Tag: Art

Christiane Lyons Confronts Not-So- ‘Superficial Matters’ in de Young Exhibit

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Mill Valley painter Christiane Lyons has dedicated the last decade of her life to her series, which she, somewhat facetiously, calls, “Some Women.” The oil paintings are collage-like, yet more refined. There is also a double or triple-exposure effect in the depiction of the women. The work is figurative, abstract and surreal. It is easy to be drawn to the colorful, layered pieces. There is a soft beauty to them. But a closer, more pensive examination reveals an indictment on the objectification of women in history and in current times.

‘Treasure of the Pharaohs’ Exhibition Digs into Egyptian Life and Afterlife

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The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is counting on the public’s continuous fascination of ancient Egypt when FAMSF presents, “Treasures of the Pharaohs,” from Aug. 1 of this year to Jan. 31, 2027, at the de Young Museum. The touring exhibition spans 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, showing how the all-powerful pharaohs shaped religious practices, social structure and daily life.

Joe Mirante Keeps the Summer of Love Alive with Psychedelic Art and Music

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Learning to swim at Sutro Baths. Working amusement park carnival booths next to Ocean Beach. Joining fellow hippies in a Haight-Ashbury commune. Smoking a joint with the Grateful Dead. Talking to Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio and Liberace while busboying in Fisherman’s Wharf. It feels like a San Francisco fever dream – but for Richmond-district resident painter and musician Joe Mirante, now 76, this was simply his reality.

Comedian Margaret Cho: The Outsider Who Found a Way In

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Trailblazing comedian Margaret Cho has always made sure her brazen stand-up material aligns with her feminist, politically progressive and all-inclusive views on sexuality. What is radically different about the 57-year-old San Francisco native is that her once chaotic, dangerous life has gradually evolved into that of a serene homebody, who surrounds herself with animal and plant life.

The Etruscans Take Center Stage With the Legion of Honor’s Latest Exhibit

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The new exhibition at the Legion of Honor Museum, “The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy,” which opened May 2 and continues through Sept. 20, seeks to enlighten curious visitors on the innovative and artistic contributions of the largely overlooked Etruscans, an indigenous society with a one-off language, who thrived in the central Italy peninsula from the ninth century to the first century B.C., in the period preceding the Roman Empire.

Exhibition at de Young Features Claude Monet’s Work Inspired by Venice

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France’s Claude Monet (1840-1926), the founder of Impressionism and the movement’s most prolific painter, reluctantly visited Venice, Italy, in October of 1908. At the time, he had grown disenchanted with the way his “Water Lilies” paintings were progressing. His dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel, rejected the work, leading Monet to cancel the show at the Paris gallery and to destroy many of the paintings in the series.

Floral Designers’ Creations Reflect Fine Art Museums’ Collections: ‘Bouquets to Art’ Exhibit the 42nd Annual Fundraiser for de Young and Legion of Honor

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More than 100 of Northern California’s top floral designers are donating their talents, time and materials to the 42nd annual Bouquets to Art (BTA) exhibition at the de Young and the Legion of Honor museums. Approximately 50,000 people will visit the museums to tour the enhanced galleries during the exhibition fundraiser from March 3 to 8.

Richmond Artist Mark Simmons Embodies Wonderment

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Mark Simmons stands on a lawn at Mountain Lake Park, pen in hand, eyes fixed on a towering eucalyptus tree. Within minutes, the 55-year-old artist has captured not just the tree’s shape but its character – the way its crown spreads to claim sunlight, the texture of its bark, the shadows it casts. This is how Simmons, a Richmond District resident of 25 years, sees the world.