Friends of Art in Action

January: Masters of Venice Exhibit at the de Young Museum, San Francisco

Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 9:00 am. We will have the museum to ourselves and an excellent guide to tell the stories and reveal the secrets of the Venetian Masters. This exclusive presentation features 50 paintings by Venetian painters Titian, Giorgione, Veronese, Tintoretto, Mantegna, and more, primarily from the sixteenth century, all on loan from the Gemäldegalerie of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Key works include Titian's sumptuous Danáe (1560s), Mantegna's tortured Saint Sebastian (1457–1459) and four rare paintings by Giorgione, including The Three Philosophers (ca. 1508–1509) and Portrait of a Young Woman (Laura) (1506). This exhibit represents the range of Venetian accomplishments in Renaissance-era painting. $50. Registration.

December: Pissarro Exhibit at the Legion of Honor, San Francisco

Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 8:45 am. We will have the museum to ourselves, and an excellent guide to tell the stories and reveal the secrets of Camille Pissarro. Pissarro's People brings us face-to-face with one of the most complex and captivating members of the Impressionist group, a man whose life was as quietly revolutionary as his art. The exhibition, organized by the Fine Arts Museums with the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, offers a groundbreaking perspective on Camille Pissarro, the painter best known for his large body of landscapes and urban views. This is the first exhibition to focus on Pissarro's personal ties and social ideas through his lifelong engagement with the human figure. $45. Registration.

October: Picasso Exhibit at the de Young, San Francisco

Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 8:30 am. We will have the museum to ourselves, and an excellent guide to tell the stories and reveal the secrets of Pablo Picasso. Learn about the wide range of artistic styles and forms that the artist mastered, including works from the artist's Blue Period, Rose Period, and Cubist Period. We will view some of his most famous artwork: Man with a Guitar, Portrait of Dora Maar (1937), Head of a Bull (1942), the bronze Goat (1950), the six life-size bronze Bathers (1956), and the late self-portrait The Matador (1970). $50. Registration.

August: The Steins Collect Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant-Garde at SFMOMA

Friday, August 26, 2011 at 10:45 am. Join us for a private tour to learn more about the wonderful artwork collected by the Stein family. The Steins — writer Gertrude, brothers Leo and Michael, and Michael's wife, Sarah — were among the first to recognize the talents of avant-garde painters like Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. This exhibition reunites the Steins' holdings of modern art, for the first time in a generation, dozens of works by Matisse, Picasso, Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and many others. $20 SFMOMA members, $40 non-members. Optional no-host lunch at the Samovar Tea Lounge after the tour. Registration. Also, available following lunch, join us for Seeing Gertrude Stein a private one-hour docent-led tour at 2:00 pm at the Contemporary Jewish Museum across the street from SFMOMA. This exhibition illuminates Stein's life and pivotal role in art during the 20th Century. Cost: $20 Register.

April: Colossal Statues of the Olmec Civilization at the de Young, San Francisco

Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 9:00 am. The Olmec, America's oldest civilization, developed a sophisticated artistic style by 1000 BC. Discovered in the mid-19th century, these huge pieces are among ancient America's most awe-inspiring and beautiful sculptures. A private tour led by the masterful docent, Lisa, will be followed by a light brunch (included). You are welcome to stay at the de Young all day, or visit the Legion of Honor on the same ticket. $45. Registration.

March: Klari Reis Studio, San Francisco

Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 11:00 am. Visit the amazing studio of artist Klari Reis, internationally acclaimed San Francisco artist, whose large-scale lyrical paintings derive inspiration from the microscopic organisms of the human body. Lunch with Klari at Basil Thai Restaurant is included. $35. Registration.

February: Contemporary Art at Cantor Art Center, Stanford

Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 4:30-6:30 pm. What's fun and exciting at Cantor Art Center? Come see the new acquisitions in the recently re-installed Contemporary Gallery. Join our private tour with outstanding docents to learn about the new artwork. Enjoy a post tour wine and cheese reception and a chance to get to know new friends. (included). $20. Registration.

January: Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century at SFMOMA

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 11:00 am. Henri Cartier-Bresson captured the spirit of the Modern Century in his journalistic photography. Don't miss this outstanding retrospective in a private tour with our special docent, Sophie, and friends who love art. $40. Optional no-host lunch at Caffè Museo after the tour. Registration.

December: Post-Impressionist Exhibit at the de Young, San Francisco

Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 4:00 pm. See the Post-Impressionist Exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. $50 (discount for members). Registration. Optional gathering afterward.

Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay presents 120 of the Musée d’Orsay’s most famous late Impressionist paintings including those by Monet and Renoir, followed by the more individualistic styles of the early modern masters including Cézanne, Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, and van Gogh, and the Nabi painters Bonnard and Vuillard. The exhibition will also provide a unique look at the Orsay’s spectacular collection of Neo-Impressionist paintings, including work by Seurat and Signac. One of the notable works you will see is The Artist’s Bedroom at Arles, by Vincent van Gogh (1889). Learn more about van Gogh.

November: The Anderson Collection

Wednesday, November 17, 2010, 11:00 am. Visit The Anderson Collection at Quadrus, Menlo Park. $20. Registration. Optional: no-host lunch together at the Quadrus Cafe.

The Anderson Collection, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, is one of the largest and most outstanding private collections of 20th century American art in the world. The collection has been built over the last 40 years by Harry W. and Mary Margaret Anderson, affectionately known as "Hunk" and "Moo" and by their daughter, Mary Patricia Anderson Pence, affectionately known as "Putter." It is notable that the Andersons built their collection without the assistance of outside curators or consultants. Over the years, Hunk and Moo spent a great deal of time and energy educating themselves about art history and about the individual artists whose work they collect. In the café and various Quadras buildings one sees the huge mixed media sculptures of Frank Stella, a favorite of the Andersons. Learn more about Stella.

October: Hanna House at Stanford University

Sunday, October 3, 2010, 11:30 am. A private, docent-led tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hanna House at Stanford University. $20. Registration. Optional: no-host lunch together at the Cool Café.

Wright is considered by many to be the 20th century's greatest architect. He spent more than 70 years creating designs that revolutionized the art and architecture of the twentieth century. Many innovations in today's buildings are products of his imagination. However, Wright's creative mind was not confined to architecture. He also designed furniture, fabrics, art glass, lamps, dinnerware, silver, linens and graphic arts. In addition, he was a prolific writer, an educator and a philosopher. He authored twenty books and countless articles, lectured throughout the United States and in Europe. Learn more about Wright.

September: Fisher Collection at the SFMOMA

Thursday, September 9, 2010, 1:00 pm. A private, docent-led tour of the Fisher Collection at the SFMOMA. $35 (discount for members). Optional: no-host pre-tour lunch together at the Caffé Museo at 11:30 am. Registration.

This past February, SFMOMA announced an unprecedented partnership to house and display the collection of Gap founders Doris and Donald Fisher — more than 1,100 works by iconic 20th-century artists — in a new museum expansion. Calder to Warhol provides a glimpse into SFMOMA's future. This sweeping exhibition showcases the quality of the Fisher Collection, much of which has never been seen by the public. The Fishers collected the artists they loved in depth, purchasing extensive groupings of seminal works. The entire top two floors of the museum, including the Rooftop Garden, feature more than 160 paintings, sculptures, photographs, and video works by Alexander Calder, Chuck Close, Anselm Kiefer, Roy Lichtenstein, Agnes Martin, Gerhard Richter, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, and many more. One of the artists you will learn about is Andy Warhol. Learn more about Warhol.

August: Outdoor sculptures at Stanford University

Thursday, August 19, 2010, 11:00 am. Walk with us around the Stanford campus and learn about the artists and major sculptures, including Rodin, Bruce Beasley, and George Segal. At the end of the tour we'll enjoy a picnic lunch and relax together. This is a free event. We're eager to hear your suggestions for our new group, "Friends of Art in Action". Wear comfortable shoes and meet in front of the Cantor Arts Center at 11 am.

June: Chinese Brush Painting at the Cantor Art Center, Stanford University

Join us for a private, docent-led tour of the Chinese Art Exhibition "Tracing the Past, Drawing the Future: Master Ink Painters in 20th-Century China" at Cantor Art Center. We'll enjoy a picnic lunch and discussion at noon in the Rodin sculpture garden.