Kevin Umaña, “Digging Deep Into Meditation”, 2023, acrylic, oil, vinyl paint, flock, sand, oil pastel, ink, gouache, ceramics on linen. Image courtesy of Romer Young Gallery.
Ongoing to December 21 — Kevin Umaña: Mother’s Milk at Romer Young Gallery: New York-based artist Kevin Umaña’s solo exhibition of hybrid and tablet paintings combines glazed ceramics on painted canvas and fuses together conflicting styles—mess and order, biomorphic and geometric, thin and thick, symmetries and asymmetries, matte and sheen. Influenced by Indigenous traditions, the complex cultural landscape of Latin America, the natural environment, and memories shared with his mother, this new series of paintings marks a dramatic shift away from Umaña’s pure, non-objective geometric abstraction to a practice deeply rooted in personal history, cultural identity, and mysticism. Romer Young Gallery is located at 1240 22nd St in San Francisco.
Callum Innes, “Exposed Painting Quinacridone Gold”, 2024, oil on linen. Diana Al-Hadid, “Watching the Watcher (Watch Back)”, 2024, polymer gypsum, fiberglass, steel, metal leaf, pigment. Images courtesy of Berggruen Gallery.
Ongoing to January 9 — Callum Innes: Where to Start and Diana Al Hadid: Wild Margins at Berggruen Gallery: Scottish painter Callum Innes grapples with themes of time, space, and fragility in his new works. Innes’ alchemical color process of layering paint and dissolving it with turpentine, reveals unpredictable and often un-replicable colors onto canvas and wood. Syrian-born, Brooklyn-based artist Diana Al-Hadid showcases techniques of hand-papermaking learned during her year-long residency at Dieu Donné. Inspired by the frenzy of landscapes, skies, caves, and florals, these works reflect the uninhabited and chaotic elements of wilderness and their effects on an artist during the process. Berggruen Gallery is located at 10 Hawthorne St in San Francisco.
Amy Sherald, “A Midsummer Afternoon Dream”, 2021, oil on canvas. Image courtesy of SFMOMA.
Ongoing to March 9 — Amy Sherald: American Sublime at SFMOMA: American Sublime presents nearly fifty of Amy Sherald’s paintings, including her portraits of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, poetic early works, and new works on view for the first time. Sherald’s artworks convey the quiet power in everyday people, inviting viewers to participate in a complex discussion about accepted notions of American identity. SFMOMA is located at 151 3rd St in San Francisco.
Rodrigo Valenzuela, “New Land Painting C015”, 2024, acrylic and toner on canvas. Image courtesy of EUQINOM Gallery.
Ongoing to January 4 — Rodrigo Valenzuela: Peripheral Gestures at EUQINOM Gallery: Chilean-born, Los Angeles-based artist Rodrigo Valenzuela’s solo exhibition at EUQINOM showcases his newest works, including his Garabatos photographic series, Muecas white ceramic sculptures, and a selection from his New Land paintings, developed during a residency at the Headlands Center for the Arts. Valenzuela continues his exploration of protest, labor, and the universal bodily language of underground movements. Exploring the historical narratives of Manifest Destiny and Latin American subcultures, Valenzuela’s photographic approach across mediums combines elements of both a museum archive and a performance stage. EUQINOM Gallery is located at 49 Geary St, Unit 417, in San Francisco.
Stuart Robinson, “Son of the Sun’s Temper”, 2024, aluminum, acrylic, enamel, textile, paper on wood. Image courtesy of Haines Gallery.
Ongoing to January 11 — Stuart Robinson: Bend Di Young Tree at Haines Gallery: New York-based artist Stuart Robertson’s first West Coast solo show, Bend Di Young Tree debuts a series of mixed-media portraits and scenes from the artist’s early life, focusing on the forces that shaped his formative years in Jamaica. A graduate of Stanford University’s MFA program, Robertson’s practice is inspired by nostalgia for his birthplace, confrontations with the American dream, and fantasies about the future of the African diaspora. Bend Di Young Tree draws its title from a Jamaican idiom about the malleability of youth to forces of influence. Haines Gallery is located at 2 Marina Blvd, Building C, Floor 1, in San Francisco.
Amalia Mesa-Bains, “Sleeping Nun in Venus Envy Chapter III: Cihuatlampa, The Place of the Giant Women”, 1997-2024, jacquard tapestry. Hung Liu, “Altarpiece”, 1992, oil on canvas in wood frame, box with silk shoes, imitation jade flowers. Lava Thomas, “Looking Back IV”, 2021, graphite, conte pencil, watercolor on paper. Images courtesy of Rena Bransten Gallery.
Ongoing to January 11 — Summoning at Rena Bransten Gallery: Spanning a variety of media including painting, photography, works on paper, and sculpture, Summoning highlights art used as a tool for evocation. Artists commune with past and future, often summoning spirits to the present through their powerful work. Artists showcased include Dawoud Bey, William Blake, Sydney Cain, Jonathan Calm, Rodney Ewing, Rupert Garcia, Doug Hall, Oliver Lee Jackson, Hung Liu, Amalia Mesa-Bains, Robert Minervini, Tracey Moffatt, Viviana Paredes, Rose Piper, and Lava Thomas. Rena Branstern Gallery is located at 1275 Minnesota St in San Francisco.
Image courtesy of Creativity Explored.
December 6 to 14 — Holiday Art Shop at Creativity Explored: Support local artists with disabilities at Creativity Explored’s annual holiday gift event, where artwork can make memorable, handcrafted holiday gifts. At the Opening Party on December 6 from 5-8 PM, visitors can design custom gift wrap with art tools from the studio, as well as enjoy drinks and light bites, and listen to holiday tunes. Creativity Explored is located at 3245 16th St in San Francisco.
Image courtesy of Creative Growth.
December 6 to January 25 — 50th Anniversary Holiday Show at Creative Growth: Held at the Creative Growth Art Center, this annual tradition transforms the space into a marketplace where holiday shoppers can find gifts created by Creative Growth artists. From ceramics and textiles to paintings and sculptures, the show features a selection of handcrafted works that are perfect for holiday gifting—or for adding to your own collection. Beginning at the Opening Event on December 6 from 5-8 PM, every purchase made at the Holiday Show directly supports Creative Growth’s mission to empower artists with disabilities, allowing them to continue their artistic journeys. Creative Growth Art Center is located at 355 24th St in Oakland.
Image courtesy of NIAD Art Center.
December 21 — NIAD Holiday Extravaganza at NIAD Art Center: The NIAD Holiday Extravaganza connects holiday shoppers with the unique story of an artist with disabilities. The NIAD gallery spaces are filled with new artwork including crocheted afghan blankets and scarves, installations of abstract paintings, ceramic items for the home, hanging “lamps” made from rolled paper, and more. Purchases support local artists with income from every sale as artists earn a 50% commission from the sale of their work. On December 21 from 1-4 PM, free workshops include DIY gift-wrapping paper, build-a-gummy-bear, and karaoke caroling. NIAD Art Center is located at 551 23rd St in Richmond.