FLAX Canvas

Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution, on view at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, presents a comprehensive retrospective about the life and career of rock impresario Bill Graham (1931–1991). The exhibition opens by telling the story of Graham’s early life, with indication of how that early life influenced who he became and the contributions he made in his later years. The exhibit also tells a biographical story of a segment of rock and roll, beginning with the “summer of love,” c …

The new Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) building opened earlier this year, at Oxford and Center, across from the UC Berkeley campus. An existing Art Deco-style building (a former UC Berkeley printing plant designed in 1939 as part of the Works Progress Administration initiative) has been repurposed with a new interior design and dramatic stainless steel outer structure. This remarkable building is designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, a firm known for inventive …

Currently on view at the Asian Art Museum, celebrating the museum’s 50th anniversary, is a trio of special exhibitions that provide a fascinating window into past traditions and views of the world.Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, and Poets at the Great Islamic Courts presents the personal stories of a writer, a painter, and a patron, who lived in Mughal India, Persia, and Turkey, respectively, within the time frame of the 16th to 18th century. Through 64 exquisite artworks, incl …

Spring arrives at the de Young Museum every year in the form of a botanical homage to art. More than 125 of the Bay Area’s most innovative floral designers will present spectacular arrangements in response to pieces in the museum’s permanent collection as well as the architecture. The floral arrangements highlight works in American art to the 20th century, international contemporary art, art of the ancient Americas and Native American art. Get a lesson in art history by following the flowe …

The Contemporary Jewish Museum presents Roman Vishniac Rediscovered, an exhibition from the archive of the International Center of Photography, New York. A remarkable and versatile photographer, Roman Vishniac is known for his documentation of Jewish life in Eastern Europe, a world on the eve of its annihilation. His sensitive portraits taken in refugee camps and basement dwellings are reminiscent of the Depression-era work of Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans.This exhibition reveals the full …