de Young

FRAME|WORK: Anti-Mass by Cornelia Parker

FRAME|WORK is a weekly blog series that highlights an artwork in the Museums' permanent collections. This week, we feature a unique sculpture that unites art and science. Cornelia Parker's striking Anti-Mass is currently on view at the de Young.

Cornelia Parker (English, b. 1956). Anti-Mass, 2005. Charcoal and wire. Museum purchase, Friends of New Art and the American Art Trust Fund in honor of Harry S. Parker III and Stephen A. Nash. 2006.2

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Self-guided Tour in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month at the de Young

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated every September 15 through October 15. California's identity is deeply rooted in Hispanic culture, and its influence can be felt throughout the streets of San Francisco and throughout the Fine Arts Museums. Here at the de Young, the Art of the Americas and the American Art department boast significant artworks by artists of Hispanic descent . We hope that you enjoy this self-guided tour of the artwork created by this incredibly rich and diverse cultural group.

El mes de la Herencia Hispana se celebra empezando el 15 de septiembre y concluye el 15 de octubre. La identidad de California está profundamente arraigada en la cultura hispana y su influencia se puede sentir a lo largo de las calles de San Francisco y en los Fine Arts Museums . Aquí en el museo de Young los departamentos del Arte de las Américas y el arte de América cuentan con obras de arte significantes de artistas de decendencia Hispana. Esperamos que disfrute de este recorrido autoguiado de la obra de arte creada por este grupo cultural importante y diverso.

Feathered Serpent (detail), A.D. 600–750. Mexico, Teotihuacan, Techinantitla. Volcanic ash, lime, mineral pigment, and mud backing. Bequest of Harald J. Wagner. 1985.104.1a-b

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Will Work for Art: Patty Lacson

"Will Work for Art" takes you behind the scenes to meet the people who make the Fine Arts Museums work. This week we meet Patty Lacson, the Director of Facilities. Originally from Flushing, MI, Patty has been with the Museums for nineteen years.

What do you do here at the Museums?

I’m the Director of Facilities. I am responsible for the upkeep of the de Young and Legion buildings. I also oversee the Facility Rental Department and café operations and provide logistical support to all museum departments. I try to keep all operational aspects of the Museums running smoothly.

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FRAME|WORK: Migration by Jacob Lawrence

FRAME|WORK is a weekly blog series that highlights an artwork in the Museums' permanent collections. Today, in honor of Jacob Lawrence's birthday, we feature his compelling masterwork Migration, currently on display at the de Young.

Jacob Lawrence (American, 1917–2000). Migration, 1947. Egg tempera on hardboard. Museum purchase, American Art Trust Fund, Dr. Leland A. and Gladys K. Barber Fund and Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd, by exchange. 2010.1

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Will Work for Art: Chris Huson

"Will Work for Art" takes you behind the scenes to meet the people who make the Fine Arts Museums work. This week we meet Chris Huson, the Museums' courier, whose tireless trips between the two museums keep the staff in communication with each other and the outside world. Originally from Chicago, Chris has been with the Museums for thirty-two years!

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Art Students Draw Inspiration from Museum Masterpieces

The academic tradition of learning to draw by imitating the works of established masters has been alive for centuries. Professor Rick Rodrigues has been bringing this rich tradition the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco since 1995, when he initiated a partnership between the City College of San Francisco and the Museums. Professor Rodrigues's drawing classes cover a variety of skills and techniques, ranging from basic life-drawing using models and tone-drawing to more obscure old-master techniques, such as silverpoint drawing or staining with tea or coffee. His much-beloved classes are a deeply fulfilling experience, giving  young artists the opportunity to learn from art history's old masters directly in the museum setting.

Visitors are always welcome to sketch in the Museums' permanent collection galleries. Sketching in special exhibition galleries is by permission only and subject to lender and gallery restrictions. Please see our museum policies for more information.

Sketching in the Rodin Gallery at the Legion of Honor

City College San Francisco Students sketching in the Rodin Gallery at the Legion of Honor.

Education intern Megan Friel recently sat down with Professor Rodrigues, who is still passionately committed to the academic tradition of museum drawing after 16 years of teaching, to discuss his experiences directing the program.

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FRAME|WORK: An Extraordinary Kilim from the Caroline and H. McCoy Jones Collection

FRAME|WORK is a weekly blog series that highlights an artwork in the Museums' permanent collections. This week, we feature a monumental kilim that will be featured prominently in the upcoming exhibition The Art of the Anatolian Kilim: Highlights from the McCoy Jones Collection, which opens September 10.

Kilim, 17th century. Turkey, Anatolia, Aegean region, Usak Province. Wool; slit-tapestry weave. 383.5 x 182.9 cm (151 x 72 in.). The Caroline and H. McCoy Jones Collection, gift of Caroline McCoy-Jones. 2003.87.4

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Word Gallery: Passage

Throughout art history, scholars have devised a special vocabulary to talk about art. These terms are very useful, but they are not always self-explanatory. So we thought we'd take you into the art historical word gallery to provide some definitions commonly used to describe artistic styles, techniques, or movements in art.

Passage

Paul Cézanne (French, 1839–1906). Forest Interior, ca. 1898–1899. Oil on canvas. Museum purchase, Mildred Anna Williams Collection. 1977.4

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FRAME|WORK: Fuji in Clear Weather (Red Fuji) by Katsushika Hokusai

FRAME|WORK is a weekly blog series that highlights an artwork in the Museums' permanent collections. This week, we feature the graphically arresting Red Fuji by renowned Japanese printmaker Katsushika Hokusai. A well-known Japanese saying suggests that you would be a fool not to climb Mount Fuji once, but a fool to do so twice. Since it is currently not on view, you would be a fool not to enjoy this virtual viewing of Mount Fuji!

Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849). Fuji in Clear Weather (Red Fuji), from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, ca. 1830–1832. Color woodcut. Gift of Miss Carlotta Mabury. 54755.456

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The Kilims Are Coming!

In anticipation of The Art of the Anatolian Kilim: Highlights from the McCoy Jones Collection (which opens September 10) the Textiles Conservation team is busy at work preparing each rug for display. It is a meticulous and time-consuming process!

First, the kilims have to be taken out of storage. Normal cardboard contains acid that can cause staining on textiles, which is why kilims are rolled onto blue, acid-free cardboard tubes for storage.To avoid harm from dust, the tubes are shrouded in unbleached cotton fabric.

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