Claire Falkenstein, Shapes in Transition, 1948. Painted, cut, and incised aluminum with curved wood frame, 29 1/2 × 34 × 7 1/2 in. (74.9 × 86.4 × 19.1 cm)

This exhibition reveals how San Francisco became a launchpad for new artists and art styles in the post–World War II period (1945–1969). The explorations of color, form, and emotion found in Abstract Expressionism and Bay Area Figuration, and the unconventional, politically charged works of Beat, Funk, and assemblage art, reflected Bay Area landscapes and countercultures. The California School of Fine Arts (CSFA, later the San Francisco Art Institute) was where Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still, Richard Diebenkorn, and many more found their artistic voices. As teachers, they inspired many others to do the same. Featuring over 100 works from over 70 artists, the exhibition celebrates how San Francisco shaped a generation of artists — and how that generation shaped the art world.

Made in San Francisco is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

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