While SF maintains some status in the world of critically acclaimed art - most notably with the de Young, MOMA, Asian Art and Legion of Honor museums - some of the most exciting art is available publicly either as unsanctioned street art or in public installations.
Jeremy Novy and his iconic koi and Bandersnatch► with her distinctive style are two of the most prolific and recognizable local stencil artists. The famously mysterious Brit, Banksy, has several works around town (eg, on the outside of Public Works and near Columbus and Broadway in North Beach).
Amongst publicly approved art, the Mission Murals and the Black Rock Arts Foundation (with the Burning Man organization) provide some amazing works around SF.
Tagged for Art...
Jeremy Novy and his iconic koi and Bandersnatch► with her distinctive style are two of the most prolific and recognizable local stencil artists. The famously mysterious Brit, Banksy, has several works around town (eg, on the outside of Public Works and near Columbus and Broadway in North Beach).
Amongst publicly approved art, the Mission Murals and the Black Rock Arts Foundation (with the Burning Man organization) provide some amazing works around SF.
Tagged for Art...
111 Minna
On the edge of work and play
A lively calendar of musical parties and strangely compelling business events augment this downtown art gallery.
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Asian Art Museum
A lot older than you...
The last 6,000 years has netted about 17,000 artifacts for the Asian Art Museum, it will be exciting to see what treasures the next 6,000 years bring!
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Burning Man
Reality will return after these brief messages
No longer held in San Francisco, or even California (Nevada), the Burning Man festival is a big part of San Francisco life for many residents. The event is a week long and held on a dried lake bed - attracting upwards of 50,000 people► annually and otherwise defying brief description.
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Cantor Arts Center
Gallop over
Tucked away on the Stanford campus, Cantor Arts Center is sometimes overlooked on the local museum circuit. The third largest collection of Rodin sculptures► anchors the permanent collection. And it's all free... always!
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Children's Creativity Museum
More m than moma
With hands-on animation►, sound and video production►, performance, and visual art - the Children's Creativity Museum (formerly Zeum) spins creative.
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Contemporary Jewish Museum
Fresh art, fresh building
With 63,000 square feet of lively and diverse Jewish artwork in an eye-popping 2008 building, the CJM lives up to it's namesake and then some.
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de Young Museum
A fine fine art museum
Opened in 1895 with a hyper-modern rebuild in 2005, de Young is among the oldest and best museums in the city - inside and out!
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Le Video
Putting bittorrent in its place
With 90,000 films Le Video provides cover from even the longest stretches of Inner Sunset fog. The premier rental in the Bay Area has something for everyone with many foreign and obscure films - the challenge is choosing :)
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Legion of Honor
A site to behold, inside and out
Adjoining with the eye-popping Lands End trail, the Legion of Honor sits on some of the finest real estate in San Francisco, and the interior lives up to the honor!
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Maker Faire
Do. It. Yourself.
Organized by "Make:technology on your time" magazine and advertising itself as "The World's Largest DIY Festival", the faire is worth a visit for anyone who loves to make things or is inspired by the creative works► of others.
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Mission Dolores
The original missionary position
The oldest building in San Francisco, Mission Dolores de Asis still holds mass and provides visitors► a window into the native Ohlone culture (at least, the end of it), and Spanish colonization of San Francisco, with still-working bells►.
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Mission Murals
Wild and free
The Mission Murals are an oft-overlooked artistic treasure of San Francisco. The Mission's regularly warm weather can combine for a great afternoon of mural appreciation.
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Museum of Modern Art
art.
MOMA augments an exciting permanent collection with vibrant exhibitions, all housed in a delightful building of exo-art. The curation runs to the modern side of modern art (edgier than New York's MOMA), but it's a reputable museum and lags behind the cutting edge of urban art in SF.
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Oakland Museum of California
Going back to Cali
Renovated► and re-opened as of May 1, 2010!
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Public Works
What the people want...
With a mission statement of "give the people what they want", Public Works defies self-identity :)
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SF City GuidesWith more walking tours covering most of the city, SF City Guides provide a phenomenal resource for anyone interested in the cultural history of SF and/or exploring by foot.
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Symphony
Amazing music, hall
Conducted by the talented Michael Tilson Thomas in the eye-popping Davies Symphony Hall, the symphony delights►!
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Vaillancourt Fountain
Art, Politics & Water :)
Walt Disney Family Museum
A History of Magic in the Kingdom
A must-visit for anyone inspired by the history of animation and/or Disney, the museum showcases an astounding collection of artifacts and exhibits.
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Xanadu Gallery
Old and East in the West :)
A gallery of tribal and eastern art housed in the only publicly accessible Frank LLoyd Wright work in San Francisco, the Xanadu Gallery covers great time and space a half block from Union Square :)
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Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Steps ahead
A bipolar museum-theater► with no permanent exhibits, the YBCA's caffeinated calendar demands a peak.
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