Keane Eyes Gallery

Please note that this review has NOTHING to do with the artist. I love her work and think she is so inspiring. Hands down I think she is amazing. This review is for the gallery itself which was my #1 priority on our trip to San Francisco. We showed up Friday March 4 and called to see if the gallery would be open that day or Sat March 5. We were told it would be open Sat from 2:30 until at least 6. We made it clear we would stop by and hung up…
Come Sat we arrived about 3:00 to see multiple people standing outside the door. They informed us that they had called and the man that answered stated he would be there in 15 – 20 min. So we wandered the gallery next door, then sat on the steps, then wandered Ghirardelli square (which is right across the street), then went and sat in our car since it was raining and we were freezing. We called the number which went straight to voicemail. We literally wasted 90 minutes waiting before we gave up and left at what was then 2 hours past when he said he would be there.
I know her work, I am aware of her prices and we were in San Francisco for one day with every intention of buying from this gallery… cash in hand (yes, that’s a lot of cash).
Clearly I have NO idea what happened to prevent him from being here at the stated times and not answer his phone. I do hope nothing bad happened in his travels. Sadly I have a feeling there were other much less acceptable excuses for this behavior which I can 100% say cost a sale from at least one party that day. Very disappointed.

Cool gallery to view KEANE Originals, prints and lithos! Helpful staff!
Be sure to call to make an appointment!

After seeing the movie «BIG EYES», I made it a point to see the gallery of Keane. So I did… However, you can only come in by appointment.

We visited the Keane Eyes Gallery after watching the excellent Tim Burton film «Big Eyes». It was pretty awesome to actually see Margaret Keane’s artwork in person. My personal favorite gallery piece had to be one of a young girl with a flower in her hair, which looked quite Hawaii-​inspired. The gentleman at the gallery we spoke with was very sociable and insightful, talking with us about Margaret, her work, and the recent film. If you enjoyed the «Big Eyes» film, then a visit to her Keane Eyes Gallery is a definite must!

You know that director Tim Burton who makes all those bizarre, dark, gothic type films like Frankenweenie, Beetlejuice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
I’m not crazy about his films for the most part but his current project «Big Eyes» is based on Keane Eyes gallery’s artist, Margaret Keane. If you want to read about her and see some of her paintings, here’s a link:
My wife and I were looking for a painting or art for our new place so we spent a day walking around Fisherman’s Wharf. We stopped into the Dr. Seuss gallery, then our last stop was Keane Eyes Gallery.
Walking into the gallery my wife and I loved one of Keane’s masterpieces called «Love Makes a World of Difference», she combines sad faces and hopelessness and happy faces with hope. The left of the painting is pretty much how I looked after eating that terrible Crab Sandwich at Crab Station earlier, the right is how I’d look after a good crab sandwich. «A Good Crab Sandwich makes a world of difference too»! Here’s a link to the painting:

Keane’s art is usually of animals and children of all nationalities with the signature big round eyes.
So my wife and I are happy to add and decorate our place with one of her paintings. Margaret Keane’s story and paintings are soon to hit the big screen so before seeing Tim Burton’s movie it’s worth a trip to check out her gallery in Fisherman’s Wharf.

Yes, I agree that later paintings are much creepier, but I love it all. I love the huge eyes and the blurry line between a Precious Moments style innocence and a dark, helpless, and possibly sadistic style. That’s what I see, at least.

I walk by this place and it has my name in it, and that makes me happy.
The art completely freaks me out, but to each his/​her own. Art always gets 5 stars…