In celebration of our Joan Brown retrospective, SFMOMA is partnering with the San Francisco SPCA to bring you Pet Portraits Day, an exciting live art extravaganza. Joan Brown was known for her enduring love of animals, and you can find many depictions of cats and dogs (many of them her own pets) throughout the exhibition on Floor 7. With this inspiration in mind, meet us at the museum on February 4 and share a digital photo of your pet with us for the chance to receive a complementary, original pet portrait made by a local artist.

No pet? No problem. Everyone can enjoy watching the art-making experience unfold. Some fifty Bay Area artists — plus participating kids ages 4 and up, working with SFMOMA Family Programs — will be setting up shop at their workstations on Floors 2 and 4 to create their portraits in a variety of mediums, from acrylic, watercolor, and gouache to pen-and-ink, collage, and clay. As they complete their works throughout the day, a selection of finished portraits will be displayed in the Gina and Stuart Peterson White Box on Floor 4, staying on view through February 6. (And if your pet photo is selected for a portrait, you’ll receive your artwork in the mail in the weeks following the event!) While you’re here, don’t miss the SF SPCA’s SF SPCA’s Animal Assisted Therapy Team making a special appearance at SFMOMA for Pet Portraits Day.

How to Participate

Check in with staff day-of at the Third Street entrance to share a digital image of your pet for the chance to receive a portrait. Please do not bring your pet with you to the museum (with the exception of service animals on a leash and under their owner’s control, as authorized by applicable law).

Any questions? Email us at publicengagement@sfmoma.org. Does your child (ages 4–11) want to participate as an artist? Email edu@sfmoma.org.

Pet Portraits Day Participating Artists