Artists Gallery Exhibitions

Overview

In keeping with its mission to promote Northern California art, the SFMOMA Artists Gallery presents eight exhibitions each year in its main gallery. Focusing on both new and established artists, the exhibition program consists of solo, group, and thematic shows, and represents a diverse range of art practices, including painting, sculpture, photography, and new media works.

As an extension of the gallery's exhibition program at Fort Mason, solo shows featuring selected gallery artists are on view year-round at SFMOMA's Caffè Museo.

All exhibited works are available for rent or purchase. Please contact the Artists Gallery at 415.441.4777 or artistsgallery@sfmoma.org for more information.

Currently at Fort Mason

Silvia Poloto, Gustavo Ramos Rivera

March 9 - April 18, 2013

Opening reception: Saturday, March 9, 2013
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

San Francisco-based artists Silvia Poloto and Gustavo Ramos Rivera are featured in this exhibition of work.

Brazilian-born Silvia Poloto is known for lively abstract paintings. Recognized for her dynamic compositions and vibrant color, Poloto employs a visual vocabulary that is often bold and at times subtle. Her juxtapositions contrast graphic elements in saturated hues with gestural marks, incisions, and lines. The result is a body of work characterized by equal amounts of playfulness and provocation, engaging the viewer on a visceral level.

Gustavo Ramos Rivera is an abstract painter whose work is recognized for its joyful intensity as well as a form of invented iconography. This exhibition focuses on Ramos Rivera's monotypes, marked by brilliant color and personal symbols. These vibrant works on paper draw on pre-Columbian Mesoamerican art and architecture of Ramos Rivera's native Mexico.

Silvia Poloto, Wildflower, 2013; photo: Hap Leonard

Silvia Poloto, Flower Blossoming Grid, 2013; photo: Hap Leonard

Silvia Poloto, Bittersweet, 2013; photo: Hap Leonard

Silvia Poloto, Memoir, 2013; photo: Hap Leonard

Silvia Poloto, BUD Series, 2013; photo: courtesy the artist

Gustavo Ramos Rivera, Light in the Time of Darkness #4, 2006; photo: courtesy the artist

Gustavo Ramos Rivera, Light in the Time of Darkness #2, 2006; photo: courtesy the artist

Currently at Caffe Museo

Chris Shaw

April 17 - June 2, 2013

In this exhibition, Bay Area artist Chris Shaw presents new work exploring the relationship between science and religion. Although widely known for his rock art posters, Shaw produces paintings in a traditional format to explore his interests in iconography, semiotics, and geometry. The series includes portraits of a Madonna in slightly varying looks or styles, each holding objects referencing science or biology. The juxtaposition of contrary images arranged within geometric frameworks encourages interpretations for new contexts and meaning.

Chris Shaw, Madonna of the Squid, 2013; photo: courtesy the artist

Chris Shaw, Madonna of Kalashnikov, 2012; photo: courtesy the artist

Chris Shaw, Madonna of the Suicide Vest, 2012; photo: courtesy the artist

Chris Shaw, Madonna of Evolution, Simian Vanitas; 2013; photo: courtesy the artist

Chris Shaw, Madonna of Magnet, 2013; photo: courtesy the artist

Chris Shaw, Madonna on the Microscope, 2013; photo: courtesy the artist

Currently at SFMOMA Garage Windows

Oakland²

September 22, 2012 - June 1, 2013
147 Minna and 150 Natoma Streets

Members of the Oakland-based collaborative 5 Ton Crane, creators of the public art installation Raygun Gothic Rocket Ship on San Francisco's Embarcadero, compose a series of large-scale, multimedia artworks representing various urban locations in Oakland. In each of the SFMOMA Garage Windows on Minna and Natoma Streets, viewers will find up to 80 individually created artworks that together make up a whole. Over 40 participants from 5 Ton Crane's diverse group of artists, "geeks," and inventors participated in this true collaborative effort that highlights seven different Oakland locations.

5 Ton Crane, Crane Grid, 2012; photo: courtesy the artists

Upcoming at Fort Mason

Twentieth Annual Artists Warehouse Sale

A huge selection of original artworks at a savings of up to 75 percent!
Five Days Only
May 8 - 12, 2013

Opening night: Wednesday, May 8, 2013
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Be among the first to shop this annual sale, now in its twentieth year. With two venues of over 7,000 square feet filled with works by three hundred participating artists, it's your first chance to purchase at incredible savings. Opening night admission: $10 at the door; free for SFMOMA members.

Additional sale hours:

Thursday, May 9, noon - 8:00 p.m.
Friday, May 10, noon - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 11, noon - 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 12, noon - 4:00 p.m.

Shop this extraordinary five-day art sale supporting Bay Area artists as well as SFMOMA's exhibitions and programs. Browse hundreds of artworks by a range of local artists at savings of up to 75 percent. Proceeds benefit participating artists, the Artists Gallery, and SFMOMA.