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San Francisco Museum Exhibits: Top Traveling Shows for 2021
by Jill Loeffler •
Updated: July 1, 2021
Discover a full calendar of current and upcoming San Francisco museum exhibits. My schedule offers a monthly look at the top upcoming shows at popular museums such as the de Young, the SF Museum of Modern Art, and the Asian Art Museum.
The calendar includes traveling and temporary exhibits with the dates they will be open to the public. For many of the art exhibits, you will need to buy a ticket in addition to the general admission tickets. You can pick these up when you arrive or in advance online.
Click the links below to jump ahead to a certain month:
July 2021
Asian Art Museum
Zheng Chongbin: I Look for the Sky
After Hope: Videos of Resistance
Memento: Jayashree Chakravarty and Lam Tung Pang
Contemporary Jewish Museum
GOLEM: A Call to Action, through December 5
Levi Strauss: A History of American Style, through August 8
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, July 3, 2021 - June 26, 2022
Hung Liu: Golden Gate, July 17, 2021 - January 2, 2022
Disney Museum
The Walt Disney Studios and World War II
Legion of Honor
Last Supper in Pompeii: From the Table to the Grave, May 7 - August 29
Wangechi Mutu: I Am Speaking, Are You Listening?, May 7 - November 7
Iliazd: Publishing as an Art Form, June 21 - October 10
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Bay Area Walls
Close to Home, through September 5
New Work: Charles Gaines, through September 6
Off the Wall, through September 22
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Nam June Paik
Hop On Hop Off Bus: One of the best ways to explore the city and these San Francisco museum exhibits is with the Hop On Hop Off Bus. It will take you directly from attraction to attraction with ease. Learn more about the tour options here.
August 2021
Asian Art Museum
Zheng Chongbin: I Look for the Sky
After Hope: Videos of Resistance
Memento: Jayashree Chakravarty and Lam Tung Pang
Contemporary Jewish Museum
GOLEM: A Call to Action, through December 5
Levi Strauss: A History of American Style, through August 8
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, July 3, 2021 - June 26, 2022
Hung Liu: Golden Gate, July 17, 2021 - January 2, 2022
Judy Chicago: A Retrospective, August 28, 2021 - January 9, 2022
Legion of Honor
Last Supper in Pompeii: From the Table to the Grave, May 7 - August 29
Wangechi Mutu: I Am Speaking, Are You Listening?, May 7 - November 7
Iliazd: Publishing as an Art Form, June 21 - October 10
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Bay Area Walls
Close to Home, through September 5
New Work: Charles Gaines, through September 6
Off the Wall, through September 22
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Nam June Paik
September 2021
Asian Art Museum
Zheng Chongbin: I Look for the Sky
After Hope: Videos of Resistance
Memento: Jayashree Chakravarty and Lam Tung Pang
Contemporary Jewish Museum
GOLEM: A Call to Action, through December 5
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, July 3, 2021 - June 26, 2022
Hung Liu: Golden Gate, July 17, 2021 - January 2, 2022
Judy Chicago: A Retrospective, August 28, 2021 - January 9, 2022
Legion of Honor
Wangechi Mutu: I Am Speaking, Are You Listening?, May 7 - November 7
Iliazd: Publishing as an Art Form, June 21 - October 10
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Bay Area Walls
Close to Home, through September 5
New Work: Charles Gaines, through September 6
Off the Wall, through September 22
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Nam June Paik
October 2021
Asian Art Museum
Zheng Chongbin: I Look for the Sky
After Hope: Videos of Resistance
Memento: Jayashree Chakravarty and Lam Tung Pang
Contemporary Jewish Museum
GOLEM: A Call to Action, through December 5
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, July 3, 2021 - June 26, 2022
Hung Liu: Golden Gate, July 17, 2021 - January 2, 2022
Judy Chicago: A Retrospective, August 28, 2021 - January 9, 2022
Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, October 23, 2021 - April 24, 2022
Legion of Honor
Wangechi Mutu: I Am Speaking, Are You Listening?, May 7 - November 7
Iliazd: Publishing as an Art Form, June 21 - October 10
Color into Line: Pastels from the Renaissance to the Present, October 2, 2021 to February 13, 2022
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Bay Area Walls
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Nam June Paik
November 2021
Asian Art Museum
Zheng Chongbin: I Look for the Sky
After Hope: Videos of Resistance
Memento: Jayashree Chakravarty and Lam Tung Pang
Contemporary Jewish Museum
GOLEM: A Call to Action, through December 5
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, July 3, 2021 - June 26, 2022
Hung Liu: Golden Gate, July 17, 2021 - January 2, 2022
Judy Chicago: A Retrospective, August 28, 2021 - January 9, 2022
Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, October 23, 2021 - April 24, 2022
Legion of Honor
Wangechi Mutu: I Am Speaking, Are You Listening?, May 7 - November 7
Color into Line: Pastels from the Renaissance to the Present, October 2, 2021 to February 13, 2022
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Bay Area Walls
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Nam June Paik
December 2021
Asian Art Museum
Zheng Chongbin: I Look for the Sky
After Hope: Videos of Resistance
Memento: Jayashree Chakravarty and Lam Tung Pang
Contemporary Jewish Museum
GOLEM: A Call to Action, through December 5
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, July 3, 2021 - June 26, 2022
Hung Liu: Golden Gate, July 17, 2021 - January 2, 2022
Judy Chicago: A Retrospective, August 28, 2021 - January 9, 2022
Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, October 23, 2021 - April 24, 2022
Jules Tavernier and the Elem Pomo, December 18, 2021 - April 17, 2022
Legion of Honor
Color into Line: Pastels from the Renaissance to the Present, October 2, 2021 to February 13, 2022
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Bay Area Walls
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Nam June Paik
