A conversation on material research with an emphasis on environmental sustainability, uplifting craft, and the importance of experiencing design with multiple senses.

The past two years have seen a groundswell of climate-focused initiatives led by artists and arts professionals. Together, these campaigns call for a cultural sector that is a model of environmental responsibility. Join us for a conversation about the concrete steps art fairs, museums, and galleries can take to improve their environmental impact, as well as the resources available to support meaningful change. As a community of thought-leaders and innovators, the Bay Area and its arts organizations have a responsibility to take a leadership role in ensuring our practices align with our values.

The Bay Area is poised for an exciting museum moment. Join five Bay Area museum directors from five differently scaled, and differently focused museums from across our region to hear a candid conversation they are working to make museums matter more.

For three decades Machine Dazzle has worked as an artist, costume and set designer, art director and performer whose radical queer aesthetic runs the gamut from playful to poignant. In a career that’s seen him collaborate with everyone from fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg and performers Justin Vivian Bond, Taylor Mac, Basil Twist to Opera Philadelphia, San Francisco’s Curran Theatre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he’s established himself as a master of surreal excess who transforms found objects into instruments of glamour. Following his 2022 solo exhibition at the Museum of Art and Design in New York, ‘’Queer Maximalism x Machine Dazzle’,” the artist will be in conversation with San Francisco Chronicle arts and culture columnist Tony Bravo to talk about his philosophy, inspirations and journey down a glitter-encrusted rabbit hole into his artistic practice.

Organized to coincide with the major retrospective of the work of Joan Brown (1938-1990) at SFMOMA (on view through March 12), this lively conversation features personal stories by panelists who were lucky enough to know Brown—a true local legend--as well as fascinating discoveries made during the research for the show.  Come back to Fort Mason on Saturday, January 21 at 8am to cheer on swimmers from the South End Rowing Club and Dolphin Club as they make their way to Aquatic Park as part of a memorial "Joan Brown Jump and Swim."

A new category of artificial intelligence is emerging called “Generative AI,” where the machine is generating something new rather than analyzing something that already exists. As this powerful new class of large language models emerges and makes it possible for machines to do what humans previously could only do - generate creativity - it raises key questions for the future of art and culture-at-large. What about Generative AI? Could it threaten to undermine art and culture or enhance it?

Hopper’s work is the most recognizable art in America—popular, praised, and mysterious. Countless painters, photographers, and filmmakers have been influenced by his art. But who was he? How did a struggling illustrator create such a bounty of notable work? This new film takes a deep look into Hopper’s art, his life, and his relationships. From his early career as an illustrator; his wife giving up her own promising art career to be his manager; his critical and commercial acclaim; and in his own words—this film explores the enigmatic personality behind the brush. Combined with expert interviews, diaries, and a startling visual reflection of American life, Hopper brings to life America’s most arguably influential artist.

Join us for a talk that explores the way the originators of hip-hop developed and used specific coded language to communicate shared experiences and looks at the way slang commonly functions within alternative cultures. Troy Lamarr Chew II’s work looks methodically at systems of coded communication and how this is translated and mistranslated both within the African Diaspora and throughout the mainstream, while Sickamore seeks to elevate the art of hip hop and bring attention to young artists. Both Chew and Sickamore challenge the ongoing erasure and co-opting of crucial social histories and create  safe spaces for language and culture to thrive. That talk is moderated by Andreana Clay, whose expertise is rooted in research and writing about the hip-hop generation(s), community building, and social/political movements.

Join us for a lively conversation with artist Mike Henderson, timed to his solo exhibition at Haines Gallery, and his forthcoming museum retrospective at the Manetti Shrem Museum. The talk will feature a sneak preview of the unreleased documentary "Here I Stand" and a live performance by Mike and his band.

Join Bay Area artists Ana Teresa Fernández and Sadie Barnette for a conversation with curator Natasha Boas. Both Fernández and Barnette's work have been recognized and featured nationally and locally this year. This talk will delve into their individual practices, their work, their inspirations and what it’s like to work in San Francisco during this time.

In the midst of crypto ‘winter’, one segment is blossoming: fine art NFTs, in particular generative art NFTs. Why has this emerging genre been so successful in attracting new collectors? Are art NFTs derivative and hype-driven, or are they enabling truly new and different art experiences? Generative artist Stefano Contiero describes his craft and this panel discusses the future of NFTs.