Exploring moments from the rich history of the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) — before its closure, the West Coast’s oldest fine art school — this exhibition spotlights works by more than 50 SFAI alumni and former faculty included in the museum’s collection.
The presentation underscores the school’s crucial role in fostering creativity and experimentation, featuring works across media since the post–World War II era by artists like Ansel Adams, Joan Brown, Miguel Calderón, Imogen Cunningham, Mike Henderson, Candice Lin, and Carlos Villa, among others.
Taking its title from a line in the final 2022 commencement speech by faculty member and alumnus Dewey Crumpler, People Make This Place is a collaborative effort across the museum in partnership with the SFAI Legacy Foundation + Archive.
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SFAI: Campus Views |
Sunday, July 27, 2 p.m. |
In celebration of the opening weekend of People Make This Place: SFAI Stories, join us for a special screening that will showcase the San Francisco Art Institute campus as the celebrity it has always been.
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More Upcoming Events |
Want to see all of SFMOMA's upcoming events? Check out the SFMOMA events calendar for the most up-to-date information about our one-time and recurring events! |
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Rooftop Radio: KEXP |
Thursday, July 17
6–9 p.m. |
KEXP, the beloved listener-powered independent radio station born in Seattle and now also broadcasting from the Bay Area, has good vibes and music in store for you at this episode of Rooftop Radio.
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While online tickets are sold out, a limited number of tickets will be available for sale on-site starting at 3 p.m. the day of the event.
Bonus! From 4–7 p.m., all museum visitors are welcome to experience a *LIVE* broadcast of KEXP’s radio show Drive Time with Evie Stokes from the galleries of the exhibition Afterimages: Echoes of the 1960s from the Fisher and SFMOMA Collections.
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Ticket price: $35 / $15 for members. This event is for guests 21 and older. Ticket includes access to the entire museum (open until 9 p.m. on July 17), except Ruth Asawa: Retrospective. |
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Second Sunday for Families: Summer Stride with San Francisco Public Library
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Sunday, July 13
10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Koret Education Center, Floor 2 |
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Drawn Together: Rhythm and Motion |
Saturday, July 19
10:30 a.m. |
As part of our Drawn Together series, join us for a vibrant day of cross-disciplinary performance exploring how the arts can foster a sense of belonging. Experience dynamic performances by the Grammy-nominated band Alphabet Rockers and multiethnic, multigenre dance collective Mix'd INGRDNTS, plus a Cuban Rumba workshop with Kati Hernández.
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Drawn Together: Radical Creativity for Civic Spaces |
Thursday, July 24
Workshop: 6–9 p.m.
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As part of our Drawn Together series, explore how shepherding in a new world requires a deep understanding of community needs and motivations through leadership and design models that center care, co-creation, and joy. While we ask ourselves, “How did we get here?” there’s also an opportunity to ask ourselves, “Did we listen enough?”
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Craft Corner: Crochet Jam |
Thursday, July 315–7:30 p.m. |
Crochet Jam is a community-based art project rooted in folk-art traditions. Participants crochet fabric strips into organic soft sculptures, creating a space for imaginative expression.
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Museum Store Collections: For Kids |
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San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
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Our ongoing commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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© 2025 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Image details: George Kuchar (far left) teaching filmmaking in Studio 8, ca. 1978; photo: David Hallinger, courtesy SFAI Legacy Foundation + Archive. Steve Hurd, Fire & Ice, 1978; photo: courtesy SFAI Legacy Foundation + Archive. Image: courtesy SFMOMA. San Francisco Public Library Summer Stride Tracker; image: SFPL. Mark Wang (detail); license. Preeti Singh for CoGenerate x Fine Acts (detail); license. Photo: Barak Shrama. SFMOMA x KEFE collection; designed by Kelly Tunstall and Ferris Plock. Finger Paint and Smock Kit; designed by OMY. VW Yellow Beach Bus; designed by Candylab. Tongue Drum; designed by Vilac. Miffy First Light: Medium; designed by Just Dutch.
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Major support for People Make This Place: SFAI Stories is provided by the Pritzker Exhibition Fund in Photography.
Meaningful support is provided by Agnes Cowles Bourne Bay Area Contemporary Arts Exhibition Fund and the Westridge Foundation.
Additional support is provided by Joachim and Nancy Hellman Bechtle.
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Lead support for Second Sundays is provided by the Koret Foundation.
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Presenting support is provided by Penny S. and James G. Coulter.
Major support is provided by the Hearst Foundations.
Meaningful support is provided by the John & Marcia Goldman Family Free Sundays Endowment Fund.
Additional support is provided by Geoffrey and Priscilla Weber.
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Programming for Ruth Asawa: Retrospective is made possible with support from Google.org.
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