
Tenebroso, 2026
Fuji Instant Wide Instant Film
Danny Sanchez
Adrift in the Cosmos
Polaroid Instant Film
Alexas Monroe
The Weight Of What I’m Not,
Mixed Media Polaroid Collage
Installation Views
About
Lee’s Launderette is a new, multi-use art space in San Francisco’s Mission District. Conceived as a flexible platform for exhibitions, performances, and community engagement, the space adapts to the needs of each project. Public hours shift in response to programming and special events. When the Moment Presents Itself, marks its inaugural exhibition. Programming at Lee’s Launderette is made possible through Playspace by Themes+Projects, a fiscal sponsorship initiative with Intersection For the Arts.
During When the Moment Presents Itself, Lee’s Launderette will be open to visit *Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 12pm-5pm. Monday through Thrusday by appointment. *Friday, March 20, there will be an adjusted schedule from 6-8pm.
SF Instant Photowalk founded in 2011, during the early years of the instant film revival, has grown into one of the longest-running photo walks dedicated to instant film photography. The group meets on the last Sunday of each month, fostering connection and creative exchange among artists and enthusiasts of all levels.
PolaCon Bay Area is a multi-day gathering celebrating instant film photography through photowalks, artist talks, workshops, and community events. The conference brings together photographers and innovators who share a passion for analog image-making. Join us March 12 through March 15, 2026!
PolaCon Bay Area 2026 Sponsors:
@polaroid @sfinstantphotowalk @theeparkside @leeslaunderette
@underdogfilmlab @glasskeyphoto @eastbayphotocollective @leicastoresf