On October 15, 2005, amid celebrations, speeches and ceremonies, the people of San Francisco welcomed a new museum building unlike anything they had ever seen before. A decade later, this striking architectural landmark has been woven into the cultural fabric of our city, hosting groundbreaking exhibitions, iconic art and landscape commissions, pioneering performances, and unforgettable events.
1894: Origins of the de Young
The de Young museum originated as the Fine Arts Building, constructed for the California Midwinter International Exposition in 1894. Following the exposition, the building was designated as a museum for the people of San Francisco.
Construction and Opening
June 2002 marked the groundbreaking for the new de Young building. Construction moved forward over the next three years, as the structure slowly rose above the trees of Golden Gate Park.
The museum reopened its doors to the public in October 2005, four years after the old building closed in December 2000. Today, the de Young is one of the most visited art museums in the country, and a landmark in the city of San Francisco. The museum showcases the institution’s significant collections of American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts from the seventeenth to twenty-first centuries; art from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; costume and textile arts; and international modern and contemporary art.
Save the Date!
On Saturday, October 17, Community Day will be held at the de Young. Admission will be free from 10 am to 10 pm.
Music ensembles, art-making projects, presentations honoring the diverse cultures represented in the museum’s collections and much more will be featured, with events taking place throughout the entire museum. Complimentary timed tickets to the exhibit Jewel City will be available at the Main Level ticket desks. (See the October 1 issue of the San Francisco Bay Times for more about Jewel City.)
For additional information about the 10th anniversary of the de Young, please visit http://www.10year.deyoungmuseum.org/
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