Great Art Speaks and It's Saying "Come to San Francisco"

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. October 14, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, March 27, 2008. San Francisco will have the works by some of the most recognizable names in the art world simultaneously on display in the summer of 2008. Frida Kahlo, Dale Chihuly, Mary Cassatt and the Ming Dynasty are all names synonymous with the pinnacle of their art forms and they all can be experienced and enjoyed from June to September 2008...only in San Francisco.

Right on the heels of the 75th anniversary season of the San Francisco Ballet, the opening of a new museum, and a quartet of major exhibitions include:

---| San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum; opens June 8

---| Frida Kahlo at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; June 14-Sept. 28

---| Chihuly at the de Young; June 14-Sept. 28

---| Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzal`es and Marie Bracquemond at the Legion of Honor; June 21-Sept. 21

---| Power & Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty, at the Asian Art Museum; June 27-Sept. 21

San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum Slated to Open June 8

The new home of the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM), 736 Mission St., opens June 8, 2008. Under the creative direction of architect Daniel Libeskind, the 63,000-square-foot museum is an adaptive reuse of the landmark 1907 Jessie Street Power Substation with an extension clad in 3,000 vibrant blue steel panels. Opening exhibitions include In the Beginning, Artists Interpret Genesis, a contemporary look at Genesis Chapter I through commissioned work by contemporary artists, and From The New Yorker to Shrek: The Art of William Steig, an exhibition of original drawings from the award-winning cartoonist and beloved author of children's literature. The highly acclaimed musician John Zorn will also curate and commission sound pieces based on letters of the Hebrew alphabet for the soaring, 65-foot high Special Events Gallery. For more information, call 415-655-7800 or visit www.thecjm.org. Media contacts: Stacey Silver, 415-655-8833, [email protected] or Wendy Norris, 415-307-3853, [email protected].

Frida Kahlo Show at SFMOMA Draws from International Collections June 14-Sept. 28

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), 151 Third St., will present the exhibition Frida Kahlo. The presentation will include approximately 50 paintings from the beginning of Kahlo's career in 1926 to her death in 1954. While concentrating on Kahlo's hauntingly seductive and often brutal self-portraits, the exhibition also will include those particular portraits and still-life paintings that amplify her sense of identity. The exhibition will also feature photographs that once belonged to Kahlo and Diego Rivera from the Vicente Wolf Photography Collection, many of which have never before been published or exhibited. The paintings in the exhibition come from some 30 private and institutional collections in France, Japan, Mexico and the United States. For more information, visit www.sfmoma.org or call 415-357-4000. Media contact: Sandra Farish Sloan, 415-357-4174, [email protected].

Chihuly at the de Young Offers a Comprehensive Look at the de Young Museum June 14- Sept. 28, 2008

Chihuly at the de Young presents the most ambitious exhibition ever staged of the work of glass artist Dale Chihuly. The exhibition, on view June 14 - Sept. 28, offers a broad look at Chihuly's work through his different periods and includes drawings and installations from his Macchia, Venetian, Persian, Ikebana, Niijima Float, Chandelier and Mille Fiori series. For the first time, the public will be able to view a portion of Chihuly's private collection of objects that inspire him including vintage Pendleton blankets and Northwest baskets. The exhibition will be supplemented by site-specific outdoor installations: the 30-ft tall Saffron Neon Tower in the Pool of Enchantment at the de Young and a 12-ft diameter Yellow Sun in the Court of Honor at the Legion of Honor. (Note: outdoor installations available for photography after April 4). For more information, visit www.famsf.org or call 415-750-3600. Media contact: Jill Lynch, 415-750-3553, [email protected].

Women Impressionists Presents a Rare Opportunity at Legion of Honor June 21 - Sept. 21, 2008

Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzal`es, Marie Bracquemond breaks new ground as the first exhibition in the United States to collectively represent the four major women artists who shared similar aesthetic ideas embodied by Impressionism. The Legion of Honor in San Francisco will be the exclusive venue in the United States for this exhibition, on view from June 21 to Sept. 21, 2008. The distinct works of the four painters-three French women and an American in Paris-reflect their diverse backgrounds and careers. By bringing many works together for the first time, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to evaluate and compare directly the work of the women painters of Impressionism as independent and innovative. For more information, visit www.thinker.org or call 415-750-3600. Media contact: Media contact: Jill Lynch, 415-750-3553, [email protected].

Power & Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty at Asian Art Museum June 27-Sept. 21, 2008

For centuries, Ming porcelain vases have been regarded as the epitome of priceless beauty. Power & Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty demonstrates why not just vases but Ming art of many types has earned such acclaim. On view from June 27-September 21, 2008, this major groundbreaking exhibition explores the grandeur and opulence of one of the most important dynasties in Chinese history. Power & Glory marks the Asian Art Museum's first collaboration with three of China's most prestigious institutions - The Palace Museum (Forbidden City) in Beijing, the Nanjing Municipal Museum, and the Shanghai Museum. The unequaled collection of more than 240 objects - porcelain, paintings, textiles, lacquer, jade, jewelry, architectural elements, and more - provides a rare opportunity to experience the artistic achievements of the Chinese dynasty most renowned for its refined aesthetic and standards of perfection. Many of the artworks will be on public view for the first time. For more information, visit www.asianart.org or call 415-581-3500. Media contact: Michele Dilworth, 415-581-3713, [email protected].

The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau promotes the destination's arts and cultural programs in concert with presenting sponsor CityPass San Francisco; VISA; official airline sponsor Virgin America; and official hotel sponsor Starwood Hotels. For general information on hotel packages and reservations; events; activities and transportation in San Francisco, visit www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com. For lodging reservations, call 800-637-5196 within North America or 415-391-2000 elsewhere.

The San Francisco Visitors Planning Guide is available at the Visitor Information Center, 900 Market St., at the corner of Powell and Market streets, lower level, Hallidie Plaza. To receive a copy by mail, order the free visitors kit online at www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com, call 415-391-2000, write to the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, 900 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94102, or send an email to [email protected]. International shipping charges will apply for requests from outside the United States.