Asian Art Museum
One exposition that aims to push the envelope is “Into View: New Voices, New Stories,” which presents 2D, 3D, mixed-media and literary pieces, all twisting legends, stereotypes, historical scenes and styles to challenge societal norms. It raises the voices of women and queer artists of color. This exhibit runs through August 5 at the Asian Art Museum.
Another? “Phoenix Kingdom,” which centers on two Chinese kingdoms from the end of the Bronze Age and challenges previous assumptions of their technological advancement. It closes on July 22. General admission is free on the first Sunday of every month, and the special exhibitions are discounted. Here is more information for free and reduced admission.
Museum of the African Diaspora
The Museum of the African Diaspora opened “!!!!!,” the first solo U.S. show for British visual artist and painter Rachel Jones. And “Unruly Navigations,” with work from nearly a dozen artists on issues of migration and movement.
Also, closing on July 21 is a wonderful show, “Silene Capensis,” from Oakland-based artist Corinne Smith. The exhibit’s name refers to an African dream root that Smith has used in guided meditation. The work represents some of the images these roots have produced. To learn more about Smith’s process, you can register for a free workshop with the artist on July 11. There is a free family day on Saturday, July 13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and another on Saturday, August 10.
Corrine Smith was inspired by her experience with Silene Capensis root, dream re-entry, and her exploration of ancestry in this vibrant exhibition. 
These oil pastel landscapes are part of the !!!!! series, Rachel Jones’s first solo U.S. show. 
Key Jo Lee brought together the art of 10 artists and 22 pieces to represent the complexities of the diaspora.
500 Capp Street
David Ireland’s former residence, now a museum, has Mildred Howard’s “Collaborating With The Muses, Phase I.” Annie Albagli is in residency at Capp Street, and has a sculptural installation at the 500 Capp Street dining room. And on August 17 at 3 p.m., the conceptual artist Tom Marioni will read from his new book, “Social Art: The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends is the highest form of Art (1970 -).” There are free self-guided tours on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m.
The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts
The center has no exhibits at this moment, but always has a lot going on. Check its website for the latest exhibit listing.
Legion of Honor
“Japanese Prints in Transition: From the Floating World to the Modern World” is available at the Legion of Honor Museum through Aug. 18. Through the delicate art of woodblock print, “ukiyo-e” in Japanese, the transformation and westernization of Japan’s society is shown. This shift in subjects and themes is bridged by artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. One of the most well-known ukiyo-e, “Under The Wave off Kanagawa,: depicting a stormy wave towering over Mount Fuji, is on display.
For those interested in Japanese fashion and fabric prints, “Zuan-cho: Kimono Design in Modern Japan (1868 – 1912)” is open through August 25. Admission is free every Saturday for Bay Area residents, and the first Tuesday of every month for everyone.
2 prints from the Japanese Prints in Transition: From the Floating World to the Modern World exhibit which show the influence of western culture through the Victorian attire. Photograph by Gary Sexton, 2024 
Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave) in the center. Photograph by Gary Sexton, 2024 
Multiple woodblock prints or ukiyo-e. Photograph by Gary Sexton, 2024
SFMOMA
“Art of Noise” focuses on how the designs of music posters reflect the music and change the listener’s experience. It features more than 400 album covers and concert posters from a variety of graphic designers and musicians. Music plays from more than 100 unique musical objects to track the growth throughout centuries of audio technology. The most intriguing aspect is a flame-like gold MP3 player called the “Power of Love” by Mathieu Lahanneur. The exhibit runs through Aug. 18.
South African photographer and activist Zanele Muholi makes their West Coast debut in the exhibit “Eye Me.” Their stark and powerful images underline the brutality queer, Black people face in South Africa. This exhibit is open through August 11.
Following the popularity of “Yayoi Kusama: Infinite Love, the infinity mirror room, “Dreaming of Earth’s Sphericity, I Would Offer My Love,” has reopened without surcharge.
On July 25, there will be another Rooftop Radio event. The SFMOMA has partnered with Company Studio, founded by Grammy-nominated musician Chaz Bear, to bring four live music sets. And on July 1, the museum will open Kara Walker’s “Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine)” on the ground floor. Admission is free on the first Thursday of every month for Bay Area residents, although it is recommended you reserve your ticket in advance.
On Aug. 1, one of the Free First Thursdays, one of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich’s drum kits will be open to play as you are surrounded by Metallica concert footage. To celebrate Pride Month, on June 29 there is museum-wide free admission. Here is more information for free and reduced admission.
Ron Arad, Concrete Stereo, 1983, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Accessions Committee fund purchase; © Ron Arad Associates 
Museum visitors immersed in the experience of one of the more than 100 musical objects. Photo by Matthew Millman Photography 
Bonnie MacLean, The Yardbirds and The Doors at the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, July 25–30, 1967, 1967, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, gift of Jim Chanin; © Wolfgang’s Vault; photo: Don Ross
De Young Museum
The highlight through the summer is “American Beauty: The Osher Collection of American Art,” the unveiling of the gift of 61 works from the collection of philanthropists Bernard A. and Barbro Osher. The exhibit of 19th and 20th century American artists includes work from Winslow Homer, Georgia O’Keefe and John Singer Sargent. The exhibit runs through October 20.
And if you don’t think San Francisco has style, you must see “Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style.” Coming up on August 10, “Robert Bechtle: Prints and Drawings” will open. Bechtle was a lifelong Bay Area resident and died in 2020. Here is a profile of the artist by KQED. Admission is free every Saturday for Bay Area residents, and the first Tuesday of every month for everyone.
Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910), “The Angler (Casting in the Falls),” ca. 1874. Image by Randy Dodson; courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco 
John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925), “Stringing Onions,” 1878. Image by Randy Dodson; courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco 
Georgia O’Keeffe, “Front of Ranchos Church,” 1930. © 2024 Georgia O’Keeffe Museum / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image by Randy Dodson, courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Exploratorium
The highlight of the summer at the Exploratorium is “ExtraOrdinary.” Nine innovative artists use everyday objects, such as string, wooden blocks, musical instruments and cotton balls to create sculptural creatures and manipulate light. If you are inspired by the exhibit, you can participate in hands-on activities with household objects daily. This exhibit closes on Sept. 8.
Every Thursday evening, there are After Dark nights for people 18 and older. The museum advertises a carefree environment, with new themes every night. On June 27 there will be a special After Dark night with live music by Tory Teasley and her band Tory and the Teasers. Here is information for reduced admission.
In this piece by Kumi Yamashita, buildings blocks are transformed into a shadow by a light. The artist used these toys to question what else we miss in out daily lifes. Kumi Yamashita, 2014 
Slow Art Collective gives museum visitors the opportunity to do whatever they wish with their giant bamboo and yarn looms. In each new exhibit the yarn is reused so as to create an international, collaborative piece. Bamboo Weaving Star, 2024 
Each string controls an individual lightbulb of the electric CLOUD sculpture, making you a “puppeteer”. Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, 2012
California Academy of Sciences
In addition to the California Academy of Sciences’ regular exhibitions, such as the Osher Rainforest and the Morrison Planetarium, this summer “California: The State of Nature” will be featured. It is an ode to the biodiversity, beauty, and resilience of California’s nature, as well as a demonstration of the connections and codependency of the state’s ecosystems.
If you are interested in space exploration, on July 1, Dr. Pascal Lee will be hosted to discuss the future of human exploration on Mars. In the Steinhart Aquarium, the “Venom: Fangs, Stingers, and Spines” exhibit is featured, celebrating the aquarium’s 100th year. If you are looking for a fun Thursday night, there is a new concert series NightLife Remix with everything from jazz to grunge to punk until Aug. 22.
In the Coastal Communities installation of marine mammals, there is everything from a humpback whale skull to a sea otter skeleton. California: State of Nature exhibition 5.24.24 © California Academy of Sciences 
One of California’s last grizzly bears, Monarch, 100 years after the grizzly bear extinction in California. He serves as both a warning and call to conserve habitats. California: State of Nature exhibition 5.24.24 © California Academy of Sciences 
A cross-section redwood, part of the Forests and Fires secton of the exhibit where you can also learn abouyt Indigenous fire practices. The bronze bird expands its wings over visitors and releases bird calls. California: State of Nature exhibition 5.24.24 © California Academy of Sciences
Museum of Craft and Design (MCD)
“She Bends: Neon as Soulcraft” is an exhibition at the Museum of Craft and Design in Dogpatch that examines the impact of manual skills in the modern world on our materialism. The neon-bending is the work of artists and their mentees in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle. “She Bends” opens July 20 and will be open through November 24.
“Indie Folk: New Art and Sounds From the Pacific Northwest” and “Mr. Roboto” are both closing on June 30. With “Indie Folk,” 17 artists balance functional objects and aesthetics and emphasize ingenuity. “Mr. Roboto” is a collaborative experiment conducted by San Jose State University students and robots. On Wednesday admission is pay what you can. Here is more information for reduced admission.
