Cade Salamanca: The Final Push

Cade Salamanca at Mercury 20 Gallery

Mercury 20 Gallery has the kind of East Bay art space feel that works well for a slower visit. It sits on 25th Street in Oakland, close to the First Friday orbit, and the room invites you to stand with the work for a bit instead of rushing through.

Cade Salamanca’s new solo exhibition opens Friday, July 31 and runs through Saturday, September 5. The show brings together 12 paintings along with six double exposure self portraits, marking a new turn into film photography made with a Canon AE 1 Program.

The work carries a personal charge. Salamanca uses wire mesh, draped chains, layered surfaces, and clear shifts in color to talk through protection, fear, identity, and the work of becoming more visible. The materials feel direct. Mesh breaks apart. Chains hang. Paint builds up. There is a lot here about what people carry, and what they choose to set down.

If you like art that gives you room to think, this is a good one to put on your Oakland calendar. It is also a nice stop during Art Murmur, especially if you want something quieter and more focused between louder First Friday moments.

Gallery hours:
Fridays and Saturdays, 12 pm to 5 pm
Also by appointment

Opening reception:
Saturday, August 15, 3 pm to 5 pm

Oakland Art Murmur and First Friday hours:
Friday, August 7, 5 pm to 9 pm
Friday, September 4, 5 pm to 9 pm

Where:
Mercury 20 Gallery
475 25th St, Oakland, CA 94612

More details are listed on the event page.

Cade Salamanca, Come As You Are, 2026, mixed media, 36″ x 36″ x 2″, photo courtesy of the artist
The Final Push marks a pivotal chapter in Cade Salamanca’s artistic and personal journey. In 2026, Salamanca embraced a new name—an act of self-definition that became a powerful affirmation of identity and a catalyst for creative transformation. Freed from expectations that once constrained her, her work has entered a period of greater clarity, confidence, and emotional depth.
This body of work explores the liberation that emerges when authenticity is fully embraced. The introduction of wire mesh and draped chains began as formal material investigations but evolved into potent metaphors for the protective barriers Salamanca had constructed around herself over time. Fragmented mesh and suspended chains symbolize the dismantling of fear, self-doubt, and inherited expectations, revealing a renewed sense of freedom and possibility. Alongside 12 paintings, Salamanca will debut six double exposure self portraits that mark the beginning of a new practice with Film Photography on a Canon AE-1 Program. Both deeply personal and universally resonant, The Final Push is a celebration of self-acceptance, courage, and transformation—a declaration of identity expressed without apology and an invitation to witness the power of becoming fully seen.
Bio:
The Final Push marks Cade Salamanca’s second solo exhibition with Mercury 20 Gallery. Throughout her artistic journey, Salamanca has explored diverse mediums including ceramics and photography. After experimenting with different painting styles, she developed a distinctive voice that combines techniques she has honed over the years—from smooth color transitions to rich textured layers.Salamanca’s work has been shown at the Blue Mountain Gallery in New York City; Made In California 2024, Brea Gallery, in La Brea, CA; Reflections of Us (Juror Sergio Gomez), Warnes Contemporary, in Brooklyn, NY; Metal Haus Gallery, in San Francisco, CA; and others.
Gallery Hours: Friday and Saturday, 12 – 5 pm (and by appointment)
Artists’ Opening Reception: Saturday, August 15, 3 – 5 pm
Oakland Art Murmur / First Friday: Friday, August 7, September 4, 5 – 9 pm