SAN FRANCISCO, CA (February 15, 2022; Updated March 16, 2022)—The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) announces a fun and festive weekend for all audiences, starting with Art Bash—a night of revelry celebrating art and artists at the museum on April 8, 2022—followed by a raucous and retro community event staging a comeback from the 1970s: SFMOMA’s Soapbox Derby at McLaren Park on April 10, 2022.
Art Bash, SFMOMA’s annual fundraiser, will be back in person with an unforgettable night of performances and activations stretching across the museum. Two days later, SFMOMA will bring the art experience outdoors for the whole community to be a part of the free Soapbox Derby, with artist-designed cars.
FRIDAY, APRIL 8: ART BASH AT SFMOMA
Art Bash supports SFMOMA’s wide range of education and community programs impacting hundreds of thousands of people every year, such as the popular First Thursdays, which offer free admission for Bay Area residents, and vibrant partnerships with regional schools.
Art Experiences and Performances
The 2022 Art Bash offers three unique phases of celebration throughout the evening: a dinner, a party and a late-night party. The dinner experience will be designed by the acclaimed contemporary artist Sarah Cain, whose colorful hand-painted installations and ambitious site-specific artworks encompass the viewer. Cain is working in collaboration with the People’s Pottery Project, whose bud vases and chargers created especially for the dinner will feature hand-painted paper flowers by artist Shelley Pehrson.
The dinner will include a live auction with works by Jeff Koons, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Julie Mehretu, William Kentridge, and Larry Sultan.
The museum will burst to life with surprising encounters, musical performances and immersive art experiences for the Art Bash party, which begins at 8 p.m. The late-night party begins at 10 p.m. and lasts until 1 a.m. Featured performances and events include an art activation by photographer Michael Jang; music by The Linda Lindas and Nite Jewel; a DJ battle featuring Miles Medina and RCADE plus a set by DJ $picy; live painting of a soapbox derby car by Bay Area mural artists DJ Agana and Vogue; and “The Palms,” an audio-visual piece performed by Alec Soth and Dave King.
ART BASH TICKETS + INFORMATION
All benefit tickets may be purchased at sfmoma.org/artbash.
Dinner Ticket, 6 p.m.–1 a.m. $1,000 tickets sold out. $3,000 tickets and up still available.
Party Ticket, 8 p.m.–1 a.m. $250 per guest
Late-Night Party Ticket, 10 p.m.–1 a.m. $95 per guest
For more information contact artbash@sfmoma.org or 415.618.3263.
Sunday, April 10: SFMOMA’S Soapbox Derby at McLaren Park
Witness Bay Area creativity in overdrive as SFMOMA’s Soapbox Derby returns to McLaren Park for the first time since 1978. On Sunday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., artist-designed soapbox cars will once again race down the hill at McLaren Park in San Francisco. SFMOMA’s Soapbox Derby is free and open to the public, with music, food and family-friendly activities in and around the newly renovated Jerry Garcia Amphitheater.
A new spin on an SFMOMA classic, this year’s event builds on legendary artists’ derbies held in 1975 and 1978, when the museum commissioned cars and trophies from more than 200 artist participants—including Chip Lord, Mike Henderson, Viola Frey, Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Richard Shaw, Ruth Asawa, Carlos Villa and Robert Arneson—and thousands gathered to watch the spectacle.
On April 10, experience the excitement of SFMOMA’s Soapbox Derby when a new crew will coast down the curving hill of McLaren Park’s John F. Shelley Drive. The race begins at 11 a.m. with each racer getting their star turn on the track as they descend one-by-one in their custom-made gravity-powered vehicles, competing for trophies designed by artists such as Soapbox Derby alums Chip Lord and Mike Henderson, as well as new participants such as Bay Area artists Liz Hernández, Christopher Martin, Leah Rosenberg, Windy Chien and Matt Goldberg.
Those designing custom soapbox cars for the 2022 event include dozens of local artists, educators, students and community organizations like Avila Rose Signs, City College of San Francisco, Girls Garage, John O’Connell High School, and Lindsey White. Find a complete list of participating artists here. Musical performances by Science Band (comprised of musicians from the project Salami Rose Joe Louis) and DJ sets will take place throughout the day. The dynamic announcers for SFMOMA’s Soapbox Derby will be Pendarvis Harshaw, the host of KQED-FM’s Rightnowish, and Kumasi Aaron, ABC7 News Bay Area Morning Anchor.
Local residents interested in building and racing their own soapbox cars in the derby are encouraged to submit their design to SFMOMA’s Soapbox Derby open call by 11 p.m. PST, Thursday, February 24. Each open call winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium to construct their soapbox car and ride it down the hill at McLaren Park.
Guests are encouraged to meet Soapbox Derby Lead Sponsor, The North Face, at Art Bash on April 8 during the live painting of a soapbox car. On race day, derby attendees are invited to visit The North Face welcome station in McLaren Park to share their own stories of exploration through its #MoreThanAJacket campaign. Introduced in Fall 2021, It’s More Than A Jacket honors and celebrates the memories and stories of adventure created over the brand’s more than 55-year history, which began in the city’s North Beach neighborhood. It’s More Than a Jacket also marks the launch of its first-ever crowdsourced digital archive.
Art Bash Corporate Sponsors
Art Bash Supporting Sponsors: AT&T and Bank of America
Live auction in partnership with Christie’s
Official Spirits Sponsor: Hangar 1 Distillery
Official Beer Sponsor: Fort Point Beer Co.
Official Media Sponsor: Modern Luxury, publisher of San Francisco and Silicon Valley Magazines
SFMOMA’s Soapbox Derby Corporate Sponsors
The Lead Sponsor for SFMOMA’s Soapbox Derby is The North Face.
Additional Sponsors include Bank of America and Cruise.
Film production generously provided by Stink Studios.
SFMOMA’s Soapbox Derby Partners
San Francisco Recreation and Park Department
SF Parks Alliance
Art Bash Covid-19 Safety Protocols
To ensure the health and safety of everyone, Art Bash attendees are required to:
Show proof of vaccination (including booster) and a valid ID upon entry. As proof of vaccination, we ask that you provide your physical vaccination card, a photo or copy of your card, documentation from a healthcare provider, or your personal digital vaccine record.
Masks and/or negative test results may be required. Additional safety protocol measures will be shared closer to the event date.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 Third Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. Our remarkable collection of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design and media arts is housed in an LEED Gold-certified building designed by the global architects Snøhetta and Mario Botta. In addition to our seven gallery floors, SFMOMA offers 45,000 square feet of free, art-filled public space open to all.
Visit sfmoma.org or call 415.357.4000 for more information.
** Follow us on Twitter for updates and announcements: @SFMOMA_Press