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San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: SOMA
151 3rd St
(between Minna St & Masset Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 357-4000
151 3rd St
(between Minna St & Masset Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 357-4000
- Hours:
Mon-Tue. 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
571 reviews for San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Cool museum.
5 stars for free days, 4 stars for non.
Lots of great modern art!!
Check it out!
Consider this a review on the Avedon exhibit...
Went last night for an event where we only had access to the Rooftop Garden and the Avedon exhibit. I love photography (though I tend to lean more towards landscape and city scenes over people). Avedon does a great job capturing much more than a face. It's as if his subjects are looking at you. On top of that, he has photographed many other artists (Lichtenstein, Warhol, Jasper Johns, etc) who, before this, were nothing more than names to me that I associated with paintings. It was nice having faces now associated with these names.
There is such a range of people he has chosen to photograph - from past Presidents to murderers. It truly sucks a person in and makes people want to take their time to look at every photo that is exhibited.
On another note, not sure if the MOMA has its own caterer...but the passed hors d'oeuvres last night were incredible. Very cool vibe with the dj, too.
Comment from Ian P. of
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
10/29/2009
Jen - great Avedon review and thanks so much for the final…
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I was at SFMOMA for Target Family Day on Sun 10/18/09. I was the first at the door at 10:40am. The door to be was the one on the Left for FREE admission. If you wanted to see Richard Avedon it was an extra $5 - I saw that last month so I didn't need to see it again.
Saw the stuff on the 5th floor w/ Rooftop Garden & Between Art & Life thru Jan 3, 2010.
Fourth Fl: On View: Candice Breitz - just some videos to watch. Worth about 5 min to see both - I didn't watch the entire videos.
Third Fl: The Provoke Era: Postwar Japanese Photography thu Dec 20 - just ok for me.
Photography Now: China, Japan, Korea thru Dec 20 - just ok
2nd Fl: Paul Klee: Social Creatures thru 11/8 - tiny exhibit in tiny room.
Not New Work: Vincent Fecteau Selects from the Collection - can't remember what this was
Sensate: Bodies & Design thru Nov 8 - cool bubble looking things - cool wall!
FREE photo w/ 4 poses from Target-sponsored photo booth
FREE performance from SF Circus Center doing poses inspired by sculptures in SFMOMA's permanent collection - interesting.
Worth going, Thank you Target!
5 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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8/5/2009
I went on FREE First Tues of the month though I didn't check the hrs and found out they open at 10AM… Read more »
When the same thing with me made it this way in the lower body, I got it into some electricitial style actions. Mother couldn't predate the precipitation of my activity, of course, but I learned to take over the challenge of reversal.I nobly conjugated a reaction of respite and goodness past silkiness. I don't know now.
Is this museum as impressive as the NY MOMA? No, it is not.
Is it the best MOMA I have seen other than the one in NY? Yes. By a considerable extent.
The SF MOMA has a very strong permanent exhibit. Klee and Rothko and Pollock, some of the best Ive seen. And the museum is careful and considered about the temporary exhibits it selects. Top class.
The theater in the SF MOMA is acoustically strong and spacious as well. The film and music selections are well-thought out.
The museum shop is fun and diverse.
Cafe museo is outstanding. I recommend it even without the museum.
And the lay-out of the museum is fantastic. Big enough to create just a hint of the illusion of being lost. I like it.
Hint -- stays open Thursday night and has music and film. Check it out for sure.
the SF MoMa is great! so many amazing original works, this museum rivals the great MoMa in NYC. it's huge.
lots of great photo opps, lots of weird/cool installations, as well as famous favorites.
the richard avedon exhibit was really great as well. you must check it out while it's there.
PLUS, rooftop garden is SWEET...and the gift shop houses an amaaazing selection of cool and unique items.
I try to be cultured and refined. I really do. And given where I work, I should really know more about art. But the most fun part about my recent visit to MOMA was trading somewhat snarky comments with my buddy about many of the pieces on display.
The building is attractive, inside and out, and is designed with excellent flow. If you enjoy modern, abstract art, you'll probably love it, as you are able to smoothly move from one gallery to the next, not realizing you've seen the entire floor until you find yourself back at the staircase on the opposite side you started.
The gift shop was extensive, and had a wide range of offerings. You expect the books, prints, and even the CD's; however, the puzzles, furniture, and jewelry were a bit unexpected.
In regards to art, I tend to be a "like it / don't like it" viewer, and for this modern art, I was running about a 2:9 ratio. Nonetheless, it was modestly interesting and would probably be wonderful to those who like modern art. I doubt that most kids would find it interesting, though, so don't expect them to last more than an hour without getting bored.
I tend to over complicate it for myself.
So take it from me and apply this rule to a good man, good meal and modern art :
Don't try and figure it out, definitely don't try to "understand". Just breathe, relax and let your self enjoy.
Its so much better this way.
SF Moma has these free Tuesday which I love. I've only gone once since I started there though. First week Tuesdays seem to be real busy for me. But I keep trying.
Taking advantage of it while I can. :)
Yes the art can be "I don't get it" but I figure that art here is supposed to evoke emotion and even the "WTF" statement is pretty good emtion to me. And basically conveys what the artist wanted from me.
:) Enjoy this place it has multiple places to hang out front cafe and top garden cafe.
I try to make the best of my location only half a block away and I pass by here every day to and from work.
My BFF and I decided on staying in the City because we wanted to see the O'Keefe exhibit. This was my second time at this museum and sadly, they no longer have the Henry Moore painting I fell in love with last year. I like the museum, but still don't really like "modern art" all that much.
While I appreciated the O'Keefe/Ansel Adams exhibit I left a bit disappointed that a lot of the O'Keefe's were not what I considered her best and the Ansel pictures were good, though I wasn't as exited about his stuff because of how commercialized it has become (you can get prints at Ikea and Target).
Hopefully, there will be another exhibit I want to visit next year and will feel a bit more artsy fartsy and I can bump my review back up.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/28/2008
The thing about being a student is you have to do what the teacher tells you to do (or so I tell my… Read more »
I shamefully have to admit that I can't compare this MOMA to the one in NYC (even though I live in NY and truly have no excuse) - so the only other major contemporary art museum I can compare it with is the Tate in London. Overall, this museum is great. Lots of fabulous permanent collections to lose yourself in + a lovely rooftop (although it was gross and rainy the day I went). I was fortunate enough to be there while the Richard Avedon photography (special exhibition) was going on, so that was a definite huge plus plus and then some. Worth the trip, especially on a rainy day.
Mo. Ma.
For my hundredth review I am extolling the SFMOMA. It is the heart of downtown San Francisco. It is a beacon of humanism and futurism and architectural grandeur.
It is the site of my ongoing pilgrimage for cultural and spiritual absorption and I learn and grow with each visit. I believe I have been seven times now. I have been a card-carrying member for three months (thanks to a gift given by a dear dear friend) .
For eighty bucks a year I can bring unlimited +1s into the museum with me. There is always a reason to go, always something and someone to take in. The MoMa is beyond modern, it is futuristic. The Robert Frank exhibit is gone now, but it was life changing. So was the Frida Kahlo exhibit. There now are two works by Calder (one in the rooftop garden). Calder is inspirational and also inspired jealousy from Einstein.
The MoMa is home to treasures of beauty and imagination, dreams and ugliness, richness and sickness. The MoMa is my favorite part of downtown SF and I look forward to what or who is next here.
In between shopping for new furniture and brunch at a yummy dim sum restaurant, BF and I ended up checking out the SF MoMA. I had wanted to come to this museum to see the Ansel Adams/Georgia O'Keefe exhibit but as we went through each level, the art was just so amazing and thought-provoking.
I highly enjoyed walking through each level and the rooftop garden for some fresh air. It is a bit crowded but since I enjoy modern art, I had a blast.
The BF picked up a few of Ansel Adam's pieces for his apartment and we had a lot of fun just talking about art (he's not into modern, I am) and hanging out.
We didn't stick around to catch Richard Avedon's exhibit but I've already penciled in our next visit.
I've currently been struggling with issues of self-worth. I am in my mid-twenties and on the brink of getting my Master's degree, yet I am unable to find employment equal to my level of education and skill. My story is typical of the many others looking for a job, as well as the countless underemployed. Still, I found myself falling into a deep state of depression.
At my lowest moment, a good friend randomly decided to take me out to lunch, having no knowledge of my state of mind. I agreed, and we had Jollibee (refer to my post on Jollibee). Afterwards, at the end of a refreshing conversation mostly about birds, she offered me a complimentary ticket to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I accepted, since I've never been there before.
The MoMA is four or so floors, filled with contemporary art in many forms: sculpture, painting, photography, and video. Many of the most impressive pieces were installations, large tributes to form that you could walk around and through. During my recent visit, photography by Richard Avedon was the special exhibit. I appreciated his ability to capture the human condition through still black and white, and marveled at the number of historical figures, both famous and infamous, who have posed before his lens.
My exploration of the MoMA, outside of the art, was a chance for reflection. Being surrounded by works of art gave me an environment suited for deep meditation, providing a clarity I could never attain during spiritual pursuits.
On the roof, over an ice cream sandwich and cappuccino, I made a promise to myself that I would do whatever it took to stay in San Francisco. I've long considered myself an outsider, and have expressed feelings of going somewhere else. However, now I find that the city deeply resonates with me, and I am now inseparable from it.
I'm not one to believe in determinism, but without warning, the creative soul of San Francisco reached out and held me when I needed it most.
I don't know, you know?
You'd have to be even more jaded than myself to ever consider giving the MOMA fewer than five stars. I mean, what if you lived in South Dakota, or North Dakota or on Mars? How would you go about getting your modern art on then, huh? Jeez. Perhaps I'm not quite jaded enough. Maybe I'm just going to have to work on butressin' up my jadedness. You think?
Now if you have issues with the facility itself, I guess I can see that. I mean that front lobby, for one thing, has a really unfinished feel about it, with that natural wood thang they got goin' on. For some reason I've always felt that that would make a great place for Boy Scout troop meetings. But as far as I'm concerned, that's neither here nor there, and I don't even know what that means. I just remember my dad used to say it a lot. Especially after I said something.
Speaking for myself (and not necessarily, at this time, for the masses), when it comes to museums, I don't give a rat's wormy ass about the facility itself. I'm far more concerned with what that facility houses, and even more importantly, with the kinds of exhibitions that that facility can *attract*. I mean, think of the type of thing that's blown through town recently. Do you seriously think that the Avedon/Adams/O'Keefe/Frank expo is headed next to the Pierre or Bismarck or Martian MOMA? I can't say for sure, but I for one seriously doubt it. Shit, I'm not entirely certain that any of those places even have MOMAs.
For me, one of the greatest things about the SFMOMA is the delicious discoveries I have unexpectedly made there. Just for instance, a few years back we went to check out the Lichtenstein exhibit which left us collectively cold and flaccid (in retrospect, I don't even know what we were thinking), but in the process we discovered the brilliant work of photographer William Eggleston. This type of thing has happened more than once. Of course, I suppose the more ignorant one is, the more likely it is to happen. So I can look forward to it happening to me a lot more.
I believe that Sparky who, speaking of South Dakota and North Dakota and Mars, hails from the great state of Nebraska, put it all into perspective a few years back when Chagall was showing at the MOMA. Said she, "If Chagall is in town for a month and I don't check it out, I might as well move back to Gothenburg."
Well might we all, Sparky. Well might we all.
P.S. As for any perceived laxity in the security department, I'll have you know that they've given me plenty of talking tos in my time.
Since my other 1/2 is an artist, I am exposed to a lot of Art. I never had much interest until we were together. I've seen a lot of crap. In fact the BF always says, "most art is crap". SFMOMA continues to improve! With the impending Fisher collection it should be stunning. My favorite is still the national gallery in DC but MOMA is a first rate museum up there with some of the best and getting better!
This has got to be the best museum in SF, if not in the bay area.
I might be bias because i LOVE modern art. Their exhibits always tend to change bringing in new artists and old to showcase their awesome pieces.
I at least come here multiple times every couple of months (well that and my work ID gets me and a guest in for free :P)
This is definatly not the place for someone who doesn't appreciate modern art as I have taken friends here who say "wth is this? Its just a painted canvas with nothing on it"
or the ever classic "how is that art? I could make that!"
One of my favorite exhibits was their art of participation earlier this year which gave the guest to be able to participate in different works of art as well as observe pieces of art that ordinary people contributed to. They had a really cool hands on scrapbook that people from all around the world had glued stuff, wrote, or sketched into. I flipped through it seeing maps from germany, a ticket stub from India, a poem written from someone from England, a MUNI pass, a coin from china.
Only downfall. I went to go see this "garden rooftop" that they had just opened. There is like NO garden up there. All it is was a couple of shrubs and 2 trees. Not REALLY a rooftop garden.
The SF Moma is a must-see while you are in the bay area on vacation. It often has free entry, but it's worth the price of a ticket to see some of the best photography or modern art I've ever seen.
I believe they close around 6pm and if you show up at 5pm, it's free. If you don't love art, but want to walk around and get a little bit of culture- there you go. You can sit in front of the TV the rest of the day.
The special exhibitions currently are Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keefe. No offense to Mizz O'Keefe, but I don't get her abstract paintings -- she titles them with themes of nature, such as "The Waterfall." I see "a vagina." Maybe I just have a dirty mind, but I really don't see a waterfall! Unfortunately, I couldn't take any pictures so you'll have to go see for yourself.
I have a new favorite photographer - Robert Frank. His collection of "The Americans" is fantastic - it gives photographic accounts of the American working class in the 1950s. Black and white photos of youth, the elderly, the poor - of segregation, of ignorance and of labor. I wouldn't even call his work just "photographs" because almost every photo there was something like a story in the photograph that I had to piece together. I became an art snob today - I stood in front of his photos for 5 minutes at a time pissing off my sock-sandal wearing German tourist museum-goers.
The Rooftop Garden is fantastic. We enjoyed a hot cup of drip coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee Company and took in the fantastic architectural surrounding.
We were enjoying our coffee when, a family came and sat in front of us. The five-year-old kid was screaming at the top of his lungs since he despised the museum, and his parents wanted to stay for the Ansel Adams exhibit. His mom was trying to calm him down when all of a sudden..he slapped his mom on her face. HARD. We all sat there - silently. I wanted to see what the mom would do.
She took it. Then she picked him up and started to hug him. Since there wasn't going to be any drama, we left the garden area.
So, the next time you go to a museum, please:
1) Don't bring your stupid kid to the museum. I doubt he can appreciate Ansel Adams. If he needs a stroller - he belongs at home. By the way - what 5 year old kid still needs a stroller!?
2) For my fellow museum-goers, please don't stand behind me and breathe heavily when I'm admiring a photograph. I didn't know you were a part of the exhibit...
All in all, I love the museum. Just not the people. =o)
"Free First Tuesday" is a serious misnomer.
The signage should read, "ZOO TUESDAYS. $5.00 ENTRANCE."
Today I made a special trip to take advantage of the "free" first Tuesday deal. GOOD LORD! HOT MESS. Zoo is an understatement. And if you want to see any of the "special" exhibits, SURPRISE! It's $5.00. (Hello, isn't that why we're all there!?!).
The Avedon exhibit is worth it...but just an FYI, don't underestimate the Robert Frank exhibit. I actually considered it to be the highlight.
With all of that said, I do adore the SF MoMA. Does it stand up to MoMAs around the world? I suppose it does San Francisco justice.
I must say that today was one of San Francisco's most beautiful five days of the year, and that rooftop bar is a delight on a day like this.
"San Francisco moe-mah! San Francisco moe-mah! San Francisco moe-mah! San Francisco moe-mah! San Francisco moe-mah! San Francisco moe-mah!" exclaimed my friend, "Martha," out of pure excitement.
Then she began to repeat so fast like a skipped disk, "Moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah, moe-mah!"
To my regret, I asked her what she was talking about and why she wanted to go to that SF "moe-mah." She went on and on with her answer. Ugh!
In a nutshell, she wanted to see Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe. The name seemed so familiar but I and my friend complied to her desire for art.
My other friend, "Zenith," refused to go in a museum that she has to pay for because she had absolute no interest in going into a art museum.
Lucky for Zenith a member of the museum stopped by to visit and she explained because she's a member of the museum, she's allowed to bring in 1 person for free. I pointed to Zenith and told the special member she should be the one who take her offer. I was going to pay for her as a surprise, but that was a nice surprise when that member came by!
We went out separate way, I started on the 5th, Martha started on the 2nd, and Zenith stuck with the lady.
I kinda breezed by on the 5th floor, then I wanted to refresh, so I ordered a Mocha. It was "eh" so far.
I went to the 4th floor, where I ran into Martha. I was surprised to see her on the 4th floor already. She told me one floor didn't held her interest so she just breezed by and another floor was alright.
Martha and I examined the Adams' and O'Keeffe's works together. Thank god I had her with me because I probably would have been easily bored if the details weren't pointed out which got me to think. Thanks Martha!
We spent 3 hours for Adams and O'Keeffe alone! I never spent that much time at an art museum! Not even at Getty (one of the largest art museums in the world) in my native Los Angeles!
When it was closing the guards shooed us out. Good thing we saw it all before we got kicked out!
Of course Zenith was sitting in the lobby complaining to us, "I was waiting for you guys for a over 3 hours! Did you go elsewhere while I waited?!" Tsk! I warned her, but she never believed us.
Later I saw one of Adams' artwork above my bed at the hostel I was staying at. Now I know why the names seemed so familiar!
If I were to believe that heaven exists, the SFMoMA would be it.
The new rooftop garden is decent, but that is not why I go there.
Currently, they have a Richard Avedon exhibit and as a fan of his work, I spent a good two hours soaking in his photographs.
For those of you who are modern/contemporary art fans, this is a decent place to check out. Sure, I wish it had a wider variety of pieces. But, for the selection they have, I am impressed. In fact, this place was where I fully fell in love with Mark Rothko's work and made me decide to do my Art History MA or PhD focus on him.
3 stars for having the Georgia O'keeffe & Ansel Adams join exhibition, 1 star for free admission and $5 for the exhibition.
Last night I was trying to figure out what I want to do with my last remaining days here in the city and thought "Hmm... I haven't been to SFMOMA in a while sooo let's see what's going on there." Lo and behold it's free on first tuesday of each month and there's a great exhibition going on. Sweet!!! But I couldn't celebrate for too long since I couldn't find anyone to go with :( I figured why not spend some me time and you really can't pass up an exhibition like this one!
I had my dad drop me off knowing it's a bitch to get down there by bus and driving so that was nice of him. Then I noticed the really long line which i thought was going to be forever to wait in but i was wrong. It was quick and i got my ticket, went inside, walked up the 4 flights of stairs and waited in line only to be told to come back by 11:30am since that's the time it said on my ticket. -_- well no worries since there were other free exhibits to venture and kill time.
After maneuvering through lollygagging tourists/families/groups of people taking way too much of their time to walk over that bridge instead of just standing to the side, I finally get in line for the exhibit, get my ticket ripped a bit, and enjoyed the exhibit. I subtracted a star for the crowd, chaos, and the rambunctiousness of individuals that would say "OH IT'S IN YOSEMITE!" or "OH! IT'S A WATERFALL" good god just SHUT UP and keep it to yourself. I dunno about you all but there's something about trying to read the descriptions to yourself and then the individual talking aloud the title it's just annoying.
Anyway, I enjoyed the exhibit and I wished I had more time and patience to see the other special exhibits but I think one was good enough for me. :) I'm not a fan of utter chaos, I would rather just see what I was there for and get the hella outta there asap.
Love it !! The BODIES exhibit was so unbelievably good and I couldn't believe that all of that was FREE on the TARGET day (except the amazing AVEDON photography exhibit which they ONLY charged $5 for). A GREAT value and something that all San Franciscans must do at least once while living in the city. I'll be back - have to support the arts.
I love this museum. The Richard Avedon exhibtion was AMAZING. Weekends are crowded but this retrospective was well worth it.
And blue bottle coffee/sculpture garden on rooftop is a major plus ;)
How funny! You can review a museum!
well - this is my favorite museum in the city! LOVE the Richard Avedon exhibit right now, and I wish the Ranjani Shettar installations could be permanent.
Stop #3 on my "Free on the First Tuesday of the Month" museum tour.
I was really torn between the MOMA and the Legion of Honor for my third and final stop of the day. For starters, I don't even like modern art. In fact, I actively dislike most of it, so MOMA really isn't my scene. BUT, I keep seeing all these ads all over Muni stops for the new Rooftop Garden, and rooftops and gardens are my scene.
I decided that the Legion of Honor is a museum I'd like to visit in the future and would pay for, so MOMA and the rooftop won.
Predictably, I didn't like much of the collection, but that's not factoring into my review. I knew what I was in for. There was an interesting photography exhibit. I would have liked to see the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit as well, but that one wasn't free, and I'm on a strictly $0 budget.
The set up of the museum is nice. Very open and an easy to follow path on each floor. You have the option to be lazy and wait for the elevators or take the stairs, which I like.
Now on to the main reason I came to the MOMA: the rooftop garden.
Someone is confused about the definition of garden. I'm not sure if it's me, or the MOMA, but what I saw was not what I consider a garden. It was a concrete square area, with some modern un-aesthetically appealing statues, a few potted plants, and high walls to protect the art and prevent any sort of view. One of the Muni ads described this as an urban oasis....well, it felt like an artsy prison yard to me.
Sooooo, moral of the story: I'm glad I got in for free. The much talked about rooftop garden is anticlimactic, but the museum itself is very nice for anyone who is interested in modern art.
visit their website for free days! but be prepared for big crowds! if you like modern art, then you'll love SF MOMA. But the best part of any moma is the SF MOMA store!!!
My BF and I LOVE going to the Getty down in Los Angeles, so we were very excited to check out some museums up here in SF. SFMOMA is in the SoMa area of San Francisco, which has so far been one of my favorite places to explore. It is right across from the Yerba Buena Gardens, which is where we planned to eat our packed lunch.
The museum was fun and packed with people. We saw a lot of kool art styles that we had never experienced before. Very Modern! The Garden roof top was awesome too. There are a lot of big pieces up there along with a little cafe where they serve coffee (and I'm guessing tea).
All in all, it was something fun and interesting to do on a Saturday afternoon away from home.
See what else I had to say about SFMOMA (and the pics we took) http://www.sanfrancisc...
Disclaimer: Modern art isn't for everyone.
I' m very particular about what I call art, even though I am not a liberal arts major, or even an art major, I've studied it over time and consider myself a snob, just like everyone else. Yes, I'm talking to you. Yes, I was referring to you.
To me, art ascribes to some form of aesthetic, or even symmetry. I look for either of those. Color is important but you can convey so much in black and white too. The medium is also important, but arbitrary as well.
Enough about me and my whining about art. We're here to discuss the MOMA, or the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
The Good:
The place is very nice. Clean, organized and the staff is very helpful and polite. The place is easily accessible by public transportation. We went here when the Richard Avedon, Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams exhibit was on display. Those were good but I liked the Avedon exhibits the best. Photos photos photos. Loved them. Especially those of the everyday people, reminding me of the video of Madonna's American Pie.
The Bad
Modern art and I have a love/hate relationship. Growing up, my taste in art has always been towards the Renaissance, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Ethnic and ancient art from times long gone made by artists who've been dead for centuries have always astonished and enthralled me. Those things I mentioned? They are not IN THIS MUSEUM. Key word: Modern. To me, this kind of art is... OK. Just don't remind me that I've been here 3 times in the last 5 years. I still love the Avedon exhibit. That won't change.
The Ugly:
I'm drawn to museums and venues that would enhance my mind and validate aspects of my humanity. Damn, that's deep. So even if this particular museum doesn't completely interest me, I still feel the pull and the need to come here. Sometimes I don't regret it IE. the Avedon exhibit, but sometimes I do. That's another story, and I won't bore you with it.
Go to this place, I recommend it, esp. if modern art is your thing. It's a neat museum and I go back to it every time I'm in the city.
I went today during the Target Family Day, so admission was free!! I gave it 4 stars because there was a lot to see, but I guess Modern Art is open to interpretation, and I'm not sure how much I would be willing to pay to go here again. I started from the top floor (5th) which had modern art; some paintings, mostly sculptures. Some of the sculptures looked like a kindergarten teacher let their class rummage through a dumpster and stick things together. I most enjoyed the photographs from 3rd and 4th floors and the paintings from the 3rd floor. As I go down into what I thought would be the 2nd floor, I was back at the entrance. There were no real directions/signs to guide you. Maybe I was too tired from walking so many flights of stairs. HEADS UP TO PARENTS: there were multiple nude photos and sculptures, so beware if you don't want your children to witness nudity!
Eh. Not impressed. Once you've experience the genius museums in Saint Louis, MO nothing really compares. MOMA is a lot of hype but no substance. Way too expensive for what it boasts in the gallery and I don't think it's worth $10-12---maybe. It's always packed with people, mostly children on school trips and the security guards and their cell phone bans are kind of ridic.
I'll stick to looking at art on my computer, and spending my hard earned money elsewhere. Thanks.
Whenever I'm in the city, I make it a point to stop by. I don't know too much about art, but I like seeing creativity at it's best.
This time around they had displayed photographs taken by Richard Avedon, who I'm a new fan of. Avedon took his job in the military and made it art, really cool. He's taken pictures of every influential person/group I've ever heard of.
I love this place.
Special exhibtion of Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe reunited in harmony on the fourth floor of the SF MOMA.
Natural afinities as it was so apty named brought together two of America's best-known artists, revealling parallels between their distinctive visions of nature.
Adams with his black and white photography developed negatives years later from gelatin silver fiber papers. Each room of contrast and similarity exhibited the works of Adams photos and O'Keeffe's bold distinct colors of paint showing just how close the artists relationship was in the early 1900's.
I began to tell myself that I was such a huge fan of O'Keeffe but now seeing the exhibition makes me want to go out and take my camera to capture nature and its infinite beauty in my own black and white film like Adams did.
The exhibition running through September 7th will slow down your pace in life and let you smile at the beauty of it all.
Thanks Janice C :)
The metric by which all other museums in The City are measured by. An impressive collection of seminal works from the last century, with riveting collections changing every so often. Dates are sure to be a smash success with a stop at the MOMA. Enjoy!
I've visited a few times, never on a free day (are you crazy?) :) Most recently I made a trip to see the Robert Frank exhibit which I thought was well presented and complete, but what surprised me most was the Avedon exhibit (which btw is an extra $5). Surprising because I enjoyed it as much or even more than the Frank exhibit despite me not being big into portraits. The Frank exhibit was more educational but I guess there's something about Avedon's work that sucks you in. They're also running Georgia O'Keefe + Ansel Adams which I felt was the least interesting of the three, mainly because I've seen all the Adams pieces before. They're nice but his stuff isn't really my cup 'o tea. The O'Keefe paintings are a treat though, if you like her style, which I do.
The rooftop "garden" and coffee bar is a nice place to end a visit. It's quite relaxing -- just stay away from the few on cell phones who feel the need to talk business at a museum. Didn't notice any smokers up there...nice clean air (well, as clean as metropolitan air can be).
It is wonderful to know that I have a museum like SFMOMA within walking distance of my home. It would be five stars, but my visit yesterday irked me a bit.
On Thursday nights (after 6PM) the museum is open later than usual and admission prices are cut in half, making it a seemingly nice and affordable evening outing. Keep in mind that people go crazy for cheap things in the city, so it can feel like more of a zoo than a museum.
I was surprised to see that museum staff were not responsive to foreigners touching and attempting to sit on many of the sculpture pieces, people leading their crying toddlers around, and that most of the paintings were being used as backdrops for new Myspace pictures.
It would almost be worth the additional $7.50 to avoid that sort of an atmosphere. Any other weekday is quite nice.
I admit, I really do not know much of Richard Avedon or his photo work. I know he has an impact within the artist community and has photographed some super duper really famous people. That is about the extent of my knowledge of Richard Avedon.
I have a friend who is a huge fan and she has a few of his prints displayed around her apartment and had been trying to find someone to go with her for weeks. I am fan of "volunteering" so I stepped on out there and offered to leave the office early and head down to SFMOMA and check out the exhibit.
We arrived at 3:30 and thought we would have plenty of time to see the Avedon exhibit as well as check out the other floors. I was dead wrong. Avedon is a brilliant photographer and each piece of his work draws you in. The pieces were clearly labeled and included some great information and history of the person in each photograph.
Time just flew by and before I knew it we were given the signal that the museum would be closing and that we needed to finish up. I'll be back soon.
Comment from Ian P. of
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
8/20/2009
So glad you enjoyed your visit! Hope you come back soon - we…
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My parents got these City Passes as a way to get aquainted with SF city. There are all these vouchers inside for museums and other activities around town. They saved the MoMA ones for us to use over the weekend.
The special exhibits cost us an extra $5 each and we didn't have to stand in the long ticket line outside...that was totally worth the City Pass at that point...
I really enjoyed the Richard Avedon exhibit. The Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams were good too, but Richard Avedon really made me love the MoMA.
I highly recommend seeing both of the special exhibits before they close in Sept. There were lines every day when we walked by.
The rest of the museum was hard for me to grasp. Since I'm not a serious art-y person I found the sculptures to be less than impressive. i was confused by the bag of flour (?) with a man's chest hair and nipples drawn on it...
I really liked the SF MoMA. Cool atrium with a ton of figured maple paneling. The stairway has some nice woodwork too - maple and white oak - the white oak appears to have been finished with an adenine dye and a heavy stain that make it almost black. Nice effect next to the blonde maple.
I'm not sure which items were part of the permanent collection and which were special exhibitions; I thought that was kind of cool. Makes me want to go back in a few months and see what has changed. Lots of nice photography - quite a few pieces by Ansel Adams, one of my personal favorites. Many fine photographs by people I hadn't heard of, always nice to broaden your horizons.
The Munkacsi exhibit was really cool - I really recommend it. I didn't really care for the Matisse sculptures though; most of them looked unfinished and/or poorly executed, really, his drawings are way better.
I was a little disappointed there wasn't more furniture and the enormous pile of work clothes didn't really do anything for me. Artists, here's a hint; if you have to write several paragraphs explaining what your art means, you should have written an essay instead. Your pile of used work clothes is not an effective metaphor for the plight of the working classes. The fact that the "artist" had time to neatly fold and stack each of the 18,000 garments in the piece suggests that she is well off enough for me to suspect that she knows little about the working classes plight.
Comment from Ian P. of
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
8/20/2009
Thanks for the love! (architectural note: the walls of our…
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