San Francisco’s cultural institutions are bustling with new exhibitions and community events this November. Highlights include a Dia de Los Muertos showcase at SOMArts, a Cambodian bronze at the Asian Art Museum, and a pop‑star‑curated show at SFMOMA. The city’s Arts Commission and several advisory committees also have upcoming meetings for residents to attend.
Current exhibitions and upcoming closures
At the Letterform Archive, the Martin Venezky: Process Work exhibition runs through Nov. 8, followed by the Type for All program on Nov. 15. SOMArts presents In Their Name: Dia de Los Muertos 2026 through Nov. 20, co‑curated by Rio Yañez and Bridgétt Rex. The exhibit celebrates the Mexican tradition while inviting global participation. A closing party and drag performance are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 20, 6‑9 p.m.
The Asian Arts Museum will display Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean until Jan. 25, featuring a thousand‑year‑old Cambodian bronze. Museum director Soyoung Lee describes the piece as “extraordinary,” while associate curator Natasha Reichle notes its broader story about water, power, and Angkor engineering. The museum also offers the retrospective Ha Chong‑Hyun and the show Kim Minwook: On Carving, Bending, and Binding Wood through March 29. A mural titled “This Asian American Life” on the museum’s exterior will be taken down in November.
SFMOMA highlights
SFMOMA’s schedule includes extended hours on weekdays and weekends, with a closure on Wednesdays. The pop‑culture exhibition RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me showcases the personal collection of Korean artist‑pop star RM, who says art “has always been a comfortable language for me.” The museum also features Jacob Hashimoto’s massive installation Giant Arc, a cloud‑like canopy of 75,000 elements on the first floor, free for the public.
Other notable shows are Graciela Iturbide: Between Two Worlds (through Nov. 29) and the extended sculpture Rose B. Simpson: Behold on the fourth‑floor terrace, now running through Feb. 7, 2027. New works by Samia Halaby and Sheila Hicks are also on view.
SECA award exhibition
The 2026 SECA Art Award winners—CrossLypka, Em Kettner, and Chanell Stone—will present a group exhibition from Dec. 12, 2026, to May 30, 2027. Admission is free, offering a chance to see emerging Bay Area talent.
Other museums
The Museum of the African Diaspora runs Dewey Crumpler: Sonic Lineages until May 30, 2027, and features emerging artist Dorien Reed’s Calling all Cats through Dec. 6, 2026. The Museum of Craft and Design presents Objects, a collection of contemporary vases praised for its museum‑level quality. The Legion of Honor offers “Miró, Proof against All” and a historic photography exhibit, while the de Young Museum highlights women’s paper works and “Treasures of the Pharaohs,” free on Saturdays for Bay Area residents.
City arts meetings
The San Francisco Arts Commission will meet on Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. in the War Memorial Veterans Building (Room 125, 401 Van Ness Ave.) and online. The Visual Arts Committee convenes Nov. 18, 2 p.m., at City Hall (Room 416) with live streaming via SFGovTV. The Civic Design Review Committee meets Nov. 23, and the Film Commission meets Nov. 30, both at City Hall, 2 p.m., also streamed online.
Support for struggling cultural centers
The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts has suspended operations, leaving a gap in children’s programming and community events. City Hall has pledged action, and donors are encouraged to contribute. SOMArts is also facing a budget shortfall and seeks community support.
Residents can explore free or reduced‑cost admission options at many venues, including free first Sundays at the Asian Art Museum and free Saturdays at the Legion of Honor and de Young Museum for Bay Area residents.
Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.
