5 stars because it's free and I enjoyed my time…read more Pretty chill art museum I liked all the variations of soccer balls and one painting really caught my attention. I appreciate that it is free. They close early so go before 5pm. I was late and only had 30 minutes to end it that was enough time. I ended up sitting outside and just journaled about my day. Such a relaxing evening.

This was actually my second time ever at this museum, I came a couple years back when they had a…read morechalk festival. If you ever get the chance to come show up both days so you can see the artist outlines, and when they start everything, and then day two to see the finished product!! This particular day I went with my dad and Brother to check out what new art pieces they had. We spent about an hour walking through and looking at everything. My brother, major in art and could tell us about different types of oil/paint that was used and how it would last over certain decades or fall off and crack ! Lol so I found the history of how well each artist project with withstand the time of life very interesting as well. I will definitely come back when this gallery changes to another theme! It also has a very nice park. I just wish there was a coffee shop or Matcha shop nearby! Hee

Tickets are free for SJSU students! I've been here twice and both times the exhibits were…read moreinteresting and the place, well maintained. Although the museum is small they change their exhibits every now and then which means I'll definitely be back. It's also, a super short walk from campus which is a bonus. There's no food allowed inside but the staff held onto ours at the front which was really nice.

Always a nice visit to see what new exhibits they have going on. Love how small and intimate the…read morespaces are. You can easily take your time visiting every piece without feeling like you have to rush it. Some of the new works in the new "Motherboards" exhibit are really cool too. Will be back!

ICA is a large cool funky art space that also hosts events…read more Among the many cool restaurants and bars along south First Street are the cool artsy venues. The Institute of Contemporary Arts (i.e. ICA) is fantastic. It showcases local Bay Area artists' works among others. Super friendly staff are on hand and have the latest scoop on upcoming happenings. Go online to see upcoming events at the ICA. You may discover some cool-funky talks and art shows. Happy adventures!

Feeling arty-farty, I decided to go check out the Institute of Contemporary Art. It's located in a…read morereally cool area of First St. Admission is free which is always nice. I wanted to donate and the friendly guy asked if I wanted to sign up to get information, but I declined. I was the only one in there. The exhibit was called "Allegedly the Worst is Behind Us" which featured 12 artists and their work expressing intergenerational trauma. The work was very personal and moving and inspiring too. The work was much more interesting than the San Jose Art Museum. I felt the work would definitely resonate with others who may have experienced the same thing. Since I saved $20 on the last museum, I put it in the donation box in the front. Great place to come to!

This place is a hidden gem in Palo Alto, in an industrial area surrounded by factories. It is a…read moremuseum of the work of Tony Foster, an artist from UK who paints beautiful watercolor landscapes. It's free, and a nice place to visit for an hour or so ... highly recommended.

We tried Story Time with Anna on Sunday. It was an hour experience that our grandson enjoyed. We…read moresigned up ahead of time and street parking was easy. There was also a sign that there is additional parking behind the museum. After checking in there was a craft/art activity with stickers and tempera paint sticks. Low mess :). Adjacent was a play area with colored scarves, a pretend campfire, felt board for the children to explore, and books. Before entering the museum area Anna gave an introductory talk describing what to expect. She made it interactive which was very nice. They also did a song to get their wiggles out. She then guided the group through the museum to the carpeted area with cushions for the kiddos. Ana talked about and asked questions about the art on the walls. She read Under the Same Sky to the children and made this an interactive experience also. It was just the right length of time, thirty minutes. This was just right for our 18 month old grandson.

We were here to see the "Monet in Venice" exhibit at the De Young Museum and it was extraordinary…read more We recently became members of the museum and have enjoyed visiting their many exhibitions over the year's. We were lucky to visit the "Monet, The Late Years", back in May of 2019. When we heard that the "Monet in Venice" exhibit was coming, we reserved our tickets quickly. I have loved the many paintings of Monet, especially his water lilies series. They are so beautiful. We had a wonderful time at the museum observing his art at our pace. Your tickets at reserved for a certain time. Once you exit the exhibit you cannot re-enter. So we made sure to take our time and went back to the beginning, before leaving, to walk through a second time. I really love the history behind each painting. They have descriptions and stories printed on the wall of each series of paintings as well as paintings from his fellow artists friends during that same time period that helped influence him. If you are a lover of art, especially Impressionism, then this is a must see. You will not be disappointed.

The Monet & Venice exhibit is until July 26th, 2026 and my husband and I went for the first time…read morerecently. I have frequently been around de Young but never inside. The tickets are $40 per person and we ended up upgrading to the year membership ($129, includes guest pass and access to special exhibits as well as Legion of Honor). General admission is $20 but doesn't grant you access to the special exhibits. The exhibit contains over 20 pieces of Monet's artwork and it was amazing to see it all in person. You can get up close to majority of the paintings and see the strokes on the canvases. This collection was well curated. We ended up taking home a couple items from the gift shop after.

I absolutely loved the exhibits!…read more I didn't get to try the drinks/food this time around but I'll be sure to try them next time I come.

Whenever I go out - I always carry waaaaaaay too much stuff. I have the bandaids, the blister…read morepacks, the hand sanitizer, the ear plugs, the tissues, the peppermint oil, the lavender oil, the rose spray etc, etc etc. I really have it all - and I will proceed to carry it all with me - -even at the expense of my shoulders etc. It would make sense for me to 'check' my heavy bags at venues like museums and such. But I do not. Instead - I usually end up uncomfortably lugging around said bags everywhere with me. I like to have my things on me in case I need them. Friends, loved ones, and family members usually end up watching me struggle with my cumbersome (often unnecessary) luggage. Shaking their heads at my heavy bags, and my unwillingness to put them down. The SFMOMA is such an inspiring and well curated museum of diverse art that I for once (in a very very long time) - decided to finally check my bags. My dad was surprised as I walked over to the kind staff member behind the counter and voluntarily checked my many bags. I knew that to fully enjoy such a phenomenal museum like the SFMOMA - that I needed to be fully present - and free to roam the beautifully curated space with ease. SFMOMA will do that to you. It makes you want to let go and immerse yourself in its inspiring and profound art. If you live in SF and haven't yet been to the SFMOMA in awhile or ever - remedy that quickly. Make sure you set aside a good chunk of time to explore this special art museum. I'd recommend going solo - or with a friend and/or loved one - who is able to take their time with you. The SFMOMA is too special of an art space to move through quickly. There are too many legendary pieces here to rush through. If you're able to - I'd recommend going during the week - on a cloudy or rainy day - when you're not tempted by SF's glorious sunshine and when the museum isn't busy. I came here with my dad a number of weeks ago on a rainy day - when he was visiting from overseas. It was one of the highlights of his brief visit - for both of us. We both were stirred by the impressive collection of iconic art that graced the walls of this captivating space. We were particularly awed by The Fisher collection of art - https://www.sfmoma.org/artists-artworks/fisher-collection - beautifully displayed throughout SFMOMA. If you're not familiar with Doris and Donald Fisher (the co-founders of Gap) - I recommend reading up about them and their world acclaimed collection of contemporary art. Doris Fisher - actually passed away this year on May 2nd, a week after our visit to the SFMOMA. It struck me - when reading about Doris Fisher's legacy - that her and her husband Donald (who passed in 2009) will forever be remembered through and for their acute eye for profound art. Art that pushed boundaries and made people think. If you're in SF and or visiting SF - and looking to infuse your life with more creativity and inspiration - go to SFMOMA. Check your bags - and indulge in some what's up art. Be sure to also save time to visit the SFMOMA Gift store. There are so many magical finds inside, which make for thoughtful unique gifts for both yourself and loved ones. Take time for yourself and art. It's important. Trust.

Someone else described it as pompous, and that felt pretty accurate…read more The art itself was weird in a bad way, very dark, heavy vibes that just didn't feel enjoyable or inspiring. The whole place felt small and honestly not worth making a trip for. What really made it worse was the staff behavior. One worker or volunteer took a photo of us and then awkwardly hid behind a wall, which was unsettling. Another staff member kept staring at us the entire time, then eventually approached to say we couldn't have a water bottle inside and had to check it at the front desk. That would have been fine if the front desk had mentioned it in the first place. The inconsistency just added to the uncomfortable atmosphere. Overall, not worth the visit at all. If you are deciding between museums, Oakland Museum of California is much better and a far more enjoyable experience.

I went there today for an international film named "La ciénaga". I love the fact that they show…read moreinternational and other interesting films there! Hollywood movies are getting so boring to me with the same old formulas, so this was a great find! Inside was very spacious, modern, and clean. Bathroom was super clean, too! Location is very near downtown Berkeley ( 2min walk) and so convenient! I would definitely go back:)

This review is for the new location in the Transamerica pyramid…read more The main art exhibits are rotating. The exhibit I saw was amazing and beautiful and displayed well. The staff happily explained it as well as the books on the table that I was able to leaf through. There are also materials on the table explaining the exhibits. There was another room about the time capsule found containing documents about the Transamerica pyramid, but that doesn't seem to be part of the art museum. There is a second exhibit but it wasn't available even though there were flyers about it. My main complaint is this location was too small with only one exhibit. It's free, but I'd happily have paid to see a larger museum.

As one whose favorite art genre is contemporary, I try to make time for anyplace that defines…read moreitself as such. To date, the best place I've found to view contemporary art is in Chicago but here in San Francisco there's signs of promise. The Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA) is housed in a space that, the last time I was there, was a Bank of America. Given that this was the bank attached to the Financial District's B of A headquarters, it was an impressive space, open and full of natural materials. This makes it quite an interesting art space. Covering two large floors, ICA is free to visit and is currently showing a couple of very intriguing exhibits. It made me happy to experience them but seeing the size of the space and the way these exhibits were spread out I could not hope but wish they'd condensed the footprint of these exhibits to allow for more exhibits to exist. So, thumbs-up for a great setting and wonderful exhibits at ICA but thumbs sideways as I want more art - much more art - to be housed in that space. Still, worth checking out, for certain.