Announcing Gala Honoree Lewis Watts
We’re thrilled to announce that Lewis Watts, whose photography has helped preserve the history, people, and spirit of San Francisco’s Fillmore District, will be our honoree at this year’s Bourbon & Broadway Gala on September 10.
For generations, San Francisco’s Fillmore District has been a place where artists, musicians, families, and communities have made history. Few people have documented that history with as much care, intimacy, and artistic vision as Lewis Watts.
A photographer, archivist, and educator, Watts has spent decades documenting the people and places of the Fillmore and preserving the stories of a community whose cultural legacy continues to shape San Francisco. His photographs capture not only what the neighborhood looked like, but the people, relationships, creativity, and spirit that made the Fillmore the “Harlem of the West.”
His work has been especially meaningful to SFBATCO as we prepare to present the world premiere of Every Saturday Night: A Harlem of the West Musical, inspired by Danny Duncan’s stories and the rich history of San Francisco’s Fillmore District. Watts’s photographs and documentation have served as an invaluable resource throughout the development of the musical, helping connect the artists creating this new work with the people, places, and history that inspired it.
“Lewis has done something extraordinary: he has preserved the soul of the Fillmore through his photographs. His work reminds us that the history of this community isn’t just something in the past—it’s alive, it’s powerful, and it continues to inspire artists today. We’re honored to recognize him as part of Every Saturday Night’s story.”