Art in the San Francisco Bay Area facts for kids

The San Francisco Bay Area is a cool place for art! It has a rich history of creating amazing and new types of art. Many artists here mix different art forms, like Bruce Conner and Bruce Nauman. The area also has many non-profit art spaces, such as New Langton Arts and Southern Exposure. Art in the Bay Area has changed a lot over time, just like its literature and theater.

Artists and Their Art (1950s to Today)

New Ideas in Art

In the 1950s, people in the Bay Area became interested in new ideas, like Eastern philosophy. Writers like Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg were trying new things with words. Artists like Bruce Conner and Jay DeFeo also started to explore new ways of making art. They connected sculpture and painting in fresh ways. Bruce Conner, for example, used everyday objects to make sculptures and collages. He also made experimental films, which was very new at the time.

Fun and Colorful Art

Painter Wayne Thiebaud created art that looked like common things, such as toys or gumball machines. This was similar to a style called Funk art. Funk art often uses bright colors, humor, and wordplay. It is well known for the ceramic work of Robert Arneson. Painters like William T. Wiley also made Funk art.

These artists, along with Roy De Forest and Manuel Neri, taught at UC Davis in the 1960s and 70s. Peter Voulkos, another artist and teacher, helped make ceramics a big part of modern art. Bruce Nauman, who also studied at UC Davis, learned from William Wiley. He is known for breaking down old rules about how art should be made.

Art About Ideas

By the late 1960s, new art styles like Conceptual Art and Minimal Art became popular. Conceptual art focuses on the idea behind the artwork, not just the finished object. Minimal art uses very simple shapes and forms.

Bay Area artists started to create art that was more about ideas and systems. They were inspired by artists like Marcel Duchamp. In the 1970s, artists such as Tom Marioni, Paul Kos, Howard Fried, and Terry Fox explored how performance and sculpture could work together. David Ireland also used conceptual art, but added a focus on materials. Tony Labat used video, performance, and installations to talk about culture and identity.

Early Video Art

In 1967, a special program started at KQED studios. It was called The Experimental Television Project. This program was one of the first in the country to let artists use TV studios and equipment. Groups like Ant Farm and Video Free America used this chance. They recorded "happenings" (art performances) and experimented with light, sound, and time.

Public Art

The San Francisco Bay Area has lots of public art. This includes murals and graffiti that you can see in many places around the city.

Art Spaces

• New Langton Arts
• Southern Exposure
• Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
• The LAB
• Intersection for the Arts

Schools

• California College of the Arts
• San Francisco Art Institute