Among San Francisco’s recent artistic events: the de Young Museum’s “Summer of Love” exhibition opening, kicking off a months-long celebration of the summer of 1967.
San Francisco’s de Young Museum seemed to be in a “flowers-in-your-hair” mood with a pair of exuberant parties, including a French garden motif for its annual “Bouquets to Art” launch, and a Bohemian-chic dress code for the opening preview of the museum’s “Summer of Love” 50-year anniversary.
FAMSF BOUQUETS TO ART
The de Young presented its 33rd annual exhibition, “Bouquets to Art,” to benefit the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF). Over 100 local floral designers created innovative arrangements inspired by the de Young’s architecture and its diverse collection of paintings, objects, and sculptures.
For the opening gala, whose theme was “Le Beau Jardin” (French for “the beautiful garden”), models strolled among guests in ensembles created entirely from fresh flowers, designed by students from City College of San Francisco.
Bouquets to Art Grand Patron Dede Wilsey, Exhibit and Floral Fashions Partner Lonna Wais, FAMSF Director Max Hollein, and Honorary Gala Chair Lorna Meyer Calas.
Karen Caldwell, Robert Saenz, Navid Armstrong, Joel Goodrich, and Courtney Dellaire.
Tuan Tran and Karina LaMarr.
Bouquets to Art Ambassador Molly Wadhwani and Grand Patron Dede Wilsey.
Max and Nina Hollein.
Youbin Kim, Lonna Wais, and Bahee Han.
Soyeon Kim, Lorna Meyer Calas, and Natalia Wierzba.
SUMMER OF LOVE EXPERIENCE AT THE DE YOUNG
On view through August, the de Young Museum’s “Summer of Love” exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the happenings of 1967, when tens of thousands of young people were drawn to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, the epicenter of the counter-culture movement.
The vintage rock posters, interactive light shows, photographs of legendary musicians, and trippy clothing are eye candy whether you’re seeing them for the first time or remember them well.
Sponsor Nancy Livingston, FAMSF Director Max Hollein, and Nina Hollein.
Yurie Pascarella, Board Member Carl Pascarella, Board Member Jack Calhoun, and Nancy Bechtle.
Heidi Castelein, Paul Haigney, and Kathryn Lasater.
Sobia Shaikh, Sonya Molodetskaya, and Farah Makras.
Sponsor Yurie Pascarella, FAMSF Board President Dede Wilsey, and FAMSF trustee Lucy Hamilton.
President’s Circle sponsors Lisa and Doug Goldman.
Ricky Serbin, Jennifer Raiser, and Mitchell Benjamin.
FAMSF Board VP and former television anchor Belva Davis with her husband, William Moore.
Sponsors Trent Norris and Jack Calhoun.
Bridget Thieriot, Carl Arnold, and sponsor Joe Tobin.
Sarah Assenti and Danielle Hobart.
Sponsors Christine Suppes and Lauren Hall.
Artists of the 1960s: Photographer Elaine Mayes and psychedelic rock poster and comix designer Victor Moscoso.
Artist Bill Ham, best known for his psychedelic light shows of the 1960s, and musician Peter Albin, of the band Big Brother and the Holding Company.
Bill Ham’s “Kinetic Light Painting” was a favorite photo op.
Guests were transported back to the San Francisco of their youth through a live performance.
Joan Corrigan, Sandra Blye, and sponsor Dagmar Dolby.
Sean Taube, in a psychedelic suit, admiring the fashion of yesteryear.
Vanina Paula DiBiase with Sunshine Powers, owner of the Haight Street shop “Love on Haight.”
FAMSF trustee Lucy Hamilton and FAMSF curator Martin Chapman.
The “Summer of Love” festivities will continue through the season, including lectures at the de Young, exhibitions at other area museums, and festivals, concerts, and tours all over the city.
Photography by Drew Altizer.