Local Exhibitions


A listing of local exhibitions related to photography and art.

Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities
SF MOMA – May 30-September 7, 2009
This exhibition brings together for the first time over one hundred photographs and paintings by two of America’s best-known artists: Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) and Ansel Adams (1902-1984). O’Keeffe and Adams met in 1929 when both were in Taos, New Mexico, and began a lifelong friendship based on a profound shared appreciation for the natural world. Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities establishes the artists’ skill at capturing the essence of the world around them and reveals numerous parallels between their distinctive visions of nature.

Looking In: Robert Frank’s “The Americans”
SF MOMA – May 16-August 23, 2009

Robert Frank’s The Americans (first published in France in 1958 and in the U.S. in 1959) is widely celebrated as the most important photography book to appear since WWII. Featuring 83 photographs made largely in 1955 and 1956 while Frank traveled the U.S., the project looked beneath the surface of American life to reveal a profound sense of alienation, angst, and loneliness. Frank’s prescient photographs redefined the icons of America, demonstrating that cars, jukeboxes, gas stations, diners, and even the road itself were telling symbols of contemporary life. Franks’ style – distinguished by seemingly loose, casual compositions, often with rough blurred, out-of-focus foregrounds and tiled horizons – was just as controversial and influential as his subject matter. The exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the publication by presenting all 83 photographs in the order established by the book, accompanied by a detailed examination of the project, its relationship to Frank’s earlier work, and its impact on his later art.

A retrospective (1964-2004) of Richard Avedon’s photographs
SFMOMA, will be opening on July 11.

“Whether photographing politicians, artists, writers, fashion models, or movie stars, Richard Avedon revolutionized the genre of portraiture. He rejected conventional stiff-and-staid poses and instead captured both motion and emotion in the faces of his subjects, often encapsulating their intrigue in a single charged moment.”DETAILS here: http://www.sfmoma.org/exhibitions/384

Past, Present and Looking Forward: Africa

June 6 through August 6, 2009
San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin Street, Third Floor, African American Center

The Library’s African American Center, in association with Paths of Native Africa, present an exhibit of photographs and artifacts that explore the culture and daily life in central Mali and southeastern Nigeria of western Africa.

Picturing Modernity
SF MOMA – Ongoing

Don’t miss the ongoing exhibit at SF MOMA entitled “Picturing Modernity.” The exhibit includes pictures from the mid-1800’s to the present that capture key moments in the development of the medium. In conjunction with Brought to Light, the current installment features contemporary art in various media that has been informed by scientific photography, including works by Christopher Bucklow, Vija Clemins, Kota Ezawa, and Doug and Mike Starn. Also on view are photographs by artists such as Eugene Atget, Imogen Cunningham, Charles Marville, Alfred Stieglitz, and Minor White that explore the intersection of nature and culture and the beauty of the natural world.

Being Jewish: A Bay Area Portrait
The Contemporary Jewish Museum – Ongoing

Discover the many different ways of “being Jewish” in the Bay Area through this mural of community photos, and objects which reflect the flavor of Jewish life in the Bay Area, both past and present.

Future of Sequoias: Sustaining Parklands in the 21st Century
Oakland Museum of California – February 7–August 23, 2009
The museum goes deep into the forest primeval. Forty panoramic photographs by Jeff Jones and commentary by retired National Park interpretative ranger William C. Tweed celebrate the spectacular beauty of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, while sounding an alarm about the threat of pollution and a call for environmental action.

The Palo Alto Art Center & Djerassi Resident Artists Program Present:
Two Dutch photographers, Maurits Giesen and Ilse Leenders, currently in residence at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside, are scheduled to give a presentation of their work (as part of a series on the creative process) at the Palo Alto Art Center on Thu Aug 27 at 7 pm. Here are the details:

“WHERE ART ORIGINATES: ARTISTS & THE CREATIVE PROCESS”
- Lecture Series to Feature Artist Performances and Insights to Their Work –
Series runs April 9 to November 5, 2009
At the Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium, Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94303
Free Admission – Reservations required – Please call 650.329.2366 to make your reservations
The public is invited to explore the creative process and personal approach to artistic growth in a series of seven exciting lecture evenings featuring nine 2009 Djerassi Program resident artists. Held at the Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium, the lecture series starts on Thursday, April 9, 2009 and will conclude on Thursday, November, 2009. Participating artists represent a wide range of artistic expression and will perform and speak about their work. Each program will conclude with a Q & A session with the featured artist(s).

The Djerassi Resident Artists Program and the Palo Alto Art Center share the goals of encouraging creativity and supporting artistic expression. By introducing a diversity of Djerassi artists to the community, this partnership provides a unique opportunity to engage with and learn about the creative process.

The Djerassi Resident Artists Program, regarded as one of the eminent artist residency communities in the United States, has served more than 1,800 artists from all over the world during its 30-year history. The Program’s Mission is to support and enhance the creativity of artists by providing uninterrupted time for work, reflection, and collegial interaction in a setting of great natural beauty, and to preserve the land on which the Program is situated.

Local Museums and Galleries: