Museums and Galleries

“On the Thames” (ca. 1876) is among the masterworks in “James Tissot: Fashion & Faith” at the Legion of Honor. (Courtesy Hepworth Wakefield Museum/Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)

Resplendent James Tissot works at Legion of Honor

‘Fashion & Faith’ covers 19th century painter’s illustrious career

  • Oct 15, 2019
“On the Thames” (ca. 1876) is among the masterworks in “James Tissot: Fashion & Faith” at the Legion of Honor. (Courtesy Hepworth Wakefield Museum/Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
Herb Robinson’s 1973 photograph “Brother and Sister” is among the works in “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power,” opening Nov. 9 at the deYoung Museum. (Courtesy Herb Robinson/Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)

Fine Arts Museums expand free Saturday entry to all Bay Area residents

Program continues efforts to support, engage community

Herb Robinson’s 1973 photograph “Brother and Sister” is among the works in “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power,” opening Nov. 9 at the deYoung Museum. (Courtesy Herb Robinson/Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
“The Bay” is an eye-catching 40- by-20-foot mosaic mural by Mission-based Precita Eyes Muralists Association. (Kevin N. Hume/S.F. Examiner)

Chase Center’s fine art extravaganza

Sculptures, murals and more in Thrive City

“The Bay” is an eye-catching 40- by-20-foot mosaic mural by Mission-based Precita Eyes Muralists Association. (Kevin N. Hume/S.F. Examiner)
Kiluanji Kia Henda’s “The Last Journey of the Dictator Mussunda N’zombo Before the Great Extinction Act I, 2017” is part of “Africa State of Mind” at the Museum of the African Diasopora. (Courtesy MOAD)

Fall 2019 Arts Preview: Museums

Exhibitions feature renowned and emerging artists, past and present

Kiluanji Kia Henda’s “The Last Journey of the Dictator Mussunda N’zombo Before the Great Extinction Act I, 2017” is part of “Africa State of Mind” at the Museum of the African Diasopora. (Courtesy MOAD)
“Annabeth Rosen: Fired, Broken, Gathered, Heaped” compiles unorthodox works from the artist’s long career. (Photo by Gary Zvonkovic)

Annabeth Rosen’s wild things at Contemporary Jewish Museum

‘Fired, Broken, Gathered, Heaped’ collects ceramicist’s singular works

“Annabeth Rosen: Fired, Broken, Gathered, Heaped” compiles unorthodox works from the artist’s long career. (Photo by Gary Zvonkovic)
Labor of Love’s Natasha and Ali pose with “Resurrection,” their metal and resin butterfly, on view in Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ exhibition “Art of Peace.” (Leslie Katz/S.F. Examiner)

Weapons transform into eye-catching ‘Art of Peace’

YBCA exhibition aims to heal, end gun violence

Labor of Love’s Natasha and Ali pose with “Resurrection,” their metal and resin butterfly, on view in Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ exhibition “Art of Peace.” (Leslie Katz/S.F. Examiner)
“Piazza Grande in Burano,” shot in Venice in 1957 by Piergiorgio Branzi, is part of “NeoRealismo: The New Image in Italy, 1932-1960.” (Courtesy Fondazione Forma/Contrasto Galleria Milano)

Post-World War II Italy in vivid black-and-white

‘NeoRealismo’ showcases images from 1932 to 1960

“Piazza Grande in Burano,” shot in Venice in 1957 by Piergiorgio Branzi, is part of “NeoRealismo: The New Image in Italy, 1932-1960.” (Courtesy Fondazione Forma/Contrasto Galleria Milano)
“El Tigre” (2009) is a re-interpretation of Ed Hardy’s iconic self-portrait. (Courtesy Don Ed Hardy/Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)

Ed Hardy exhibit shows all sides of tattoo artist

‘Deeper than Skin’ looks back on long career beyond the brand

“El Tigre” (2009) is a re-interpretation of Ed Hardy’s iconic self-portrait. (Courtesy Don Ed Hardy/Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
“Self, Made: Exploring You in a World of We” at the Exploratorium is an exhibition combining psychology and pop culture, including a close-up view of costumes from the movie “Black Panther.” (Courtesy Exploratorium, www.exploratorium.edu)

‘Self, Made’ poses fun, provocative questions

Interactive Exploratorium show mixes science, sociology

“Self, Made: Exploring You in a World of We” at the Exploratorium is an exhibition combining psychology and pop culture, including a close-up view of costumes from the movie “Black Panther.” (Courtesy Exploratorium, www.exploratorium.edu)
A humorous work by Kitagawa Utamaro is in on view in “Tattoos in Japanese Prints.” (Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

Tattoos get high-art treatment in museum show

19th century Japanese practices relate to present-day S.F.

A humorous work by Kitagawa Utamaro is in on view in “Tattoos in Japanese Prints.” (Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
Dede Wilsey (pictured at the San Francisco Opera ball in 2010 with John Traina) will step down from Fine Arts Museums’ board of trustees’ presidency. (Drew Altizer/Special to S.F. Examiner)

Dede Wilsey to leave Fine Arts Museums presidency

Board member Jason Moment expected to take post in wake of long controversy

Dede Wilsey (pictured at the San Francisco Opera ball in 2010 with John Traina) will step down from Fine Arts Museums’ board of trustees’ presidency. (Drew Altizer/Special to S.F. Examiner)
The Japanese Tea Garden is among the participating attractions in the San Francisco Museums for All program. (Melissa Vong/S.F. Examiner)

Summer program offers free museum entry to city residents

People on public assistance pay no admission at 15 S.F. institutions

  • May 22, 2019
The Japanese Tea Garden is among the participating attractions in the San Francisco Museums for All program. (Melissa Vong/S.F. Examiner)
“Whisper, the Waves, the Wind,” Suzanne Lacy and Sharon Allen’s 1984 performance piece with mature women in Southern California, is pictured in “We Are Here” at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. (Courtesy Suzanne Lacy; photo by Edith Kodmur)

Up close with performance pioneer Suzanne Lacy

SFMOMA, YBCA spotlight California conceptual artist

“Whisper, the Waves, the Wind,” Suzanne Lacy and Sharon Allen’s 1984 performance piece with mature women in Southern California, is pictured in “We Are Here” at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. (Courtesy Suzanne Lacy; photo by Edith Kodmur)
Erik Kessels’ thought-provoking installation “24HRS in Photos” compiles prints of images uploaded to Flickr in one day. (Courtesy Erik Kessels)

Photo play

Fun SFMOMA show explores changing methods of image delivery

Erik Kessels’ thought-provoking installation “24HRS in Photos” compiles prints of images uploaded to Flickr in one day. (Courtesy Erik Kessels)
A Parasaurolophus and its young are at the California Academy of Sciences during “Dino Days.” (Courtesy California Academy of Sciences)

Where the dinosaurs roam in Golden Gate Park

Cal Academy’s ‘Dino Days’ continue through May 5

A Parasaurolophus and its young are at the California Academy of Sciences during “Dino Days.” (Courtesy California Academy of Sciences)
“Tomorrow Will Be Fine II” reflects Wanxin Zhang’s humor and spirituality. (Courtesy Wanxin Zhang)

Sculptor Wanxin Zhang pushes clay’s boundaries

Inspired by the late Robert Arneson and his friend Ai Weiwei, internationally…

“Tomorrow Will Be Fine II” reflects Wanxin Zhang’s humor and spirituality. (Courtesy Wanxin Zhang)
Participants in the Night Owl Ceremony outside the de Young Museum. (Jonathan Ross/Special to S.F. Examiner)

Enjoying the weirdness of San Francisco that remains

The instructions were to meet some “distributors of magic” at the corner…

Participants in the Night Owl Ceremony outside the de Young Museum. (Jonathan Ross/Special to S.F. Examiner)
San Francisco artist Kristine Mays, whose sculptures expressing the human form through hundreds of individual pieces of wire are featured at the African American Arts and Culture Complex in the display "Brutally Soft" through March 24, at the complex's Sargent Johnson Gallery in the Fillmore District. (Kevin N. Hume/S.F. Examiner)

An artist wired for humanity

“I love San Francisco,” wire sculptor Kristine Mays laughed, realizing she had…

San Francisco artist Kristine Mays, whose sculptures expressing the human form through hundreds of individual pieces of wire are featured at the African American Arts and Culture Complex in the display "Brutally Soft" through March 24, at the complex's Sargent Johnson Gallery in the Fillmore District. (Kevin N. Hume/S.F. Examiner)
“Weeping Willow” (1918–19) in "Monet: The Late Years," loaned from Kimbell Art Museum in Texas, displays Monet’s ability to conjure emotion. (Photo courtesy Robert LaPrelle)

Monet as modernist: Impressionist master changes style in final years

Having helped change how artists depicted the world in the late 1800s,…

“Weeping Willow” (1918–19) in "Monet: The Late Years," loaned from Kimbell Art Museum in Texas, displays Monet’s ability to conjure emotion. (Photo courtesy Robert LaPrelle)
Curator Kathy Zarur at the California College of the Arts San Francisco main campus on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019. (Kevin N. Hume/S.F. Examiner)

For a roving and well-traveled local, there’s no place like home

“I spent my entire adult life trying to run away from here…

Curator Kathy Zarur at the California College of the Arts San Francisco main campus on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019. (Kevin N. Hume/S.F. Examiner)