de Young Museum

50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., in Golden Gate Park.

I recently visited the de Young Museum for my first museum visit since covid. It felt safe, and I had an enjoyable experience. Attendance was sparse, but just enough other people were around to enhance the experience. I headed to the special exhibitions first, followed by some leisurely time in the permanent galleries.

Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, which runs through April 24, 2022, centers on the career of the Black fashion designer who died in 1990. The show features a runway, and mannequins posing in 79 of his outfits--complete with accessories. Kelly’s designs have been called “light-hearted yet sophisticated,” and I was particularly fond of one whimsical outfit that made use of cat masks. Film from some of his fashion shows is incorporated, as is a humorous painting of him as Mona Lisa.

woman practices tai chi by exterior sign for Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love exhibition at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California

runway exhibit at Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love exhibition
at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California

cat dress at Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love exhibition
at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California

painting of Patrick Kelly as Mona Lisa at Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love exhibition at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California

Another special exhibition--Judy Chicago: A Retrospective--unfortunately ends this month on January 9, so you’ll need to get moving if you want to see it. Pioneering feminist artist Judy Chicago stands out in my mind for “The Dinner Party,” which I remember hearing about long ago when it was first shown in San Francisco. Though some photos of it are displayed, the full-on set up is not part of this show (it is on view permanently at the Brooklyn Museum in New York) I was especially moved by her series in this current show, “The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction,” which comments on the steady march towards extinction of animals and humans.

"Bleached" from Judy Chicago: A Retrospective exhibition
at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California

"Poached" from Judy Chicago: A Retrospective exhibition
at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California

"How Will I Die?" from Judy Chicago: A Retrospective exhibition
at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California

"A Sweet Prospect" from Judy Chicago: A Retrospective exhibition
at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California

Be sure to explore the Museum’s website to clarify admission policies and prices. Note that some special exhibits and events require an additional admission fee and advance ticket purchase, and some free days are offered.

interior of de Young Cafe at de Young Museum
in San Francisco, California

The de Young Cafe is convenient for a quick snack or lunch. The menu is short but includes sandwiches, hot entrees, and elegant desserts. Seating is available both indoors in a glass box of a room that makes you feel like you’re outside, or actually outside on an extensive patio adjacent to the sculpture garden.