Jonathan Carver Moore’s “To Be Seen” Exhibition, 2025.
 

At the heart of San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, gallery owner and curator Jonathan Carver Moore is preparing to open one of his most personal and ambitious exhibitions to date. Titled To Be Seen, the group show will debut June 5 at his namesake gallery and run through August 16, coinciding with Pride Month. Featuring all Black queer artists, the exhibition is a declaration of presence and a refusal to shrink.

“This show is about being visible,” Moore says. “I want to confront erasure. I want us to understand that it’s okay to be who we are, and to step into the light and to be seen.”

The exhibition stems from Moore’s personal journey as a Black gay man, moving through environments where embodying both identities often led to discomfort, judgment, or exclusion. These challenges—whether social, political, or geographic—have long shaped his perspective and ultimately motivated him to create a space where others wouldn’t have to shrink or hide parts of themselves.

 

Initially titled Confronting Erasure, Moore later renamed the show To Be Seen to make its message more immediate and accessible. The new title reflects his desire for clarity—a name that resonates at first glance and leaves no question about its intent. Its premise challenges the double bind that many Black queer individuals experience—feeling not “Black enough” in Black spaces, nor “queer enough” in LGBTQIA+ spaces. In curating the show, Moore sought to elevate artists whose work embodies this tension while also offering something tender, vulnerable, and defiant.

Artists such as Mayowa Nwadike and Ramekon O’Arwisters are among those featured. April Bey’s work interrogates colonialism and its ongoing impacts, particularly on Black identity. “Obviously, that’s how we ended up getting here and how America was built,” Moore notes.

Eric Hart Jr., known for his rich photographic language, brings a striking image that speaks to the complexities of masculinity, race, and queerness. Moore says, “He’s very vocal and outwardly wanting to talk about Black men queer issues—and I don’t feel like I see that a lot.”

As Pride Month increasingly leans into commercialization at times, To Be Seen pushes back with emotional honesty and a distinctly political lens. The exhibition centers the experiences of Black queer individuals, offering a perspective that is often overlooked in mainstream Pride narratives.