From Thiebaud to Gauguin, Northern California museums offer diverse works in fall shows

Domestic and exotic visual delights are on the menu at local and Bay Area Museums this fall. Among the offerings are exhibitions of 19th century landscapes by Albert Bierstadt and other artists of the Hudson River School; works by important artists with local ties, among them Wayne Thiebaud, Bruce Nauman, Irving Marcus and Ray Eames; vibrant images of Tahitian subjects by Paul Gauguin, displayed with historic indigenous art by Pacific Islanders; and fascinating shows of historic Jewish costumes and contemporary Muslim fashion that offer insights into two religious cultures that are much in today’s news.

Sept. 16 - Jan. 6, “Duane Michals: The Portraitest.”

Spanning this influential photographer’s 60-year career, the exhibition features more than 125 stylistically varied portraits of celebrities - among them Rene Magritte, Maya Angelou, Leonard Cohen, Meryl Streep, Andy Warhol, Shelley Duval, Tennessee Williams and Sacramento’s own literary treasure Joan Didion - as well as anonymous individuals, family and friends, many accompanied by hand-written notations, both witty and poetic, that express his impressions of his subjects. Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St., Sacramento, 95814, (916) 808-7000, crockerart.org

Oct. 28 - Jan. 27, “American Beauty and Bounty: The Judith and Steaven K. Jones Collection of 19th Century Painting.”

The most important gift of American art from beyond California’s borders to the Crocker, the Jones collection includes 29 paintings, primarily by landscape painters including key artists of the Hudson River School, among them Albert Bierstadt, Asher B. Durand, Sanford Robinson Gifford and William Whittredge, as well as still life and genre paintings, such as Severin Roesen’s “Still Life with Fruit and Wine” and John Frederick Kensett’s “School’s Out,” an example of 19th century Americana. Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St., Sacramento, 95814, (916) 808-7000, crockerart.org

Oct. 28 - Jan. 27, “Raymond Dabb Yelland: California Landscape Painter.”

Essentially a realist, Yelland (1848 - 1900) was known for quiet coastal scenes, such as “Point Bonita from Point Lobos,” in a style today known as Luminism; depictions of Yosemite that rivaled the paintings of mountain scenery of Thomas Hill and Albert Bierstadt, such as “Yosemite Valley;” and looser, more intimate French Barbizon influenced paintings, such as the mysteriously beautiful “Where Sluggish Tides Creep In.” Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St., Sacramento, 95814, (916) 808-7000, crockerart.org

Sept. 27 - Dec. 16, “Bruce Nauman: Blue and Yellow Corridor.”

Nauman, who was described by New York Times art critic Michael Kimmelman more than 20 years ago as possibly “the most influential American artist around,” received his MA from UC Davis in 1966. Perhaps the university’s most lauded graduate, Nauman served as Wayne Thiebaud’s teaching assistant and became a close friend of Thiebaud’s fellow first-generation faculty member William T. Wiley while earning his degree. Initially conceived of in 1970-71, the exhibition offers an ambitious corridor installation that forces visitors into a state of heightened self-consciousness and disorientation through spatial constrictions, closed circuit video, and bright light. Manetti Shrem Museum, UC-Davis, Old Davis Road (across from the Mondavi Center). (530) 750-8500, Davis, 95816, manettishremmuseum.ucdavis.edu

Sept. 27 - Dec. 30, “Irving Marcus: Romance and Disaster, A Retrospective.”

The first comprehensive museum exhibition of the long career of an artist and teacher at California State University, Sacramento, brings together more than 60 works that trace the arc of Marcus’ career from 1970 to 2017. An important figure among a community of artist-colleagues, including UC Davis faculty members Robert Arneson and Wayne Thiebaud, Marcus’ vibrant paintings and works on paper explore color’s expressive qualities through a highly original approach to image making that departed from mainstream New York and Los Angeles aesthetics of the late 20th century with a steadfast, radical, independent spirit. Manetti Shrem Museum, UC-Davis, Old Davis Road (across from the Mondavi Center). (530) 750-8500, Davis, 95816, manettishremmuseum.ucdavis.edu

Sept. 29-March 10, “Wayne Thiebaud: Artist’s Choice;” Sept. 29-April 28, “Wayne Thiebaud: Paintings and Drawings”

In these side-by-side exhibitions, internationally known, Sacramento-based artist Wayne Thiebaud’s own work is featured alongside paintings by others that he personally selected from SFMOMA’s collection. “Artist’s Choice” includes works by famous artists of the past, such as Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Richard Diebenkorn, as well as younger artists, such as Katherine Porter and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. Wayne Thiebaud: Paintings and Drawings” features works from SFMOMA’s collection that span 50 years of the artist’s career, from his classic still life “Confection,” 1962, to his grand landscape, “Canyon Mountains,” 2011-12. The show offers a first-hand look at the creative process behind Thiebaud’s works from beginning sketches to finished paintings. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St., San Francisco, 94103, (415) 357-4000, sfmoma.org

Aug. 30-Jan. 6: “Veiled Meanings, Fashioning Jewish Dress from the Collection of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.”

The clothing in this fascinating exhibition reveals the diversity of Jewish communities across centuries and around the globe. Regardless of origin, these garments dating primarily from the 19th and early 20th centuries tell stories about the people who wore them, bygone communities, forms of dress and craft that no longer exist, and a sense of beauty that still enthralls. Contemporay Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street, San Francisco, 94103, (415) 655-7800, cjm.org

Sept. 22-Jan. 6, “Contemporary Muslim Fashion”

The first major exhibition to explore the complex and diverse nature of Muslim fashions and current modest dress codes includes pieces by more than 80 designers from all over the world. From street wear to high couture, the show features high-end labels such as Dior and Yves Saint Laurent alongside emerging Muslim designers and brands such as Dian Pelangi and Blancheur. deYoung museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Drive, San Francisco, 94118, (415) 750-3600, deyoungmuseum.org

Nov. 17-April 7, “Gauguin: A Spiritual Journey”

This stunning exhibition takes viewers on a visual journey through Gauguin’s work. More than 60 of his pieces, including oil paintings, works on paper, wood carvings, and ceramics, shown alongside art of the Pacific Islands from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s stellar collection, examine Gauguin’s inner imaginings and his quest to understand spirituality - both his own and that of other cultures. deYoung museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Drive, San Francisco, 94118, (415) 750-3600, deyoungmuseum.org

Nov. 3-Feb. 4, “East Meets West: Jewels of the Maharajas from the Al Thani Collection”

Moving from the Mughals in the 17th century to the modern day, over 150 precious objects invite viewers to immerse themselves in the opulence of luxurious jewelry from the collection of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani. Famed diamonds, illustrious turban ornaments, rare rubies, emeralds, jade daggers and more illustrate India’s strong influence on jewelers over the centuries and over the world. Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park, 100 34th Avenue, San Francisco, 94121, (415) 750-3600, legionofhonor.org

Sept. 7-Dec. 9, “Haroon Mirza: The Night Journey”

This mesmerizing light and sound installation by London-based artist Haroon Mirza translates an Indian miniature from the museum’s collection into a sonic code that controls electrical impulses in the form of sound, light and color. Arising from the artist’s interest in Sufi mysticism, trance music, meditation and other consciousness-altering practices, this immersive art work lets viewers see, hear and even feel art in new ways. Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, 94102, (415) 581-3500, asianart.org

Sept. 7-Dec. 30, “Painting is My Everything: Art from India’s Mithila Region”

The bold artistic vision of 17 contemporary artists, many of them women, from a provincial region of India has achieved commercial success that has brought much needed income to their families and spurred social change in the Mithila region. Working in a traditional style, these artists address subjects both local and global, personal and universal that range from reflections on piety to geopolitical events. Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, 94102, (415) 581-3500, asianart.org

Oct. 3-May 26, “Boundless: Contemporary Tibetan Artists at Home and Abroad”

Featuring works by renowned Tibetan artists alongside rare historical pieces, this exhibition highlights how artists explore visual forms to reflect their culture, language and lives. Though living and working in in different areas - Lhasa and Katmandu, New York and the Bay Area, the artists included adopt and adapt elements of Tibetan Buddhist art and philosophy to make works with multilayered meanings. Berkeley Art Museum, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, 94704, (510) 642-0808, bampfa.org

Oct. 13-Feb. 15: “The World of Charles and Ray Eames”

Known for “The Eames Chair,” the innovative husband and wife duo of Charles and Ray Eames (who was born in Sacramento) were two of the most influential designers of the 20th century. Through multimedia installations, film, photography, furniture, toys and rare prototypes, as well as personal letters, drawings, and art work, this interactive exhibition brings their ideas and playful spirit alive. Oakland Museum of California, 100 Oak Street at 10th Street, Oakland, 94607, (510) 318-8400, museumca.org

This story was originally published August 31, 2018 at 12:01 AM with the headline "From Thiebaud to Gauguin, Northern California museums offer diverse works in fall shows."