Jack London was a man of many parts: cannery worker, oyster pirate, sailor, self-educated author of 50 books, war correspondent, Socialist, and forward-thinking rancher.
A lesser-known aspect of his immense activity was photography. Over the course of his life, London took about 12,000 photos, both during his journalistic exploits and his travels with wife Charmian. His photos form a fascinating record of a world unknown to most Americans, and display an unerring sense of drama, sharp composition, and sympathetic respect for his subjects.
Independent Docent: Avril Angevine
First Wednesday Art Talks are provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Library
Sorry – this talk was cancelled, rescheduled for February 5th, 2025.
Jack London was a man of many parts: cannery worker, oyster pirate, sailor, self-educated author of 50 books, war correspondent, Socialist and forward-thinking rancher.
A lesser-known aspect of his immense activity was photography. Over the course of his life, London took about 12,000 photos, both during his journalistic exploits and his travels with wife Charmian. His photos form a fascinating record of a world unknown to most Americans, and display an unerring sense of drama, sharp composition, and sympathetic respect for his subjects.
Independent Docent: Avril Angevine
First Wednesday Art Talks are provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Libraries
On February 24, 1525, a decisive moment in European history took place around the town of Pavia, outside of Milan: the imperial army of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V defeated the forces led by King Francis I, ending three years of war and stopping French encroachment into Italian territories. The seven monumental Battle of Pavia tapestries celebrate this historic victory and will immerse viewers in the world of Renaissance politics, art, and fashion. The FAMSF docent will share how, during the Renaissance, tapestries were the art form of kings and popes, prized as lavish displays of wealth and power, woven on a grand scale by vast workshops, using precious materials, and costing exponentially more than paintings. The de Young Museum will serve as the sole West Coast venue for the spectacular Battle of Pavia tapestry exhibition, on loan from the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, Italy.
FAMSF Docent: Gretchen Turner
This exhibit will be at the De Young through January12, 2025.
First Wednesday Art Talks are provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Libraries
The 19th and 20th centuries were an exceptionally dynamic time in American culture. Anchored by Impressionist and Realist artworks, this exhibition spans the years 1848 to 1960 and presents a variety of artistic responses to this complex period. This promised gift from Bernard and Barbro Osher enhances our American art collection with several significant “firsts”: the first large-scale oil painting by Winslow Homer (The Angler, ca. 1874), the first genre picture by William Merritt Chase (Spanish Bric-à-Brac Shop, 1883), the first major George Bellows landscape (In Virginia, 1908), the first Georgia O’Keeffe images of the Southwest (Front of Ranchos Church, 1930 and The Patio, 1940), plus thirteen artists entering our collection for the first time. The historic sweep of these paintings, drawings, and sculptures is reflected by several recurring themes, including the adventurous spirit of artists abroad, enduring allure of Impressionism, intimacy and immediacy of portraiture, and beauty of America’s landscapes and seascapes. Together, the works expand and enrich the story of American art in our galleries.
FAMSF Docent: Alfred Escoffier
First Wednesday Art Talks are provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Libraries
Too often dismissed as a sentimental painter of mothers and children, Mary Cassatt (1844–1926) was in fact a modernist pioneer. Her paintings, pastels, and prints are characterized by restless experimentation and change. Cassatt was the only American to join the French Impressionists, first exhibiting with the group at Degas’s invitation in 1879, and quickly emerged as a key member of the movement. Alongside scenes of women at the opera, visiting friends, and taking tea, Cassatt produced many images of “women’s work” — knitting and needlepoint, bathing children, and nursing infants. These images suggest parallels between the work of art making and the work of caregiving. The exhibition calls attention to the artist’s own processes of making — how she used her brush, etching needle, pastel stick, and even fingertips to create radical art under the cover of “feminine” subject matter.
FAMSF Docent: Marsha Holm
This exhibit will be at the Legion of Honor October 5th through January 25,2025.
First Wednesday Art Talks are provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Libraries
The Legion of Honor Turns 100 – Origins, Architecture, and Inaugural Art
2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Legion of Honor, home to one of the world’s outstanding collections of Rodin sculpture and European art. The Legion of Honor owes its existence to the vision of enterprising San Franciscan Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, who set out to build a museum to showcase French art and dedicated to the California men who died in France during World War I. This talk tells the fascinating story of how the museum was modeled after the Legion of Honor in Paris and would come to be built on a hill with a breathtaking view of the San Francisco Bay. Featuring a treasure trove of historic images, the talk highlights some of the building’s beautiful original architectural features as well as renovations undertaken over the past 100 years. The Legion of Honor’s moving inaugural ceremonies of 1924 and the art objects that were on display in the galleries on opening day will also be discussed in this exploration of an important chapter of San Francisco history.
FAMSF Docent: Virginia Ernster
First Wednesday Art Talks are provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Libraries
Sing and Stomp with children’s musician, Emily Bonn. This energetic music and movement performance will get your kids singing, stomping, dancing and having a great time. This program is perfect for young children and their families.
This program is brought to you thanks to the support of The Friends of the Library.
A touch of feathers, fur and scales! Learn about the astounding animals that live right here in our own neighborhoods and our state’s wonderfully diverse wildlife.
This program is brought to you thanks to the support of The Friends of the Library.
¡Un toque de plumas, pieles y escamas! Aprenda sobre los asombrosos animales que viven aquí mismo, en nuestros propios vecindarios, y sobre la maravillosa y diversa vida salvaje de nuestro estado.
Este programa se ofrece gracias al apoyo de Friends of the Library.
The 19th and 20th centuries were an exceptionally dynamic time in American culture. Anchored by Impressionist and Realist artworks, this exhibition spans the years 1848 to 1960 and presents a variety of artistic responses to this complex period. This promised gift from Bernard and Barbro Osher enhances our American art collection with several significant “firsts”: the first large-scale oil painting by Winslow Homer (The Angler, ca. 1874), the first genre picture by William Merritt Chase (Spanish Bric-à-Brac Shop, 1883), the first major George Bellows landscape (In Virginia, 1908), the first Georgia O’Keeffe images of the Southwest (Front of Ranchos Church, 1930 and The Patio, 1940), plus thirteen artists entering our collection for the first time. The historic sweep of these paintings, drawings, and sculptures is reflected by several recurring themes, including the adventurous spirit of artists abroad, enduring allure of Impressionism, intimacy and immediacy of portraiture, and beauty of America’s landscapes and seascapes. Together, the works expand and enrich the story of American art in our galleries.
Too often dismissed as a sentimental painter of mothers and children, Mary Cassatt (1844–1926) was in fact a modernist pioneer. Her paintings, pastels, and prints are characterized by restless experimentation and change. Cassatt was the only American to join the French Impressionists, first exhibiting with the group at Degas’s invitation in 1879, and quickly emerged as a key member of the movement. Alongside scenes of women at the opera, visiting friends, and taking tea, Cassatt produced many images of “women’s work” — knitting and needlepoint, bathing children, and nursing infants. These images suggest parallels between the work of art making and the work of caregiving. The exhibition calls attention to the artist’s own processes of making — how she used her brush, etching needle, pastel stick, and even fingertips to create radical art under the cover of “feminine” subject matter.
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