From fashion design to the art of scents, these new and upcoming exhibits around town offer novel perspectives in the weeks ahead.
Guo Pei, Legend of the Dragon, autumn/winter 2012
Dazzling Couture
Guo Pei, China’s trailblazing couturier, will have her work showcased at the Legion of Honor Museum in Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy. More than 80 works will be on display, including some of her most recognized collections. Shown on Beijing and Paris runways, Pei’s work incorporates China’s imperial past, gilded European architecture and floral design. April 16-Sept. 5, Legion of Honor Museum, 100 34th Ave., 415.750.3600
Carla Bengston, “Every Word Was Once an Animal,” at the Museum of Craft and Design
Big Apple Art
The de Young Museum brings Alice Neel to the West Coast with Alice Neel: People Come First. The exhibit displays a collection of the revolutionary and progressive artist’s paintings, drawings and watercolors. Born in Philadelphia, Neel spent much of her life in New York City, a place she became passionate about—especially the inhabitants of the Big Apple. In 1950, she famously declared, “People come first.” Patrons will see Neel’s passion for diverse representation in her art, a colorful and abstract collection with a few pieces exclusively seen only in this San Francisco show. March 12-July 10, de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, 415.750.3600
Kaja Solgaard Dahl, “Tapputi and the Sea,” at the Museum of Craft and Design
Multimedia Glory
The Museum of Craft and Design honors legendary exhibition designer Theodore Cohen with The Object in Its Place: As Designed by Ted Cohen. A life-size representation of Signe Mayfield’s book of the same name, the mostly self-designed showing features pieces Cohen highlighted throughout his career. Featuring work from a number of artists, including Mildred Howard, Robert Brady and Therman Statom, viewers will see a collection of wood, glass, fiber and ceramics. Through June 5, Museum of Craft and Design, 2569 Third St., 415.773.0303
Anchors in Time at the Museum of Craft and Design
Healing Works
The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts fuses music and art in The Healing Project. This exhibit features the work of Samora Pinderhughes, a Bay Area composer, pianist, vocalist, filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist. Pinderhughes combines audio interviews with more than 100 collaborators, films, songs and visual art into one project for YBCA. Pinderhughes, who grew up listening to such icons as Bob Marley, Tupac Shakur and Nina Simone, focuses his passion on social justice issues, and his work analyzes what incarceration and policing mean for people in the United States. Through May 28, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., 415. 978.2787
Nose for Detail
Another debut from the Museum of Craft and Design explores our sense of smell. Living With Scents features the work of 40 designers and artists, all delving into olfactory design. The show examines how we react to different scents, hinging on social and biological history and aesthetic preferences. Different emotions, memories and displays of cultural values will likely be evoked while viewing— and smelling—this innovative exhibit. Through June 5, Museum of Craft and Design, 2569 Third St., 415.773.0303
Photography by: FROM TOP: PHOTO COURTESY OF FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO; PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLA BENGSTON; PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANCES MARAIS; PHOTO COURTESY OF HENRIK KAM
