SFMOMA celebrates 75 years of innovation
Posted by sfhi on Dec 30, 2009
At its inception in 1935, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art. Since then, the museum has been a pioneering force both locally and globally, working to break new ground and expand the conventional wisdom of what an art museum should present and collect.
The collections at SFMOMA are international in scope, while also reflecting the distinctive character of the San Francisco Bay Area, and the diversity of the ever-changing exhibitions make the museum one of San Francisco’s most popular cultural destinations.
The museum celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2010, with 75 Years of Looking Forward, a series of special exhibitions and programs including a free weekend celebration, January 16-18.
During the anniversary weekend, the museum offers free admission to all galleries. Saturday’s programming features an encore presentation of Bill Fontana’s Sound Sculptures Through the Golden Gate, originally shown at SFMOMA in 1987 for the 50th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, with a cash bar and a special performance by Matmos on Saturday night. Sunday is devoted to families, with hands-on art projects and a family film program in the Wattis Theater.
On both days, museum visitors can experience art in a truck: The Mike Shine Show, a street-inspired gallery installed in a borrowed art delivery truck, parked outside the museum. On Monday, January 18 — the day SFMOMA was founded 75 years ago — visitors are asked to celebrate the spirit of service by bringing art supplies to donate to local public schools.
Also on display (through May 23) is the Focus on Artists exhibition, which looks at SFMOMA’s long-term relationships with several modern artists whose iconic works were influential in defining movements, from Abstract Expressionism to Post-Minimalism and beyond. Artists are showcased in individual galleries, and include Diane Arbus, Matthew Barney, Richard Diebenkorn, Robert Gober, Dan Graham, Philip Guston, Ellsworth Kelly, Kara Walker, Jeff Wall, and Andy Warhol.
SFMOMA’s anniversary celebration features a wide variety of other programs and exhibitions illustrating the story of the artists, collectors, cultural mavericks, and San Francisco community leaders who created and have continued to lend their inspiration and talents to the museum. You can learn more about the other 75th anniversary programs here.