San Francisco Events Calendars

The de Young Museum is proud to be the only museum in the world to present two consecutive special exhibitions from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. The first exhibition, Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay, presents nearly 100 magnificent works by the famous masters who called France their home during the mid- to late-19th century and from whose midst arose one of the most original and recognizable of all artistic styles, Impressionism. The exhibition begins with paintings by the great academic artist Bouguereau and the arch-Realist Courbet, and includes American expatriate Whistler’s Arrangement in Gray and Black, known to many as “Whistler’s Mother.” Manet, Monet, Renoir, and Sisley are showcased with works dating from the 1860s through 1880s, along with a selection of Degas’ paintings that depict images of the ballet, the racetrack, and life in the Belle Époque. For more info, visit http://orsay.famsf.org/

During this time also visit the Legion of Honor to see a special exhibition that provides context and heightens the understanding of Birth of Impressionism. Impressionist Paris: City of Light, on view from June 5 to September 26, 2010, transports museum visitors to Paris circa 1874 as represented in over 150 prints, drawings, photographs, paintings, and illustrated books from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and several private collectors. For info, visit http://www.famsf.org/

Very Postmortem: Mummies and Medicine
Through October 31, 2010

At the Legion of Honor: Very Postmortem - Mummies and Medicine explores the modern scientific examination of mummies, providing new insights into the conditions under which the Egyptians lived and bringing us closer to understanding who they were. Very Postmortem is a homecoming celebration marking the return of Irethorrou, FAMSF’s mummy that has been on loan since 1944. As part of the exhibition, a CT-scan of the Irethorrou mummy taken by scientists at Stanford Medical School sheds light on his possible cause of death and physical attributes. These scans provide depth and scientific background to the exhibition. Accompanying the mummy are a variety of ancient artifacts that date from approximately 664–525 B.C., Egypt’s final era of greatness during the Late Period from the 26th Saite Dynasty. For info, visit http://www.famsf.org/

Ongoing:
Think California: Artworks, Artifacts, & Ephemera Exploring California’s Colorful History

Think California, an exhibition highlighting the colorful history of California through the institution’s remarkable collection of artwork, artifacts, and ephemera. This ambitious exhibition asks the question “What do you think about when you think of California?” and explores themes sweeping from the early days of the Gold Rush to California’s car culture; from the glitz of the entertainment industry to the scenic splendors of California’s natural beauty; and from booming tourism to the bounty of the Golden State’s agricultural offerings.

The exhibition is at the California Historical Society (CHS), located at 678 Mission Street in San Francisco. CHS is open Wednesday through Saturday, 12:00noon to 4:30pm; admission costs $3 for general public; $1 for students and seniors. For more information the public may call 415/357-1848. For more info, www.californiahistoricalsociety.org

To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color
Through January 9, 2011

Features over 50 textiles and costumes from the Fine Arts Museums’ comprehensive collection of textiles from Africa, Asia and the Americas. A truly cross-cultural presentation, the exhibition showcases objects from diverse cultures and historical periods, including a tie-dyed tunic from the Wari-Nasca culture of pre-Hispanic Peru (A.D. 500–900), a paste-resist Mongolian felt rug from the 15th–17th centuries and a group of stitch-resist dyed 20th-century kerchiefs from the Dida people of the Ivory Coast. The exhibition highlights several recent acquisitions, including important gifts such as an ikat-woven skirt from the Iban people of Sarawak, Malaysia and two exquisite mordant-dyed Indian trade cloths used as heirloom textiles by the Toraja peoples of Sulawesi, Indonesia. At the de Young Gallery for Textile Arts

Pat Steir: After Hokusai, after Hiroshige
Through January 30, 2011

Complementing Japanesque: The Japanese Print in the Era of Impressionism at the Legion of Honor (opening October 16), Pat Steir: After Hokusai, after Hiroshige shows the continued influence of the Japanese print on Western artists into the late 20th century. American painter, printmaker, and conceptual artist Pat Steir (b. 1938) was the first artist selected by Kathan Brown in 1982 to travel to Japan to make a color woodcut for Crown Point Press’s groundbreaking printmaking program in Kyoto. There Steir had the opportunity to work closely with artisans trained in the traditional methods of Japanese woodblock printing. In 1984 and 1985 she turned to subjects derived from famous prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige in color etchings she produced at Crown Point Press in Oakland. At the de Young Anderson Gallery