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San Francisco Museum Exhibits: Top Traveling Shows for 2021 & 2022
by Jill Loeffler •
Updated: September 30, 2021
Proof of vaccination is now required for certain indoor activities. Learn more here.
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:
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
Experience Leonard Cohen: August 5, 2021 - February 13, 2022
Judy Chicago: Cohanim, August 5, 2021 - January 2, 2022
George Fok: Passing Through, August 5, 2021 - January 2, 2022
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
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
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, October 23, 2021 - October 30, 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 9, 2021 to February 13, 2022
Michelle Erickson: Wild Porcelain, October 30, 2021 - November 20, 2022
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Nam June Paik, through October 3
Lineage: Paul Klee and Ruth Asawa, through December 5
Diana Markosian: Santa Barbara, through December 12
One Day at a Time: Susan O'Malley and Leah Rosenberg, through January 2
Art of California: Greater than the Sum, through March 6, 2022
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio: Architecture from the Outside In, through March 27, 2022
Drawing the Line: Rael San Fratello at the US-Mexico Border, through June 5, 2022
Joan Mitchell: September 4, 2021 - January 17, 2022
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Unstable Presence, October 2, 2021 - March 6, 2022
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.
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
Experience Leonard Cohen: August 5, 2021 - February 13, 2022
Judy Chicago: Cohanim, August 5, 2021 - January 2, 2022
George Fok: Passing Through, August 5, 2021 - January 2, 2022
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
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
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, October 23, 2021 - October 30, 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 9, 2021 to February 13, 2022
Michelle Erickson: Wild Porcelain, October 30, 2021 - November 20, 2022
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Lineage: Paul Klee and Ruth Asawa, through December 5
Diana Markosian: Santa Barbara, through December 12
One Day at a Time: Susan O'Malley and Leah Rosenberg, through January 2
Art of California: Greater than the Sum, through March 6, 2022
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio: Architecture from the Outside In, through March 27, 2022
Drawing the Line: Rael San Fratello at the US-Mexico Border, through June 5, 2022
Joan Mitchell: September 4, 2021 - January 17, 2022
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Unstable Presence, October 2, 2021 - March 6, 2022
Constellations: Photographs at Dialogue, November 20, 2021 - August 21, 2022
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
Experience Leonard Cohen: August 5, 2021 - February 13, 2022
Judy Chicago: Cohanim, August 5, 2021 - January 2, 2022
George Fok: Passing Through, August 5, 2021 - January 2, 2022
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, October 23, 2021 - October 30, 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 9, 2021 to February 13, 2022
Michelle Erickson: Wild Porcelain, October 30, 2021 - November 20, 2022
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Lineage: Paul Klee and Ruth Asawa, through December 5
Diana Markosian: Santa Barbara, through December 12
One Day at a Time: Susan O'Malley and Leah Rosenberg, through January 2
Art of California: Greater than the Sum, through March 6, 2022
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio: Architecture from the Outside In, through March 27, 2022
Drawing the Line: Rael San Fratello at the US-Mexico Border, through June 5, 2022
Joan Mitchell: September 4, 2021 - January 17, 2022
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Unstable Presence, October 2, 2021 - March 6, 2022
Constellations: Photographs at Dialogue, November 20, 2021 - August 21, 2022
Tauba Auerbah: S v Z, December 18, 2021 - May 1, 2022
January 2022
Contemporary Jewish Museum
Experience Leonard Cohen: August 5, 2021 - February 13, 2022
Judy Chicago: Cohanim, August 5, 2021 - January 2, 2022
George Fok: Passing Through, August 5, 2021 - January 2, 2022
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, October 23, 2021 - October 30, 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 9, 2021 to February 13, 2022
Michelle Erickson: Wild Porcelain, October 30, 2021 - November 20, 2022
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
One Day at a Time: Susan O'Malley and Leah Rosenberg, through January 2
Art of California: Greater than the Sum, through March 6, 2022
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio: Architecture from the Outside In, through March 27, 2022
Drawing the Line: Rael San Fratello at the US-Mexico Border, through June 5, 2022
Joan Mitchell: September 4, 2021 - January 17, 2022
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Unstable Presence, October 2, 2021 - March 6, 2022
Constellations: Photographs at Dialogue, November 20, 2021 - August 21, 2022
Tauba Auerbah: S v Z, December 18, 2021 - May 1, 2022
February 2022
Contemporary Jewish Museum
Experience Leonard Cohen: August 5, 2021 - February 13, 2022
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, October 23, 2021 - October 30, 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 9, 2021 to February 13, 2022
Michelle Erickson: Wild Porcelain, October 30, 2021 - November 20, 2022
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Art of California: Greater than the Sum, through March 6, 2022
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio: Architecture from the Outside In, through March 27, 2022
Drawing the Line: Rael San Fratello at the US-Mexico Border, through June 5, 2022
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Unstable Presence, October 2, 2021 - March 6, 2022
Constellations: Photographs at Dialogue, November 20, 2021 - August 21, 2022
Tauba Auerbah: S v Z, December 18, 2021 - May 1, 2022
March 2022
de Young Museum of Fine Art
Nampeyo and the Sikyatki Revival, through February 26, 2023
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, October 23, 2021 - October 30, 2022
Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, October 23, 2021 - April 24, 2022
Jules Tavernier and the Elem Pomo, December 18, 2021 - April 17, 2022
Alice Neel: People Come First, March 12, 2022 - July 10, 2022
Legion of Honor
Michelle Erickson: Wild Porcelain, October 30, 2021 - November 20, 2022
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Contemporary Optics, through March 27, 2022
Art of California: Greater than the Sum, through March 6, 2022
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio: Architecture from the Outside In, through March 27, 2022
Drawing the Line: Rael San Fratello at the US-Mexico Border, through June 5, 2022
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Unstable Presence, October 2, 2021 - March 6, 2022
Constellations: Photographs at Dialogue, November 20, 2021 - August 21, 2022
Tauba Auerbah: S v Z, December 18, 2021 - May 1, 2022
April 2022
de Young Museum of Fine Art
To Teach and Inspire: The Julia Brenner Textile Collection, October 23, 2021 - October 30, 2022
Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, October 23, 2021 - April 24, 2022
Jules Tavernier and the Elem Pomo, December 18, 2021 - April 17, 2022
Alice Neel: People Come First, March 12, 2022 - July 10, 2022
Legion of Honor
Michelle Erickson: Wild Porcelain, October 30, 2021 - November 20, 2022
Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy, April 16 - September 5
Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
Drawing the Line: Rael San Fratello at the US-Mexico Border, through June 5, 2022
Constellations: Photographs at Dialogue, November 20, 2021 - August 21, 2022
Tauba Auerbah: S v Z, December 18, 2021 - May 1, 2022
