San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, commonly known as SFMOMA, is a nonprofit art museum in San Francisco, California, founded in 1935. It is one of the leading American institutions dedicated to modern and contemporary art, with a collection and exhibition program spanning painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, media art, architecture, design, and craft. Its geographic scope is international, while its institutional identity remains closely tied to the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. SFMOMA’s work combines collecting, conservation, research, exhibitions, interpretation, education, public programming, and digital access. Photography has historically been a major area of strength, alongside modern European and American art and postwar and contemporary practices. The museum’s collecting strategy has increasingly emphasized artists who have been historically underrepresented, artists connected to the Bay Area, artists of color, women artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, Indigenous artists, and artists working across conventional media boundaries. Recent acquisitions cited by the museum include paintings, photographs, film and video, sculpture, works on paper, design objects, architecture, craft, and digital or media-based works. The museum operates as a cultural institution rather than a commercial brand. Its public-facing activities include exhibitions, collection displays, talks, family and school programs, research resources, online editorial material, and visitor services. It also has a publications function that produces exhibition catalogues, collection-related books, and other art publications. Those publications extend the museum’s curatorial and educational work beyond the gallery and contribute to scholarship and public understanding of modern and contemporary art. A major institutional turning point came with the expansion and renovation of the museum’s home. SFMOMA closed for approximately two and a half years while the building was redeveloped and reopened in May 2016 after a large-scale project that substantially increased exhibition capacity and added more publicly accessible space. During the closure, the museum used off-site exhibitions and partnerships with other Bay Area institutions to maintain contact with audiences. The expansion was associated with the Doris and Donald Fisher Collection partnership and a broader effort to reconsider the museum’s role, brand, visitor experience, and relationship with the community. SFMOMA’s communications have often presented art as participatory, approachable, and connected to everyday life. Campaigns such as “Muse,” “SFMOMA On the Go,” “See Art,” and “See Them Both” used advertising, social media, public transit, airport placements, digital media, and outdoor installations to reach both established museum audiences and people who might not ordinarily visit an art museum. The campaigns linked artworks with local cultural figures, San Francisco landmarks, visitor reactions, and the city’s tourism infrastructure. The museum remains active in acquisitions, exhibitions, education, publishing, and public engagement. Its recent collecting announcements show an institution seeking to broaden both the artists represented and the media preserved in its collection. Through its building, collection, publications, and programs, SFMOMA functions as a museum brand, a civic cultural organization, and a platform for modern and contemporary artistic practice.

SFMOMA was founded in San Francisco in 1935 as an institution devoted to modern art. Over time it developed from a museum focused primarily on modernist practice into a major institution covering modern and contemporary art across numerous media. Photography became an important part of its identity, while its programs expanded to include painting, sculpture, film, video, design, architecture, craft, and newer forms of media and digital art. The museum’s history is closely connected to San Francisco’s cultural development and to the Bay Area’s artistic communities. Its collecting and exhibition programs have combined international art history with sustained attention to Northern California artists. This local connection has remained visible in acquisitions, public programs, and outreach, even as the museum’s collection and exhibition ambitions became increasingly global. A significant phase of institutional change began before the museum’s 75th anniversary in 2010. SFMOMA used the anniversary to promote exhibitions and events while also communicating a major building and collection expansion initiative. The anniversary program included a campaign built around the idea of the museum as a “muse,” pairing selected works from the collection with creative figures from the Bay Area. The campaign sought to express the emotional and inspirational relationship between audiences and artworks rather than presenting the museum solely as a repository. The building expansion and redevelopment led to a temporary closure lasting about two and a half years. Instead of disappearing from public life, SFMOMA organized off-site programming and collaborated with other Bay Area museums and cultural organizations. Its “On the Go” communications acknowledged the disruption and invited audiences to discuss their reactions to the closure and redevelopment. The accompanying message that the museum was closed for construction yet more open than ever described both the practical continuation of programming and the institution’s effort to rethink its future audience and civic role. SFMOMA reopened its expanded and renovated home on May 14, 2016. The project substantially increased exhibition space, created additional free public areas, and supported expanded educational activity. The reopening was accompanied by the “See Art” campaign, which used humorous statements about visitors’ reactions to artworks to make museumgoing feel more direct and accessible. The campaign positioned art as an experience capable of surprising, challenging, and changing viewers. In 2017, the “See Them Both” campaign connected San Francisco landmarks with works in SFMOMA’s collection. Outdoor, airport, transit, digital, mobile, and social executions paired places such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the city’s cable cars, and other local icons with paintings and other artworks. The strategy connected the museum to tourism and everyday movement through the city, encouraging visitors to experience both San Francisco’s familiar sights and the museum’s collection. In the 2020s, SFMOMA’s public identity has continued to be shaped by collecting, research, exhibitions, education, and digital communication. Announced acquisitions in 2023, 2024, and 2025 covered photography, video, painting, sculpture, design, architecture, craft, works on paper, and other media. These announcements repeatedly emphasized artists from the Bay Area and Northern California, as well as women artists, artists of color, LGBTQIA+ artists, Indigenous artists, artists with disabilities, and artists whose work has received less institutional attention. The museum’s partnership with Creative Growth and related Bay Area organizations resulted in the acquisition of more than 100 works by artists with disabilities and the development of exhibitions and events. The museum also maintains a publishing role through exhibition catalogues, art books, and interpretive material. Publishing extends the lifespan and reach of exhibitions, supports scholarship, and gives audiences access to research beyond the physical building. Today SFMOMA operates as a nonprofit museum with an international collection and program, a strong regional identity, and a public-facing approach that emphasizes access, participation, and the relevance of modern and contemporary art to civic life.

• 2025

  Further expansion of the collection

  [7]SFMOMA 2025 acquisitionssfmoma.org

  The museum announced a broad group of acquisitions across photography, video, painting, sculpture, design, craft, architecture, and works on paper, with continued emphasis on Northern California and global artists.

• 2024

  Large groups of new acquisitions announced

  [6]SFMOMA acquisitions from the Bay Area and around the worldsfmoma.org

  SFMOMA announced acquisitions from more than 65 artists and a separate group of more than 100 works, broadening international, Bay Area, and underrepresented voices in the collection.

• 2023

  63 works acquired across media

  [10]63 works acquired across mediasfmoma.org

  The museum announced 63 acquisitions, including its first NFT and works by 18 artists new to the collection.

• 2019

  Collection diversification acquisitions

  [9]Collection diversification acquisitionssfmoma.org

  SFMOMA announced 11 acquisitions by 10 modern and contemporary artists, including works intended to strengthen historically underrepresented areas of the collection.

• 2016

  Expanded museum reopens

  [8]Expanded museum reopensmediapost.com

  SFMOMA reopened on May 14 after a major redevelopment that increased exhibition capacity and public space and expanded educational possibilities.

• 2013

  Temporary closure for redevelopment

  [4]Marketing SFMOMA during closuremuseumnext.com

  The museum closed its main building for an approximately two-and-a-half-year expansion and redevelopment period while continuing programs through off-site partnerships.

• 2010

  75th-anniversary and expansion initiative

  [2]SFMOMA 75th-anniversary advertising campaignsfmoma.org

  SFMOMA marked its 75th anniversary with exhibitions, events, communications activity, and promotion of a major building and collection expansion project.

• 1935

  Museum founded

  [1]SFMOMA official websitesfmoma.org

  The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was established as a museum devoted to modern art in San Francisco.

A globally oriented, locally rooted nonprofit museum that makes modern and contemporary art accessible through exhibitions, collecting, education, publishing, and participatory public programs.

• Museum collection · 1935

  SFMOMA collection

  The museum’s collection covers modern and contemporary art across painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, media art, architecture, design, and craft. Its collecting program combines internationally significant works with sustained attention to Bay Area and Northern California artists. Recent collecting announcements emphasize diversification and the inclusion of artists who have historically received less institutional representation.

• Exhibitions · 1935

  Museum exhibitions

  SFMOMA presents temporary exhibitions, collection displays, and thematic projects focused on modern and contemporary artists and ideas. Exhibitions may include painting, photography, sculpture, film, video, design, architecture, craft, and interdisciplinary work. The program is designed to connect historical movements with current artistic practice and public discussion.

• Art publishing

  SFMOMA publications

  The museum’s publications function produces exhibition catalogues, collection-related books, and other art writing and research materials. These publications document exhibitions, provide scholarly interpretation, and extend the museum’s educational and curatorial work to readers who may not encounter the exhibitions in person.

• Museum education

  Education and public programs

  SFMOMA offers educational resources, talks, tours, family activities, events, and other public programs intended to make modern and contemporary art more approachable. These activities support interpretation, participation, and broader public engagement with the collection and exhibitions.

• 2017See Them Both

  San Francisco Bay Area · Tourism · Digital

  Division of Labor created a campaign that placed San Francisco landmarks beside works from SFMOMA’s collection, including pairings involving the Golden Gate Bridge and a Mark Rothko painting. The campaign appeared in out-of-home, airport, transit, online, mobile, and social formats.

  Outcome. The campaign linked the museum to San Francisco sightseeing and encouraged visitors to experience both the city’s landmarks and SFMOMA’s collection.

  Source
• 2016See Art

  San Francisco Bay Area

  Created with Chemistry Club for the museum’s reopening, “See Art” used outdoor, digital, video, print, and radio advertising built around humorous descriptions of viewers’ reactions to artworks. Its purpose was to make the museum feel welcoming to people who might not see museums as natural places to experience art.

  Outcome. The campaign promoted the expanded museum and sought to broaden the audience for modern and contemporary art.

  Source
• 2013SFMOMA On the Go

  San Francisco Bay Area · Digital

  During the museum’s temporary closure for expansion, SFMOMA used a communications and social-media campaign to explain the redevelopment and invite public reactions. The campaign used the hashtag #SFMOMAgo and supported the museum’s off-site programming strategy.

  Outcome. The campaign helped maintain audience contact during closure and framed the redevelopment as a period of continued public engagement and institutional change.

  Source
• 2010Muse

  San Francisco Bay Area

  For the museum’s 75th anniversary, SFMOMA worked with Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners on a campaign pairing ten collection artworks with ten creative figures from the Bay Area. The concept divided the word “museum” into “muse” and “um,” presenting the institution as a source of inspiration and emphasizing personal responses to art.

  Outcome. The campaign promoted anniversary exhibitions and events and generated visibility around the museum’s anniversary program.

  Source

• 2024

  Accelerate collection diversificationStrategy

  Background

  The museum’s acquisition announcements described a continuing effort to strengthen representation of women artists, artists of color, artists connected to the Bay Area, and other historically underrepresented voices.

  Action taken

  SFMOMA acquired works by more than 65 artists and announced an additional group of more than 100 works across multiple media.

  Aftermath

  The collection gained additional international, regional, interdisciplinary, and underrepresented perspectives.

  Source

• 2023

  Acquire first NFT and broaden media representationProduct launch

  Background

  SFMOMA announced a group of 63 acquisitions, including works by artists new to the collection and an NFT.

  Action taken

  The museum added works across digital, photographic, paper, painting, and mixed-media practices while increasing representation of Bay Area and international artists.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition expanded the collection’s contemporary and digital-art scope.

  Source

• 2016

  Reopening after expansion and renovationGeneration change

  Background

  A major building project was intended to increase exhibition space, provide more free public areas, and support expanded education programs.

  Action taken

  SFMOMA reopened its redesigned home on May 14 and launched the “See Art” campaign to introduce the new visitor experience.

  Aftermath

  The reopening repositioned the museum around greater access, larger exhibitions, and more participatory audience engagement.

  Source

• 2013

  Continue public programming during building closureStrategy

  Background

  The museum’s redevelopment required a temporary closure of its main building for approximately two and a half years.

  Action taken

  SFMOMA organized off-site exhibitions and collaborations with other Bay Area museums while using “On the Go” communications to keep audiences involved.

  Aftermath

  The museum reopened in 2016 with substantially more exhibition space, public areas, and educational capacity.

  Source

• 2010

  Launch of expansion and collection-growth strategyStrategy

  Background

  SFMOMA’s 75th-anniversary period coincided with plans for a major building expansion, collection growth, and a partnership involving the Doris and Donald Fisher Collection.

  Action taken

  The museum promoted the expansion project and used anniversary programming and communications to explain its future direction.

  Aftermath

  The strategy led into the redevelopment and reopening of the expanded museum in 2016.

  Source

• 2024

  SFMOMA announces acquisitions by more than 65 artists[5]SFMOMA acquisitions by more than 65 artistssfmoma.org

  Other

  The museum announced acquisitions by more than 65 artists, emphasizing broader representation of women, artists of color, California artists, and Bay Area artists.

• 2024

  SFMOMA acquires more than 100 works from the Bay Area and around the world[6]SFMOMA acquisitions from the Bay Area and around the worldsfmoma.org

  Other

  A major group of acquisitions expanded the museum’s holdings across media and continued its emphasis on global artists and artists connected to Northern California.

• 2023

  SFMOMA announces more than 100 new objects[12]SFMOMA announces more than 100 new objectssfmoma.org

  Other

  The museum announced acquisitions reflecting priorities including Bay Area connections, LGBTQIA+ artists, Indigenous artists, photography, and interdisciplinary practices.

• 2023

  SFMOMA announces 63 acquisitions across media[10]63 works acquired across mediasfmoma.org

  Other · Product generation

  The museum acquired 63 works, including its first NFT and works by artists entering the collection for the first time.

• 2019

  SFMOMA acquires works funded by a Rothko sale[9]Collection diversification acquisitionssfmoma.org

  Other

  The museum announced 11 acquisitions by 10 artists, using funds associated with the sale of a Mark Rothko work to address collection gaps and strengthen contemporary holdings.

1. 1SFMOMA official websitesfmoma.org
2. 2SFMOMA 75th-anniversary advertising campaignsfmoma.org
3. 3SFMOMA See Them Both campaignsfmoma.org
4. 4Marketing SFMOMA during closuremuseumnext.com
5. 5SFMOMA acquisitions by more than 65 artistssfmoma.org
6. 6SFMOMA acquisitions from the Bay Area and around the worldsfmoma.org
7. 7SFMOMA 2025 acquisitionssfmoma.org
8. 8Expanded museum reopensmediapost.com
9. 9Collection diversification acquisitionssfmoma.org
10. 1063 works acquired across mediasfmoma.org
11. 11Launch of expansion and collection-growth strategyartriseprojects.com
12. 12SFMOMA announces more than 100 new objectssfmoma.org