Bay Area Now 9
October 6–May 5, 2024
Group Exhibition
Curated by Martin Strickland and Fiona Ball.
Image: BAN9 Opening Party Attendees with Installation View of Chelsea Ryoko Wong (Painting) and Janet Delaney (Photography). YBCA, San Francisco.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)
701 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
+1-415-978-2787
YBCA Website
YBCA Instagram
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco, California, 94103
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Hours
| Monday | Closed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Thursday | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Friday | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Saturday | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Sunday | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm |
Bay Area Now 9 (BAN9) is a triennial exhibition that features 30 artists from a variety of disciplines.
The artists included in the 2024 edition are Indira Allegra, Michael Arcega, Sholeh Asgary, Ashwini Bhat, Nyame Brown, Craig Calderwood, champoy, Jeffrey Cheung, Lenore Chinn, Arleene Correa Valencia, Jillian Crochet, Janet Delaney, José Figueroa, Heesoo Kwon, Masako Miki, Golbanou Moghaddas, Courtney Desiree Morris, Paz G, Tracy Ren, Trina Michelle Robinson, Muzae Sesay, Nicole Shaffer, Peter Simensky, Charlene Tan, Shirin Towfiq, Christine Wang, Leila Weefur, Chelsea Wong, Doris Yen, and Connie Zheng.
Preview of YBCA’s Bay Area Now 9 Exhibition. YBCA, San Francisco.
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On February 15, YBCA held an event titled “Love Letter to SOMA,” which was set to feature activations by a selection of BAN9 artists. On the day of the event, eight YBCA artists—Sholeh Asgary, Jeffrey Cheung, Paz G, champoy, Courtney Desiree Morris, Tracy Ren, Leila Weefur, and Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo—organized a protest in support of an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, recasting the event as “Love Letter to Gaza.”
BAN9 Works by Jeffrey Cheung, champoy, and Courtney Desiree Morris Amended in the Feb. 15 Protest. YBCA, San Francisco.
During the protest, nine BAN9 works by artists Sholeh Asgary, Jeffrey Cheung, champoy, Jillian Crochet, Paz G, Courtney Desiree Morris, Tracy Ren, Leila Weefur, and Connie Zheng were altered.
Leaflets distributed at the event called for YBCA to remove ‘Zionists’ from their board and staff and to publicly commit to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). The organizations Jewish Voice for Peace, Palestinian Feminist Collective, U.S. Palestinian Community Network, and Palestinian Youth Movement also participated in the protest.
Controversy arose when the artists, whose works had been modified, were informed that their pieces would be removed from the show. Subsequent meetings between the museum and the artists ensued. It was disclosed that YBCA would not permit a ‘Free Palestine’ banner to accompany Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo’s outdoor painting, nor would it allow Jeffrey Cheung to incorporate the colors of the Palestinian flag in his BAN9 works.
The galleries closed for a month, and the interim CEO, Sara Fenske Bahat, resigned. On February 21, YBCA issued a public statement in response to the February 15 protest. Five days later, both current and former YBCA staff authored an open letter critiquing the organization’s leadership. On March 15, YBCA announced via Instagram that it would reopen, and the nine altered works would remain in the show. On March 29, it was further announced that admission to the exhibition would be free for the remaining duration.
José Figueroa’s Drawing Archive, 2018–ongoing. YBCA, San Francisco.
While censorship is never acceptable, large institutions are complex and often convoluted entities, involving board members, donors, employees, and a public face. I’m glad the works remain in the show, that all the artists have the opportunity to express themselves.
On my third visit to the exhibition, I saw the amended works. They are incredibly impactful, which made me think: What is the price of freedom? And of peace?
Paz G’s You Have a Broken Heart, 2023. Paz spray-painted ‘Free Palestine’ on their scuplutre during the Feb. 15 protest. YBCA, San Francisco.
🗓 BAN9 runs until May 5 at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. It is a FREE exhibition.
💌 Did you see the show? What did you think? Let us know in the comments (in the Reviews section located on the second tab at the top of the page).
QUICK GUIDE: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)
⭐ HOURS: Open Wednesday–Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Monday–Wednesday.
⭐ ADMISSION: General Admission Tickets are currently FREE. Membership starts at $165.
⭐ EVENTS: FREE w/ online registration: Art + Asana: Free Yoga Class with Suzanne Zuber on April 25, May 2, 4 p.m.–5 p.m.; pARTicipate Workshop: Polymer Clay Netsuke with Michael Arcega on April 24, 2 p.m.– 4 p.m.; Goodwill Label Stories Discussion and Pop-up with Lynda Grose on Sunday, April 28, 12 p.m.–2 p.m.; Yerba Buena Gardens Festival starts their FREE OUTDOOR LIVE PERFORMANCES ON APRIL 24. SEE THEIR WEBSITE FOR FULL LIST OF EVENTS. Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion on April 24, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m; Bay Area Dance Week Kick-off on Apr 27, 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
⭐ FOOD: While YBCA does not have a cafe, there are several casual dining options a few feet awa.y at the Metreon (mall). My nearby FAVES are Oren’s Hummus (across the street). Check out their *AMAZING HAPPY HOUR Monday–Thursday 3 p.m.–5 p.m. and Grace (SFMOMA’s public street-level restaurant).
A LOVE LETTER TO ART RECOMMENDS
SEE MORE ART AT YERBA BUENA GARDENS
🦋 FREE: There also are quite a few public artworks on display at Yerba Buena Gardens (750 Howard Street | map | 2 min walk), including the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial fountain, Revelation, a powerful work by sculptor Houston Conwill, poet Estella Conwill Majoza (great interview with her in the link), and architect Joseph DePace. The Yerba Buena Gardens public arts program has created a FREE self-guided tour that is downloadable to your phone, which is linked below.
DINING AT YERBA BUENA GARDENS
🌳TIP: I really enjoy just chilling out and having a bite to eat in Yerba Buena Gardens, where you can either sit on the benches, grass, or on the Metreon’s Dining Terrace (tables and chairs available seasonally). *For kids, I would recommend grabbing takeout from one of inexpensive restaurants in the Metreon (the steps from Yerba Buena Gardens lead right into the food court). The park hosts FREE LIVE MUSIC AND PERFORMANCES on many weekends of the year, which is really FANTASTIC in the spring and summer. Such great vibes!!
ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS AT YERBA BUENA GARDENS
Activities for kids at Yerba Buena Gardens include: Yerba Buena Gardens, Yerba Buena Gardens Children’s Creativity Museum and the LeRoy King Carousel, the Yerba Buena Children’s Garden playground, and the Yerba Buena Ice Skating and Bowling Center.
NEARBY ART
NEARBY DINING
Author: ALoveLettertoArt
