San Francisco: The Golden Age 1930-1960: Making a Scene

The formation of a remarkable and innovative West Coast art scene in San Francisco, CA between 1930 and 1960.

San Francisco: The Golden Age details the extraordinary development of the Bay Area art scene between 1930 to 1960. During that time, a great museum director, an enlightened patron, and a brilliant art school came together to create an environment that nurtured a host of innovative artists.

The 1940s and 1950s saw the emergence of a startling number of distinctive artists in the Bay Area including Clyfford Still, Claire Falkenstein, Jay DeFeo, Richard Diebenkorn, and Ruth Asawa. Working far from the art world power bases in Europe and New York, these artists developed styles of art-making that are only now being fully recognized but helped put San Francisco on the map as an artist destination.

Michael Duncan is an independent curator based in Los Angeles.