Visual Arts

Collages by Kytana Winn are among the works in "The Black Woman Is God: Assembly of Gods" at SOMArts through Oct. 2. (Courtesy Nye' Lynn Tho)

Artists of color reclaim heritage in ‘Black Woman is God’

Having established firm roots, defying gravity, resisting withering and growing in leaps…

Collages by Kytana Winn are among the works in "The Black Woman Is God: Assembly of Gods" at SOMArts through Oct. 2. (Courtesy Nye' Lynn Tho)
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré’s 2007 pencil and ink “Untitled (Les merveilles du monde)” is among the works in “Defying the Narrative: Contemporary Art from West and Southern Africa” opening in September at Ever Gold [Projects]. (Courtesy Ever Gold [Projects])

Expanded gallery, dining, cocktail options in The City

Ever Gold [Projects], a gallery at 1275 Minnesota St., is on summer…

Frédéric Bruly Bouabré’s 2007 pencil and ink “Untitled (Les merveilles du monde)” is among the works in “Defying the Narrative: Contemporary Art from West and Southern Africa” opening in September at Ever Gold [Projects]. (Courtesy Ever Gold [Projects])
Julie Chang showed off “The Secret Garden,” her design for the floor of the new Salesforce Transit Center. (Leslie Katz/S.F. Examiner)

Truly awesome art at new downtown transit center

Artist Julie Chang had some inspirational words about “The Secret Garden,” her…

Julie Chang showed off “The Secret Garden,” her design for the floor of the new Salesforce Transit Center. (Leslie Katz/S.F. Examiner)
John Roddam Spencer Stanhope’s 1877 “Love and the Maiden” is a highlight of “Truth and The Pre-Raphaelites and the Old Masters” at the Legion of Honor. (Courtesy Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)

Pre-Raphaelites take inspiration from Old Masters in Legion exhibition

Radicals in their day, the pre-Raphaelites in mid-19th-century England adopted the styles…

John Roddam Spencer Stanhope’s 1877 “Love and the Maiden” is a highlight of “Truth and The Pre-Raphaelites and the Old Masters” at the Legion of Honor. (Courtesy Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
Nicole Sweeney creates wood art pieces in her San Francisco studio. (Courtesy Jordan Rosen Photography)

SF woodworker to expand art business after ‘Making It’ on TV

Three years ago, San Francisco woodworker Nicole Sweeney quit her day job…

Nicole Sweeney creates wood art pieces in her San Francisco studio. (Courtesy Jordan Rosen Photography)
Ian Ross recently completed a mural on a building at 18th Street and Potrero Avenue. (Courtesy Elysian)

Making mischief with art and beverages

San Francisco artist Ian Ross has been busy making mischief at the…

Ian Ross recently completed a mural on a building at 18th Street and Potrero Avenue. (Courtesy Elysian)
John Bambery portrays Georges Seurat and Nanci Zoppi plays his lover Dot in San Francisco Playhouse’s “Sunday in the Park with George.” (Courtesy Ken Levin)

‘Sunday in the Park’ colorfully explores meaning of art

Being an artist has never been easy. Consider Georges Seurat, the 19th-century…

John Bambery portrays Georges Seurat and Nanci Zoppi plays his lover Dot in San Francisco Playhouse’s “Sunday in the Park with George.” (Courtesy Ken Levin)
“Les valeurs personnelles” (“Personal Values”), from 1952, is a classic example of the René Magritte’s famed whimsy. (Courtesy SFMOMA, Charly Herscovici, Brussels/Artists Rights Society)

The many phases of René Magritte

Perennially popular for his surrealist works featuring apples, bowler hats and bizarre…

“Les valeurs personnelles” (“Personal Values”), from 1952, is a classic example of the René Magritte’s famed whimsy. (Courtesy SFMOMA, Charly Herscovici, Brussels/Artists Rights Society)
David Park’s “Portrait of Lydia Sewing” (1955), left, and Milton Avery’s “Reader with Plant” (1963) are at Hackett Mill. (Courtesy Hackett Mill)

Mid-century masters Park, Avery paint humanity

David Park and Milton Avery -- who bucked the trend and painted…

David Park’s “Portrait of Lydia Sewing” (1955), left, and Milton Avery’s “Reader with Plant” (1963) are at Hackett Mill. (Courtesy Hackett Mill)
Fernando Reyes' 1995 “Self Portrait”on view at the Mexican Museum is a charcoal drawing on gray paper. (Courtesy Fernando Reyes)

‘Artist’s Evolution’ showcases Fernando Reyes’ breadth

Local artist Fernando Reyes -- a banker turned painter and printmaker --…

Fernando Reyes' 1995 “Self Portrait”on view at the Mexican Museum is a charcoal drawing on gray paper. (Courtesy Fernando Reyes)
The late Joan Mankin (pictured in a detail of the portrait) is featured in "Ghost Light" at Z Space. (Courtesy David Allen)

David Allen’s ‘Ghost Light’ photos illuminate Bay Area actors

For his exhibit “Ghost Light,” performing arts photographer David Allen went old-school:…

The late Joan Mankin (pictured in a detail of the portrait) is featured in "Ghost Light" at Z Space. (Courtesy David Allen)
Homestead Grays catcher Josh Gibson, called “the black Babe Ruth,” is pictured in 1942 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh in a photo by Charles “Teenie” Harris. (Courtesy Carnegie Museum of Art)

‘Game of Color’ spotlights black baseball greats

Sports and civil rights come together in a fun and fan-friendly exhibition…

Homestead Grays catcher Josh Gibson, called “the black Babe Ruth,” is pictured in 1942 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh in a photo by Charles “Teenie” Harris. (Courtesy Carnegie Museum of Art)
The Miles Brothers’ “A Trip Down Market Street” was filmed in 1906. (Courtesy Rick Prelinger)

Wild, wonderful ‘Way Bay’ at BAMPFA puts local art in spotlight

“Way Bay,” an expansive new exhibition at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific…

The Miles Brothers’ “A Trip Down Market Street” was filmed in 1906. (Courtesy Rick Prelinger)
Casanova: The Seduction of Europe, opening Feb. 10 at the Legion of Honor , showcases the life and times of the Italian author and chameleonic libertine Giacomo Casanova. (Courtesy Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)

Winter 2018 Arts Preview: Museums and Galleries

Museum and gallery exhibitions offer insight into past, present and future. Casanova:…

Casanova: The Seduction of Europe, opening Feb. 10 at the Legion of Honor , showcases the life and times of the Italian author and chameleonic libertine Giacomo Casanova. (Courtesy Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
Textile company Finlayson has a line of linens and other home items featuring artwork by Tom of Finland. (Courtesy Amy Mokk)

Finnish design showcased under the dome

High design from Finland has come to San Francisco. Apparel, beauty products…

Textile company Finlayson has a line of linens and other home items featuring artwork by Tom of Finland. (Courtesy Amy Mokk)
Robert Rauschenberg’s “Monogram,” an assemblage showcasing a taxidermied Angora goat, is on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. (Courtesy Robert Rauschenberg Foundation)

SFMOMA Rauschenberg retrospective reveals wry radical

One of the most significant artists of the 20th century’s second half,…

Robert Rauschenberg’s “Monogram,” an assemblage showcasing a taxidermied Angora goat, is on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. (Courtesy Robert Rauschenberg Foundation)
Summer Mei-Ling Lee’s 2017 “Requiem” is an installation commissioned by the Chinese Culture Center. (Courtesy Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco)

Chinese Culture Center’s ‘Requiem’ solemnly reflects on Chinese diaspora

Regarded as “permanent aliens” under the 1882-approved Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese immigrants…

Summer Mei-Ling Lee’s 2017 “Requiem” is an installation commissioned by the Chinese Culture Center. (Courtesy Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco)
Designer Jin Teok, pictured with one of her pieces, attended the opening of “Couture Korea” at the Asian Art Museum. (Courtesy Janos Gereben)

K fashion, then and now

Asian Art Museum Director Jay Xu, enthusiastic about the “vibrant colors” in…

Designer Jin Teok, pictured with one of her pieces, attended the opening of “Couture Korea” at the Asian Art Museum. (Courtesy Janos Gereben)
A reproduction of the large 1902 “Beethoven Frieze” (detail: “The Arts, Paradise Choir, and The Embrace” is pictured) is on view in “Klimt and Rodin: An Artistic Encounter” at the Legion of Honor. (Courtesy Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)

Meeting of 20th century masters: Klimt paintings, Rodin sculptures

An exhibition of major works by early-modern-age Austrian painter Gustav Klimt --…

A reproduction of the large 1902 “Beethoven Frieze” (detail: “The Arts, Paradise Choir, and The Embrace” is pictured) is on view in “Klimt and Rodin: An Artistic Encounter” at the Legion of Honor. (Courtesy Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
Dozens of ancient artifacts, functional and decorative, are on view in “Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire” through Feb. 11. (Courtesy Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)

Archaeological wonders in ‘Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire’

Art and artifacts excavated from Teotihuacan -- Mexico’s most significant archaeological site…

Dozens of ancient artifacts, functional and decorative, are on view in “Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire” through Feb. 11. (Courtesy Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)