Bay Area Dadaists

American, (active 1970–2000)

Bay Area Dada was founded by cousins Bill Gaglione and Tim Mancusi, who were joined by Charles Chickadel and Steve Caravello, working beside them at Baron's Art Supply in 1970. For three decades San Francisco artists, collectively known as the Bay Area Dadaists, intuited artistic and cultural futures. Their self publishing in the early 1970s anticipated punk and zine cultures. Mid-decade they engaged with emerging alternative art spaces in the presentation of new artistic genres, such as performance, photocopy, rubber stamps, visual poetry and artist's books. Organizing Interdada Festivals in 1980 and 1984, they invigorated social networking of correspondents internationally. Throughout the 1990's, core members of the group supported the Stamp Art Gallery, showcasing a sustainable means preserving past histories and encouraging contemporary creativity.