This travel blog focuses on things to do in BERKELEY and SAN FRANCISCO. It also features more travel destinations throughout Northern California. All are presented in small, easy-to-digest chunks of text along with plenty of photos so you really get the picture. Discover even more weekend adventures at my BERKELEY AND BEYOND website at www.berkeleyandbeyond.com. This blog is a continuation of my out-of-print guidebook--WEEKEND ADVENTURES IN SAN FRANCISCO & NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
First Light: Rituals of Glass and Neon Art, curated by She Bends, “explores mastery in craft as a devotional pursuit, presenting breathtaking artworks that connect both artists and viewers to spirituality, wonder, and universal questions of human existence.” Science and art are both utilized in artworks that include neon, glass, and large-scale sculptures. Runs through April 28, 2024.
First Light exhibit at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
RetroBlakesberg: The Music Never Stopped, which taps into Bay Area music history through the lens of Bay Area–based photographer Jay Blakesberg. Photographs of legendary musicians “reveal the evolution of San Francisco’s unique music culture and its wide-reaching influence.” It is fun to study the various photographs to identify greats such as Joni Mitchell, The Grateful Dead, Tracy Chapman, and Neil Young, and to also see ephemera such as original tickets stubs. Runs through July 28, 2024.
RetroBlakesberg exhibit at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
Radiant Practices: Illuminating Jewish Traditions “traces the foundational role of light in Jewish life and ritual, both historically and today” through objects such as menorahs and memorial candles. Runs through April 28, 2024.
cast metal brutalist menorah at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
More about the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the Wise Sons Jewish Deli.
patio of Wise Sons Jewish Deli at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
Polka dot madness has
hit the SFMOMA, which is currently exhibiting ”Infinite Love,” by Yayoi Kusama (2024). This show is short and
very sweet.You get two minutes in each of two colorful, mirrored cubes.The
first room is titled “Dreaming of Earth’s Sphericity, I Would Offer My Love”
(2023).The second room is titled “Love
is Calling” (2013), and it is accompanied by the artist reciting a love poem that
I hate to admit I don’t recall hearing!I think my senses were overwhelmed and didn’t even let that part
in.
elevator to Yayoi Kusama "Infinite Love" show at SFMOMA
the poem:
Enter the place of colors
Polka dots let in the
sunlight of the earth
The heart Is filled with the
shining light of the sun
All of the people who enter
seeking the joy of being alive
Let there be eternal harmony
among all in the circles and cycles of living
Peace and endless love for
all
— Yayoi Kusama, 2023
Reminiscent of psychedelic blob
shows, these art installations are vibrant but still. Approximately six viewers at a time step into
each white cube and are enveloped in dazzlingly colored shapes repeated
endlessly via mirrored walls. Though I enjoyed just being within the colorful spaces, and took plenty of photos, the
idea is to convey a feeling of “unlimited potential and possibility.” I left mostly satisfied and happy. “Infinite Love” runs through September 7,
2024.Tickets to the show include admission to the museum if you purchase in advance. Check the website for clarification.
“Dreaming of Earth’s Sphericity, I Would Offer My Love” at Yayoi Kusama "Infinite Love" show at SFMOMA
“Dreaming of Earth’s Sphericity, I Would Offer My Love” at Yayoi Kusama "Infinite Love" show at SFMOMA
“Love is Calling” at Yayoi Kusama "Infinite Love" show at SFMOMA
“Love is Calling” at Yayoi Kusama "Infinite Love" show at SFMOMA
Elsewhere in the museum, Kusama’s
giant polka-dotted pumpkin exhibit--“Aspiring to Pumpkin’s Love, the Love in My
Heart”--is also worth seeing. Depending on the light and where you stand,
this piece is yellow or orange and a group of three, four, or five pumpkins.
“Aspiring to Pumpkin’s Love, the Love in My Heart” at Yayoi Kusama "Infinite Love" show at SFMOMA
“Aspiring to Pumpkin’s Love, the Love in My Heart” at Yayoi Kusama "Infinite Love" show at SFMOMA
“Aspiring to Pumpkin’s Love, the Love in My Heart” at Yayoi Kusama "Infinite Love" show at SFMOMA
Another show you won't want to miss is “The Visitors,” by Ragnar Kjartansson (2012). Commissioned by the Migros Museum in Zurich, this
piece is an homage to the Swedish pop band ABBA and was titled by the director after
their final album. It takes place in a
rambling old mansion on Rokeby Farm in upstate New York’s Hudson Valley, where
the director and some musician friends from Reykjavik, Iceland, spent a week
eating and drinking and finally, on the last day, filming. On 9 screens, the piece depicts eight rooms,
each inhabited by a musician, and shows simultaneously what is happening in
each room as it adds to the whole, melancholic piece. It is interesting to know that the person in
the bathtub playing a guitar is the director.
The piece runs an hour long, and I think it is worth staying for the
entire show.
This is the piece’s second
installation at the SFMOMA. I saw it
during its first run here and loved it.
I’m so pleased to have had the chance to view it again, because I enjoyed
it even more this second time.
entrance to "The Visitors" show at SFMOMA
interior of "The Visitors" show at SFMOMA
The museum’s next Free First Thursday is April 4 from 1 to 8pm; reserve
online up to two weeks in advance.
4380 Hwy. 46 East.Thur-Sun evenings; times vary with season.Tickets ($75, $87, $112).No pets.
overview of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles, California
The
colorful solar-powered installation of 100,000 lights that is Light at Sensorio
reminds me of Holland’s colorful tulip fields in full bloom.
This art
work, known as Field of Light, is by
internationally acclaimed artist Bruce Munro.Heworks in the style of Christo,
who long ago set up “The Gates” in NYC’s Central Park and “Fences” in the
fields of Marin County.Field of Light is
an immersive 15-acre walk-through experience lit by fiber optics.Fist-sized bulbs atop 2-foot-long “stems” are
“planted” in the fields for almost as far as you can see.These solar energy-powered bulbs are tightly
packed together over acres of undulating, hilly landscape, where they morph through
a rainbow of colors.A recorded musical
score accompanies the unfolding, and light human sounds mix with melodic crickets
to enhance the experience.
dusk at Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles, California
dusk at Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles, California
night begins at Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles, California
colorful bulbs seen up close at Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles, California
This
art experience seems to be a work in progress.It has grown since it opened in 2019, and now includes several newer
sections:
●Light Towers
consists of 69 glowing 6-foot towers made with more than 17,000 recycled wine
bottles.This section celebrates Paso
Robles’ wine country.Visitors become
black shadows while moving between the colorful towers, and a soundtrack of
African music adds to the pleasure.
●Fireflies consists
of “10,000 flickering points of light” that I personally thought looked more
like moving jelly-fish orbs. Either way,
it is lovely sight to behold.
●Gone Fishing
is described as “a playful representation of the contemplative act of standing
by a stream.”This one is a little more
obscure, but also beautiful.
Gone Fishing at Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles, California
Arriving before sunset allows time to
watch the sun set and then to enjoy the afterglow as dusk fades to dark. The mood is quiet as the audience relaxes
into the sunset and anticipates the glowing colors to come. The bulbs begin as a sea of white, but
eventually start emitting colors.
Purchase tickets in advance to ensure admission, and do allow time to
park, walk the equivalent of a few blocks into the event space, and find
seating. Do not bring water as security
is strict. Do bring a jacket as it can
get cold. Food and drink are for sale,
and plenty of restrooms are provided. Musicians
perform live acoustic music in an area before the event space.
The Embarcadero/Harrison St., at
the Bay Bridge, South Beach, (415) 512-7424.By appt. M-F 9am-5:15pm.Free.Reservations required.
interior gallery at Pier 24 Photography in San Francisco, California
Situated in a spectacular location on an
old-but-revamped pier directly beneath the Bay Bridge, this vast photography
museum is one of the world’s largest dedicated to 20th century and postwar photography.It is known for its innovative displays and
is said to be the best photography museum in the country, if not the world. This venue also has a large collection of work reflecting San Francisco and the Bay Area. And because only 30 people are admitted every
two hours, the museum is never overly crowded or noisy.
exterior of Pier 24 Photography in San Francisco, California
interior gallery at Pier 24 Photography in San Francisco, California
interior gallery at Pier 24 Photography in San Francisco, California
railroad to nowhere at entrance to museum
The displays are divided among 17 rooms.Visitors are provided with a booklet that has
a map of the exhibition and lists which artist’s works are in each room. The current show “Looking Forward:Ten Years of Pier 24 Photography,” celebrates
the museum’s tenth anniversary with collection highlights addressing “the human
condition in the twenty-first century.”Some of my favorites
include the painterly “24th Street” (Daniel Postaer, 2018), the colorful “Ratatouillie
and Smoke Bush” (Daniel Gordon, 2014), and the floral “Poppies Blue Tin”
(Richard Learoyd, 2018).The show is on
view through the end of 2023.
“24th Street” (Daniel Postaer, 2018) at Pier 24 Photography in San Francisco, California
“Ratatouillie and Smoke Bush” (Daniel Gordon, 2014) at Pier 24 Photography in San Francisco, California
“Poppies Blue Tin” (Richard Learoyd, 2018) at Pier 24 Photography in San Francisco, California
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.
interior of de Young Cafe at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California
menu at de Young Cafe at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California
baked ziti and chocolate raspberry tart at de Young Cafe at de Young Museum in San Francisco, California
The newest exhibition at The Contemporary Jewish Museum is Levi Strauss: A History of American Style. It runs through August 9, 2020. Showcasing the life of Levi Strauss and blue jeans, this exhibit traces the evolution of Levi's from work wear to fashion wear. From gold miners to blue collar laborers to hippies to Beyonce. This riveting show tells the quintessentially American story of hard-working Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss, who was born in Buttenheim, Bavaria, Germany and then resettled in New York and then San Francisco. It is the largest public display of Levi Strauss & Co.'s archival materials ever assembled. Today, Levi's products are sold in more than 110 countries.
overview of Levi Strauss: A History of American Style show at
The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
Items I particularly enjoying viewing include decorated jeans worn by Beyonce, a copy of a jacket worn by Albert Einstein, James Dean wearing jeans in a "Giant" movie poster, an Andy Warhol silk screen, and an AMC Gremlin car upholstered in Denim.
Beyonce's ribbon-decorated jeans in Levi Strauss: A History of American Style show at
The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
image of Einstein in his leather Levi's jacket in Levi Strauss: A History of American Style show at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
image of James Dean on "Giant" movie poster in his Levi's in Levi Strauss: A History of American Style show at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
Andy Warhol silk screen in Levi Strauss: A History of American Style show at
The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
overview with Levi's-upholstered AMC Gremlin car in Levi Strauss: A History of American Style show at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
denim American flag in Levi Strauss: A History of American Style show at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
contemporary Levi's jacket for sale at Nordstrom down the street from
The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California
