Ansel Adams is the subject of a new exhibit at de Young Museum.
San Francisco is a hub for creative minds and art enthusiasts. With an abundance of expertly curated museums and boutique galleries, the city isn’t short of art!
Of the many displays of creativity, ingenuity and vibrant culture in the Golden City, some of the most impressive are housed in landmark museums and champion art galleries.
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Explore San Francisco’s rich art scene this summer and find hidden treasures within the city. From Ansel Adams to Bollywood, Marvel to modern and beyond, these are some of the best art exhibits to check out in San Francisco this season.
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781 Beach St. / Website
Calling all comic fans! In partnership with Chronicle Books and Marvel Entertainment, the Cartoon Art Museum proudly unveiled Thor and Loki: Midgard Family Mayhem. Explore an exhibition of original work from Jefferey Brown, the cartoonist behind the popular Darth Vader and Son and Star Wars: Jedi Academy series, and catch a look inside his creative process. Featuring more than 30 of Brown’s original illustrations and a selection of original Marvel Comics artwork, this exhibition takes you on a fun journey through the Marvel Universe. The exhibit is open until Aug. 27. Find information about attendance online.
685 Mission St. / Website
This spring, the Museum of African Diaspora unveiled its first teen-led art exhibit. Explore the talent and artistic ingenuity of the Bay Area’s best through a mixed-media experience. Connected to many global cultures, each artist uniquely honors their cultural legacies through textiles, sculpture, painting, drawing, video and photography. Reflect on how personal experiences with culture and traditions impact the art scape at Old Routes, New Leaves this summer. The exhibition is open until Aug. 20. Tickets are available online.
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736 Mission St. / Website
See the work of one of the most innovative and internationally acclaimed artists for the first time on the West Coast this summer. Find a disarmingly absurd sense of humor to confront the dizzying contradictions of global capitalism, and uncover surprising connections in Mika Rottenberg’s exhibit of unorthodox art. Explore vividly, colorful, surreal video installations and kinetic sculptures; and discover a picture of reality through the bizarre and unusual. The exhibit runs from May 18 to Oct. 22. Tickets are available online.
151 Third St. / Website
Relationships—whether platonic, familial, romantic, cultural or geographic—are fundamental to an artist’s practice. Explore the deep connection six contemporary photographers formed with their subjects and the power they bring to their art at the Kinship: Photography and Connection exhibit. While never meeting the subjects in the photographs, you may feel a sense of affinity and kinship to their stories, successes and struggles too. The exhibit runs from May 20 to Nov. 12. Tickets are available online.
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151 Third St. / Website
View the world through Frank Bowling’s eyes, and explore a collection of paintings from the most influential decade of his life as an artist. Arriving in New York in 1966, Bowling became a pivotal player in the city’s bustling art scene by creating radiant, technically pioneering paintings. Drawing from his own transcontinental journeys and connections, Bowling’s work challenges abstract painting and reflects the dynamics of the world through color. The exhibit runs from May 20 to Sept. 10. Tickets are available online.
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr. / Website
Nothing represents the start of summer more than displays of vibrant flowers. Now in its 39th year, the annual exhibit welcomes more than 100 leading floral designers to showcase botanical arrangements inspired by museum masterworks. From grand, sculptural creations to a striking hanging installation in Wilsey Court, inspiration blooms throughout the exhibit. Head to the museum for the exhibit’s opening night luxury raffle, and get a chance to head home with a fresh flower arrangement. The exhibit runs from June 5 to 11. Tickets are available May 10.
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540 Howard St. / Website
Enter a reinterpreted reality of color, and explore visual artist Gera’s collection of graffiti work. Inspired by the glitch art aesthetic, Gera tells stories of reality through layers of movement, texture and form. Enter a distorted, abstract universe where malfunction, error and deformation coexist in an environment of harmonic, vibrant creativity this summer at the Mirus Gallery. The exhibit opens on June 9.
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200 Larkin St. / Website
Embark on a journey of mind, body and senses, and discover the power of dance in the visual arts through two millennia. Inspired by the cultural scene of India, Southeast Asia and the Himalayas, where dance plays a significant role in religion, mythology and ceremony, the exhibit reveals the capacity of dance to inspire artists and audiences alike. Featuring more than 120 artworks, Beyond Bollywood invites art enthusiasts to an immersive, multimedia showcase of live dance performances, historical artifacts and contemporary art. The exhibit is open until July 10. Tickets are available online.
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100 34th Ave. / Website
Art comes in many colors, shapes and structures. Sometimes, it takes the form of broken porcelain. Discover the beauty of destruction among Bouke de Vries’ collection of imaginative ceramic sculptures. Trained as a porcelain restorer, the London-based Dutch artist finds reimagined beauty in others’ waste. By repurposing shattered ceramics, de Vries challenges the perception of perfection, finding hope and potential among the broken. The exhibit runs from July 22 to March 24, 2024.
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50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr. / Website
Take a step back in time and appreciate the natural beauty of the American landscape at the de Young Museum. See a collection of more than 100 pieces by American photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams at the in Our Time exhibit. Explore seven exhibit sections, tracing the development of the artist via some of his most-loved photographs. From images of national parks to San Francisco, the American Southwest and the uses (and misuses) of natural resources, Ansel Adams’ legacy may inspire you to think differently about your relationship with preservation and our environment. The exhibit is open until July 23. Find tickets online.
As the cliche goes, art is all around us. We’ve just made it easy for you to find it. Want more art content? Check out these photographs of famed dance producer deadmau5, as taken by celebrity photographer Timothy White, or make your own walking art tour by finding these great statues and murals all around the city.
Photography by: Barbara Alper / Getty
