SF Asian Art Museum Exhibit

[Brian Howell]

I saw the current exhibition at the SF Asian Art Museum. It's called First Look and consists of contemporary works from the museum's collection. Yes, in addition to Asiatic artworks and artifacts dating back far enough to be of interesting to paleoarcheologists, the museum also collects works from recent and current artists. I found the exhibition very interesting and provocative.

Kate, my wife, who works at SFAAM, tells me that the exhibition has been poorly attended and has met with negative criticism—sight unseen—by museum members. Apparently they consider such works to be outside of the museum's scope, even though nowhere in its name, marketing, or charter, is it incumbent or even suggested that the museum restrict itself to works only of long-dead people.

The exhibit closes on the 11th and I strongly recommend it.