1. Home
  2. Cities & Towns
  3. San Francisco

January Museum Exhibits in San Francisco

by Ingrid Taylar
for About.com

Go to: San Francisco Main Event Calendar

San Francisco Museum Exhibits - January 2009

Listings updated annually.

January 2009 exhibits at San Francisco museums. Museums outside of the city are listed at the end.

** Note: Museums not listed are temporarily closed or do not have special exhibitions this month.

The Guide to San Francisco Museums has a more extensive list of venues, with full address and location information. The San Francisco Museum Map shows locations of museums within the city.

See the guide to Free Museum Days in San Francisco for monthly freebies.

1. San Francisco Museum Map

Click here for the San Francisco museum map. Clicking the image on the left will not link you to the map.

This map shows the locations of San Francisco museums, from the large cluster of venues near Yerba Buena Gardens (including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) to museums farther afield such as the Legion of Honor in the Outer Richmond.

2. Asian Art Museum

Asian Art Museum in San Francico's Civic Center Area

Civic Center
See: San Francisco Museum Map and Guide to SF Museums

Profile of Asian Art Museum

Arts of the Islamic World From Turkey to Indonesia
To Mar 1, 2009
Approximately 60 paintings, manuscripts, ceramics, textiles, historic photographs highlighting these artistic traditions

Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
To Jan 25, 2009
Features nearly 230 artworks, including gold objects from the famed Bactrian Hoard, bronze and stone sculptures, ivories, painted glassware, ancient art.

3. California Academy of Sciences

california academy of sciences san franciscoPhoto © Ingrid Taylar

Golden Gate Park - See Map

Profile & Photos: California Academy of Sciences

New California Academy of Sciences Building
Opened on September 27, 2008
The brand new Academy of Sciences building features hundreds of exhibits, thousands of animals, the largest indoor coral reef, a multi-level rainforest, and a living roof and observation deck. Read the profile above to get a glimpse into San Francisco's new Academy of Sciences facility.

See a Schedule of Daily Events such as penguin feedings and coral reef dives.

4. California Historical Society

Location: SoMa/South of Market - (SoMa Information)

See also: San Francisco Museum Map and Guide to SF Museums

California Presidential Candidates and Campaigns from the Golden State
To Jan 24, 2009
Exhibition of artifacts and ephemera explores the history of California’s colorful presidential candidates and the important role the state has played in presidential elections.

5. Cartoon Art Museum

Location: SoMa/South of Market - (SoMa Information)

See also: San Francisco Museum Map and Guide to SF Museums

Colan: Visions of a Man Without Fear
To Mar 15, 2009
More than 40 examples from Colan's long creative career, including his work for Marvel Comics

The Totoro Forest Project
To Feb 8, 2009
Original works of art from The Totoro Forest Project Charity Auction, featuring paintings, illustrations and sculptures from nearly 200 animators, cartoonists and illustrators

6. Conservatory of Flowers

Location: Golden Gate Park
Website

See the Golden Gate Park and the Inner Sunset on a San Francisco Neighborhood Map

Golden Gate Express Model Train Exhibition
To April 19, 2009
Conservatory of Flowers premieres its first garden railway exhibition and celebration of the city of San Francisco. Model G-gauge trains wend their way through a lush landscape and past mini versions of the city's landmark buildings.

See more details on the Golden Gate Express and other railroad history sites in the Bay Area.

7. Contemporary Jewish Museum

contemporary jewish museum san franciscoPhoto © Ingrid Taylar

SoMa
See: San Francisco Museum Map and Guide to SF Museums

In the Beginning: Artists Respond to Genesis
To Jan 6, 2009
Pairs seven new artist commissions with historically important works. Explores our changing understanding of the story of creation as depicted in Genesis Chapter 1.

Warhol's Jews: Ten Portraits Reconsidered
To Feb 3, 2009
Warhol portrays great Jewish thinkers, politicians, performers, musicians, and writers.

John Zorn Presents the Aleph-Bet Sound Project
To Feb 1, 2009
Acclaimed musician and MacArthur Fellow Zorn curates a series of original sound pieces based on a letter of the Hebrew alphabet

StoryCorps StoryBooth
To Oct 11, 2009
CJM hosts New York based oral history project

8. de Young Museum

de Young Museum in San Francisco© Ingrid Taylar

Location: Golden Gate Park
Profile of de Young Museum

See also: San Francisco Museum Map and Guide to SF Museums

Yves Saint Laurent
To Apr 5, 2009
Explores designs that made Saint Laurent famous, and his inspirations drawn from art, history, literature and nature.

Asian/American/Modern Art: Shifting Currents, 1900-1970
To Jan 18, 2009
Presents work of artists of Asian ancestry who lived and worked in the United States

Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes
To Jan 18, 2009
New sculptures, drawings, and installations by Maya Lin, the artist behind the design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Space Explorations: Photographs, 1840s-2000s
To Jan 11, 2009
Choices made by photographers, including composition, depth of field, and focus.

9. Exploratorium

Location - Marina District - (Marina District Information)

See also: San Francisco Museum Map and Guide to SF Museums

Mind: The Art, Science and Experience of our Inner Lives
Ongoing
The Mind team spent more than a year researching the cognitive sciences to create experiences highlighting the way our minds work.

Listen: Making Sense of Sound
Ongoing
Permanent collection of interactive exhibits, focusing on subtle and profound aspects of hearing

See the Exploratorium website for additional ongoing exhibitions and activities.

10. Legion of Honor

Thinker at the Legion of Honor - San Francisco© Ingrid Taylar

Location: Outer Richmond (Outer Richmond Information)
Profile of the Legion of Honor

See also: San Francisco Museum Map and Guide to SF Museums

The State Museums of Berlin and the Legacy of James Simon
To Jan 18, 2009
Exhibition honors the cultural legacy of James Simon, perhaps the most important patron Berlin has ever known. Features more than 100 works, borrowed from nine separate museums, spanning from the 3rd millennium BC to the 18th century AD.

Leonardo da Vinci: Drawings From the Biblioteca Reale in Turin
To Jan 4, 2009
First U.S. exhibition of one of the most significant collections of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, detailing the extensive range of da Vinci's interests.

Explore San Francisco

About.com Special Features

On the National Mall in Washington, DC

Take a look at the capital's best sight-seeing spot. More >

Oktoberfest in Phoenix

Find the best places to celebrate and join the festivities. More >

  1. Home
  2. Cities & Towns
  3. San Francisco
  4. - Entertainment
  5. Monthly Events in SF
  6. July Events
  7. January Museum Exhibits - San Francisco - Museum Exhibitions in January>

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.