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Art in the San Francisco Bay Area

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For the book by Thomas Albright, see Art in the San Francisco Bay Area (book).

The history of art in the San Francisco Bay Area includes major contributions to contemporary art, including Abstract Expressionism. The area is known for its cross-disciplinary artists like Bruce Conner, Bruce Nauman, and Peter Voulkos as well as a large number of non-profit alternative art spaces. San Francisco Bay Area Visual Arts has undergone many permutations paralleling innovation and hybridity in literature and theater.

Artists, from 1950–present

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Paralleling a new interest in eastern philosophy and Zen via Alan Watts and the literary and poetic irreverence of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, and others, visual artists such as Bruce Conner and Jay DeFeo diverged from the Abstract Expressionism of the east coast to make connections between sculpture and painting. Connor's found material assemblages, collages and experimental films make him an early cross-disciplinary pioneer.

Painter Wayne Thiebaud's paintings of commonplace products such as toys or gumball machines paralleled the pop influenced Funk style. Involving bright colors, humor and word-play, Funk is most often associated with the ceramic work of Robert Arneson, and the paintings of William T. Wiley. All three, along with Roy De Forest and Manuel Neri taught at UC Davis in the 60s and 70s. (Artist and educator Peter Voulkos set the stage for Funk by reengaging ceramics as part of contemporary studio practice.) Bruce Nauman, who is often credited with dissolving the medium specific practices of previous generations, went to UC Davis and studied under William Wiley.

By the end of the 1960s Conceptual Art and Minimal Art were reforming the aesthetics and values of visual art. Bay Area artists responded to the dominance of the white cube, and transitioned from an object-oriented to a systems-oriented practice inspired by Marcel Duchamp.[1] In the Bay Area, starting in the 1970s, Artists such as Tom Marioni, Paul Kos, Howard Fried and Terry Fox, explored the intersection of performance and sculpture. Also picking up on conceptualism, with an added materialist strain, was David Ireland. Tony Labat brought a political dimension to Bay Area conceptualism, with video, performance and installation works that confronted issues of cultural identity, loss and displacement.[2]

In 1967 The Experimental Television Project (later renamed the National Center for Experiments in Television), housed at KQED studios was one of the first programs in the nation to give artists access to television studios and equipment. Groups like Ant Farm, Video Free America, and T.R. Uthco working in the same moment were video recording "happening" performances, and experimenting with light sound and time.[3]

Public art

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The San Francisco Bay Area has a variety of public art, with murals (and graffiti) in many locations, including most notably Clarion Alley,[4] Balmy Alley,[5][6] and 41 Ross (Ross Alley murals in San Francisco's Chinatown).[7]

Art spaces and groups

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San Francisco active

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East Bay active

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North Bay active

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South Bay and Peninsula active

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Defunct art spaces

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Art schools and workshops

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Active schools and workshops

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Defunct schools and workshops

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "System Esthetics". Artforum. 7:1: 31. September 1968.
  2. ^ "Electronic Arts Intermix: Tony Labat". www.eai.org. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  3. ^ Johnstone, Mark (2002). Epicenter: San Francisco Bay Area Art Now. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 0-8118-3541-3.
  4. ^ "Clarion Alley Mural Project Turns 25: A Historical Primer". SFist. 2017-10-20.
  5. ^ Dunitz, Robin J.; Prigoff, James (1997-01-01). Painting the Towns: Murals of California. RJD Enterprises. ISBN 9780963286253.
  6. ^ Airriess, Christopher A. (2015-09-28). Contemporary Ethnic Geographies in America. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442218574.
  7. ^ Rathinasabapathy, Radhika. "41 Ross". Time Out San Francisco.
  8. ^ "Acción Latina: The '80s Matter in the Mission". SFMOMA.
  9. ^ Taylor, Mark (2014-09-14). "It Lives: Artists' Television Access Turns Thirty". KQED. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20.
  10. ^ Fisher, Elise (February 1, 2024). "Berkeley Art Center honors Asian American Women Artists Association's past 35 years". The Daily Californian. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  11. ^ Rich, Nathaniel (2015-12-16). "A Training Ground for Untrained Artists (Published 2015)". The New York Times Magazine.
  12. ^ Knight, Heather (February 21, 2009). "Arts district to transform lower Taylor Street". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  13. ^ Wiegand, David (June 17, 2005). "Embraced By The Community / Part Five: The Future". SFGATE. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  14. ^ Turner, Chrie (2011-03-22). "Trio of Art Entities Opens in San Franciscos Mission District". Art in America. ISSN 0004-3214.
  15. ^ Kost, Ryan (December 27, 2018). "The Lab, SF's longtime hub for artistic experimentation, finds firm footing". Datebook, The San Francisco Chronicle.
  16. ^ Runkle, Larissa (June 26, 2017). "In The Mission, Creatives Spin, Sort & Hang At 'The Laundry'". Hoodline.
  17. ^ "The Luggage Store Gallery Reopens, With Plan To Stay Put". Hoodline. 2015-11-23.
  18. ^ Sorkin, Jenni (2021-09-16). Art in California. Thames & Hudson. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-500-77613-1.
  19. ^ Wong, Harley (2022-11-11). "San Francisco's Vibrant Art Scene Isn't Dying Out Anytime Soon". ARTnews.com.
  20. ^ a b Candelaria, Cordelia (2004). Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-313-33211-1.
  21. ^ Garchik, Leah (2019-05-02). "An artist's promise, more beautiful than one could imagine". San Francisco Chronicle. ISSN 1932-8672.
  22. ^ Battaglia, Andy (2019-01-16). "San Francisco's Saint Joseph's Arts Society Makes New Home in Immaculately Restored Church". ARTnews.com.
  23. ^ Newsome, Barbara Y.; Adele Z. Silver (1978). The Art Museum as Educator: A Collection of Studies as Guides to Practice and Policy. University of California Press. pp. 190–210. ISBN 978-0-520-03248-4.
  24. ^ Hoge, Patrick (December 12, 2004). "Marnie Gillett -- ran SF Camerawork gallery". SFGATE.
  25. ^ Kennedy, Jeffrey (2012-03-01). Top 10 San Francisco. Penguin. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-7566-9416-6.
  26. ^ Sherman, Frederic Fairchild (July 2002). Art in America. Vol. 90. Brandt Art Publications. p. 63.
  27. ^ Harmanci, Reyhan (2007-11-08). "'Grounded?': Southern Exposure's juried show gives all artists shot". SFGATE. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  28. ^ B, Marke (2024-02-20). "Artists alter, deface their own work at YBCA to protest Gaza silence and decry censorship". 48 hills. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  29. ^ Santiago, Chieri (October 12, 1983). "City's Treasure Chest of Art". The Berkeley Gazette. p. 10. OCLC 27723847. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  30. ^ "Creative Growth Art Center". Art21.
  31. ^ "'Live and Local' at the Firehouse Arts Center this season". Livermore Vine. Embarcadero Media. 2022-10-09. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  32. ^ "With open doors, Firehouse Bazaar creates community". Berkeleyside. August 23, 2011.
  33. ^ Dugdale, Emily (2015-10-05). "Long-time local supporter of the arts Archana Horsting honored with Berkeley Community Fund award". Berkeleyside.
  34. ^ Nguyen, Chris (2019-03-30). "San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art offers free admission, draws record crowds with 3 new exhibitions". ABC7 San Francisco.
  35. ^ Kanik, Hannah (September 20, 2023). "'Adventures with Alice' coming to Saratoga's Montalvo Arts Center". The Mercury News. ISSN 0747-2099. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  36. ^ a b Courage, Cara; McKeown, Anita (2018). Creative Placemaking: Research, Theory and Practice. Routledge Studies in Human Geography. Routledge. ISBN 9781351598590.
  37. ^ Schwyzer, Elizabeth (June 16, 2015). "Conflict continues at Pacific Art League". PaloAltoOnline.com.
  38. ^ Sheyner, Gennady (2019-08-05). "Palo Alto Art Center Foundation aims for more funding, engagement". PaloAltoOnline.com.
  39. ^ Tokofsky, Peter (2022-09-14). "Popular show returns to Sanchez Art Center". Half Moon Bay Review.
  40. ^ Wadsworth, Jennifer (2020-05-19). "Beloved Downtown Arts Group Works/San Jose Faces Eviction". San Jose Inside.
  41. ^ Blue, Violet (2009-05-21). "Eyes Wide Open / Violet Blue: A night of pure erotic decadence at The Art of Restraint". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  42. ^ Hammerl, Teresa (October 16, 2018). "Galería de la Raza to vacate main Mission District gallery space after rent doubles". Hoodline.
  43. ^ Dineen, J. K. (2015-03-10). "A feat in S.F.: Arts group Root Division finds a space to rent". San Francisco Chronicle. ISSN 1932-8672.
  44. ^ "Root Division Finds Permanent Home, Expands Arts Programming In Mid-Market". Hoodline.com. 2015-03-16.
  45. ^ McConahey, Meg (August 3, 2014). "Pond Farm's barn reborn". The Press Democrat.
  46. ^ Mitchell, Margaretta K. (1981). "Rudolph Schaeffer: (The Rudolph Schaeffer School of Design; art in San Francisco since 1915; oral history transcript)". University of California Berkeley, Regional Oral History Office University of California, The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California – via archive.org.
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