Event Press Release

SFMOMA HOSTS FOUR-DAY COUNTDOWN CELEBRATION BEFORE BUILDING CLOSES FOR EXPANSION AND MUSEUM LAUNCHES OUT WITH EXTENSIVE OFF-SITE PROGRAMMING

Museum Admission Free to All, Thursday, May 30 through Sunday, June 2

Festivities Include Rooftop Party, 24-Hour Live Art Variety Show, All-Night Gallery Access, Special Day for Families, and More

Release date: April 4, 2013

Press images

SFMOMA HOSTS FOUR-DAY COUNTDOWN CELEBRATION BEFORE BUILDING CLOSES FOR EXPANSION AND MUSEUM LAUNCHES OUT WITH EXTENSIVE OFF-SITE PROGRAMMING

SFMOMA’s Haas Atrium; photo: Drew Altizer Photography

After nearly two decades of bringing modern and contemporary art experiences to audiences in its iconic Third Street building, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) will temporarily close its doors to the public at end of day on June 2, 2013 to prepare for two-and-a-half years of construction on the museum’s major expansion project. After June 2, SFMOMA will be on the go, presenting new art experiences around the Bay Area until the museum’s expanded home reopens in early 2016.

During the final four days before closure—Thursday, May 30 through Sunday, June 2, 2013—museum admission and all related festivities will be free to all. A special Countdown Celebration will activate the entire museum with ways to mark this extraordinary moment of transformation for SFMOMA, kicking off a new chapter in its 78-year history.

Visitors will have the opportunity to party on the rooftop with cocktails and live music; stay up all night in the galleries and catch performances by 48 artists in a 24-hour variety show marathon; explore SFMOMA’s landmark photography exhibition Garry Winogrand and Christian Marclay’s 24-hour video masterpiece The Clock; meet museum staff and docents in the galleries to hear talks about their favorite artworks; get to know Bay Area makers and artists featured in a special live-format edition of KQED Public Radio’s popular series The Making Of…by the award-winning Kitchen Sisters; see a large-scale model of SFMOMA’s new building to get a closer look at the museum’s future; and bring the kids to a special family day.

“We’re thrilled to welcome our growing audiences and the community of artists who inspire our work into the museum at this incredible moment,” says SFMOMA Director Neal Benezra. “I can’t think of a better way to bid farewell to our building as we know it and embrace the exciting future ahead. We invite everyone to come by and enjoy this free four-day thank-you party.”

“For us, this is a chance to celebrate the great collaborative relationships we have with the creative communities of our city and region,” says Dominic Willsdon, Leanne and George Roberts Curator of Education and Public Programs at SFMOMA. “These four days will honor the Bay Area as a place of making and of incredible everyday creativity.  As we move out of our building and into our cities and neighborhoods, it’s relationships like these that will bring life to everything we do.”

Major support for SFMOMA’s Countdown Celebration is provided by the Fisher family and the Koret Foundation. Generous support is provided by Dana and Bob Emery. KQED is the media sponsor. Support for family programs during the celebration is provided by Target.

COUNTDOWN CELEBRATION AT SFMOMA

General Hours

Thursday, May 30
Entire museum open 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. 

Friday, May 31
Entire museum open 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Saturday, June 1
24-Hour Party!
Entire museum open 10 a.m. to closing time the following day

Sunday, June 2
Final Day
Museum closes at 5:45 p.m. 

Special Events

Countdown Celebration Gallery Talks • Thursday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m.–5:45 p.m.
Throughout the weekend, hear behind-the-scenes perspectives from SFMOMA staff members and docents in the galleries as they talk about their favorite artworks on view. Talks last 20 minutes.

Rooftop Kick-off Party • Thursday, 6–9:45 p.m.
Join a multisensory party in the Rooftop Garden with live music, video projections, a photo booth, and handcrafted libations and bites from favorite local establishments.

Live Demonstrations from Bay Area Makers • Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Award-winning radio producers The Kitchen Sisters (Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva) bring their latest project, The Making Of…, to SFMOMA. The Making Of... is a KQED Public Radio multimedia series about what people make in the Bay Area and why, capturing the art, creativity, and innovation happening in backyards, workplaces, cultural institutions, and public spaces throughout one of the most diverse and innovative regions in the country.
        As part of The Making Of…, The Kitchen Sisters will host two days of drop-in demo and conversation tables at SFMOMA. Eight makers each day will present their work, process, and expertise, concluding with a daily maker’s talk and gathering in the Koret Visitor Education Center. Demonstrations by leading artisans, craftspeople, and innovators, such as Cowgirl Creamery, The Homobile, Mision Street Food, Omnivore Salt, Zeega, and other surprise guests will create a rich portrait of creativity in the Bay Area. List of makers available at sfmoma.org starting in early May.

24-hour Screening of Christian Marclay’s The Clock • Saturday, 10 a.m. through Sunday, 5:45 p.m.
Marclay’s celebrated video installation The Clock (2010) is composed of thousands of film clips referencing the time of day, intricately edited into a 24-hour-long montage that matches real time minute for minute—a tour de force of appropriation that is also a functioning timepiece. See the work in full at this special 24-hour screening.

24-Hour Live Art Variety Show • Saturday, 6 p.m. through Sunday, 5:45 p.m.
A nonstop, 24-hour live art marathon hosted in the museum’s Rooftop Pavilion will offer 48 artists, filmmakers, musicians, performers, and writers a turn on the stage, guided by hosts Wonderment Consortium (Packard Jennings, Steuart Pittman, and Scott Vermeire), Marga Gomez, George Chen, and Peaches Christ. Each participant will perform a 20-minute set, offering visitors a robust and lively portrait of the Bay Area creative community. The museum’s beloved Blue Bottle Coffee Bar will offer a changing menu throughout the program, bringing back some of its most popular art-inspired treats. List of performers available at sfmoma.org starting in early May.

Family Day: TIME to Move • Sunday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Designed for children ages 4 to 12, inventive hands-on gallery activities will inspire the whole family as SFMOMA counts down the last day before the big move.

Media Contacts

  • Robyn Wise, 415.357.4172,
  • Christine Choi, 415.357.4177,
  • Peter Denny, 415.357.4170,

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San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 Third Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Museum hours: Open daily (except Wednesdays): 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; open late Thursdays, until 8:45 p.m. Summer hours (Memorial Day to Labor Day): Open at 10 a.m. Closed Wednesdays and the following public holidays: New Year's Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas. The Museum is open the Wednesday between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Koret Visitor Education Center: Open daily (except Wednesdays): 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; open late Thursdays, until 8:30 p.m. Summer hours: Open at 10 a.m.

Admission prices: adults: $18; seniors: $13; students: $11; SFMOMA members and children 12 and under: free. Admission is free the first Tuesday of each month and half-price on Thursdays after 6 p.m.

SFMOMA is easily accessible by Muni, BART, Golden Gate Transit, SamTrans, and Caltrain. Hourly, daily, and monthly parking is available at the SFMOMA Garage at 147 Minna Street. For parking information, call 415.348.0971.

Visit our Web site at www.sfmoma.org or call 415.357.4000 for more information.

SFMOMA is supported by a broad array of contributors committed to helping advance its mission. Major annual support is provided by Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, the Koret Foundation, and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund. First Tuesdays are always free, thanks to AT&T. KidstART free admission for children 12 and under is made possible by Charles Schwab & Co.

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