SFMOMA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

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SFMOMA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Your Museum. Your Community. .
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Founded in 1935, SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted to modern and contemporary art. From the outset, the museum has championed the most innovative and challenging art of its time, and we continue to exhibit and collect work by both modern masters and younger, less-established artists.

05/31/2026

Happy Birthday Ellsworth Kelly!! 🎂

Kelly’s crisp and vibrant compositions have a commanding presence. Many of his works began with isolated images that caught his eye—the outline of a windowsill, the contour of a leaf, the curve of a hill seen through a window. “The form of my painting is the content,” he said in 1990. What forms do you see in his works?”

As Pride Month begins, we celebrate the power of bold expression and the LGBTQIA+ artists who continue to expand how we see the world 🌈✨

Check out his work as part of “Calder, Kelly, LeWitt: Fundamentals of Form” on Floor 5.

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Photo 1 & 3: Mogli Maureal; Photo 2: Don Ross

05/30/2026

In 1898, Corsica’s radiance changed Matisse’s palette forever. Let's get into it ✨

While honeymooning in Corsica, Henri Matisse became entranced with the island's distinctive Mediterranean sunlight. The shifting glow on the rooftops in Matisse's "Corsican Landscape" captures the “revelation of light” that eventually pushed him towards the bold colors of Fauvism.

Matisse began replacing dark shadows with expressive color. Deep violets and earthy oranges represent heat and form rather than simple darkness. He painted "Corsican Landscape" and more than fifty other artworks over six months, depicting the island with vivid dashes of pink, blue, and orange.

See how Matisse became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century in the must-see exhibition of the summer: "Matisse's Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal." Plan your visit today! https://bit.ly/3QGcXSP

[Henri Matisse, “Corsican Landscape,” 1898; © Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo 2 by Don Ross]

05/28/2026

Movement caught mid-beat ⚡💃

Now open on Floor 3, "Feel the Beat: Dance in Photographs" explores the rhythmic exchange between dance and photography—where motion and emotion are caught in a single frame 📸

Featuring works from across the 20th century to today, the exhibition brings together photographers who captured dance in radically different ways—from intimate collaborations with performers to the contagious energy of movement unfolding in clubs, parties, and everyday gestures.

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Barbara Morgan, Martha Graham-Letter to the World, 1940, printed 1980; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William R. Fielder

Larry Fink, Studio 54, New York City, 1977; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Accessions Committee Fund purchase

Malick Sidibé, Christmas Eve, from the portfolio Mali Twist, 1963, printed 2014; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Gift of Stefan Kirkeby

05/27/2026

What similarities do you notice first? 👀

Here's how we recreated the atmosphere of the Grand Palais in 1905 Paris, the setting of the infamous Salon d’Automne where Henri Matisse made his mark with his painting "Femme au chapeau":

1. There are no known photos of the 1905 Salon despite the attention it received. Our curators and designers took inspiration in part from archival images of the 1904 Salon.

2. We hung some works in double rows to match the denser presentation of early 20th-century exhibitions. By contrast, our standard practice nowadays is to install artworks in a single row.

3 & 4. Our research uncovered samples from the original gallery walls, which would have been covered in a red fabric featuring a laurel pattern. Local artist and designer Ondrea Vicklund () created a wallpaper inspired by this source material. Hidden throughout the wallpaper are spiders drawn from the cover of the catalogue for the 1905 Salon.

5 & 6. Our design studio added crown molding, wainscoting, a picture rail, and plants (fake of course!) after researching the architecture of the Grand Palais.

Step back in time with our restaging, which reunites the greatest number of artworks from the original presentation since 1905. "Matisse's Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal" is on view now.

[Photo 1, bottom: View of a gallery at the Grand Palais during the Salon d’Automne, 1904. Private collection/Bridgeman Images

Photo 1 (top), 2, and 5: Drew Altizer Photography.

Photo 3: "Exhibition catalogue for the third Salon d’Automne at the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées, Paris [cover]," 1905; Archives of American
Art, Smithsonian Institution

Photo 6: Don Ross]

05/26/2026

Music, sunset views, & art all night long ✨🎶🌇

Rooftop Radio returns Thursday, June 18th for a summer-kickoff event spinning the best of French Electro Pop.

In partnership with Villa Albertine San Francisco/French Consulate, join us for:

⭐️ 5–6:15 p.m. Crystallmess
⭐️ 6:15–7:30 p.m. Greg Cerrone
⭐️ 7:30–8:45 p.m. Joachim Garraud

Plus:
🎨 Live screenprinting with Babylon Burning
🖼️ After-hours access to the galleries
🥐 French-inspired tastings and artmaking on Floor 4
🍸 Food and drinks available for purchase

A Rooftop Radio ticket is required to attend. Advance reservations encouraged. Limited day-of tickets available starting at 3 p.m.

🎟️ Ticket link + info: https://bit.ly/4ulkftw

Planning to see “Matisse: A Modern Scandal” during Rooftop Radio? Visit the link in bio to learn how to reserve your spot.

05/25/2026

✨⏳ Exactly 1 week left to experience "Kara Walker: Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine)"

Free and open to the public until June 1 on Floor 1—this powerful installation invites reflection on history, technology, and the human condition. Through automatons caught in rhythmic cycles of rituals and struggle, Kara Walker () confronts legacies of power, race, and memory infused with moments of humor, wonder, and possibility.

🖤 Step into a landscape of healing black obsidian before it closes June 1.
⏰ We're open today for Memorial Day from 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

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Photo 1: Fredrik Nilsen
Photo 2-4: Don Ross

05/23/2026

Perfectly framed & perfectly paired ✨🖼️👯‍♀️

Now open on Floor 4, "Matisse's Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal" is ready to take you back to the scandal that changed the course of modern art. Over 90 artworks, from the 1900s to present day, tell the story of Henri Matisse's iconic "Femme au chapeau" for the first time.

🎉 Join us tomorrow, May 24 during Free Community Day! See programming details at the link: https://bit.ly/42WH8Ys

Free Community Days offer free general admission and special programming to all visitors. Grab your timed-entry ticket for “Matisse: A Modern Scandal” onsite at the Floor 2 ticket desk, first-come, first-served. Due to the special exhibition's limited capacity, entry is not guaranteed.

05/21/2026

This Parisian apartment was once dubbed the first museum of modern art 🎨🏠

After purchasing Henri Matisse’s controversial “Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat)” at the 1905 Salon d’Automne, siblings Leo and Gertrude Stein cemented their reputation as Paris’s most daring collectors. Displayed alongside works by Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, and Pablo Picasso in their apartment at 27 rue de Fleurus, the painting helped transform the Steins’ home into a gathering place for artists, writers, and collectors eager to engage with the newest ideas shaping modern art.

In “Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal,” this gallery reimagines the Steins’ famed Saturday evening salons through a large-scale animated projection. Drawing from archival black-and-white photographs taken in the apartment between 1906 and 1914, the animation colorizes artworks once displayed in the space, offering a glimpse into the vibrant atmosphere of one of the most influential artistic circles of the early 20th century.

Trace how Matisse's iconic portrait made its way from Paris to San Francisco in “Matisse: A Modern Scandal,” now open at SFMOMA.

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The projection in this gallery was created in partnership with Morzov Productions.

05/20/2026

Ticket on-sale dates for "RM x SFMOMA"

Members: August 4
General Public: August 11

"RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me" invites you into a deeply personal exploration of art, identity, and cultural exchange through the perspective of RM of BTS.

Broken down into a series of carefully curated sections drawing on the breadth and intentionality of RM's collecting practice, "RM x SFMOMA" meditates on the emotions, memories and personal connections that artworks can evoke—even when you're not always sure exactly why you like it ✨

✨ Want to see the exhibition before anyone else? Member previews are October 1 + 2. And, if you become a member by October 1, you’ll get a RM x SFMOMA Member Magazine featuring an exclusive poster, while supplies last. Secure yours: https://bit.ly/4uyAK5G

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Yun Hyong-keun, "Untitled (detail)," 1973; collection of RM; © Yun Seong-ryeol, PKM Gallery; image courtesy Seoul Auction

Chang Ucchin, “The River Scene,” 1988; collection of RM; © Chang Ucchin Foundation, image courtesy Seoul Auction

Yoo Youngkuk, "Work (Sea)," 1982; collection of RM; © Yoo Youngkuk; Photo: Chunho An; image courtesy the artist and Kukje Gallery

Agnes Martin, “Falling Blue,” 1963; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Moses Lasky; © Estate of Agnes Martin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

To Sangbong, “Forsythia,” 1975; collection of RM; © Toh Yunhee, image courtesy Seoul Auction

Phillip Guston, “Untitled (Red and Black Book),” 1969; collection of RM; © The Estate of Philip Guston, courtesy Hauser & Wirth

Han Youngsoo, “Deoksugung Palace, Jeong-dong, Seoul” 1956-1963; collection of RM; ©Han Youngsoo Foundation, courtesy Han Youngsoo Foundation

Yves Klein, “Éponge (SE251)” (Sponge [SE 251]), 1961; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, bequest of Phyllis C. Wattis; © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris; photo: Katherine Du Tiel

05/18/2026

Mark your calendars—Free Community Day is back this Sunday!🎉🖼️

Join us for a museumwide celebration inspired by the openings of "Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal" and "Reimagined: The Fisher Collection at 10"—with a full day of art, stories, and unforgettable performances.

✨ Sunday, May 24 | 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
🎟️ Free admission, all day long!
(A limited amount of "Matisse: A Modern Scandal" tickets will be available at the Floor 2 ticket desk day of. First-come, first-served.)

Plus, don’t miss these special programs:

🎤 Drag Performances by the House of MORE!
⏰ 1 p.m. + 3 p.m.
📍 Floor 1, Phyllis Wattis Theater

📚 Spotlight on Collectors
⏰ 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
📍 Floor 4, Gina and Stuart Peterson White Box

Bring your friends, family, your curiosity, and your best hat 👒✨
More info: https://bit.ly/42WH8Ys

📸: vallerinagirl, __________cherish, theburnteggroll, & annaalexia on Instagram

Address

151 3rd Street
San Francisco, CA
94103

Telephone

+14153574000

Website

http://www.sfmoma.org/

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