Artists + Artworks

We are committed to exploring the new, the challenging, and the unexpected. From our internationally recognized and rapidly growing collection of more than thirty thousand artworks to our innovative film and performance programs, SFMOMA has continuously advanced the interpretation, presentation, and preservation of modern and contemporary art — embracing its connection to the world around us.

Reflecting the Bay Area’s tradition of technological innovation and forward thinking, we were one of the first American art museums to recognize photography and film as art forms, and we championed architecture, design, and media arts before they were focuses of museum collecting. We have deep holdings of work by individual artists across their careers, particularly within our Painting and Sculpture collection. We are also dedicated to supporting and collecting the work of California artists, especially those active in the Bay Area.

We put artists at the center of the work we do. Our curators and conservators work directly with artists to interpret, present, and care for an artwork across its lifetime, even — as in the case of performance — if it’s only for one night.