de Young

5/12/2010

I love the spaciousness of the de Young Museum. The layout is unique and airy - not to mention how awesomely the artwork is displayed here.  You will find yourself wandering into many interesting rooms, suddenly realizing you've landed in a different region of the world.

The gift shop is pretty awesome, too - great housewares.

The admission (for students) isn't really too steep at all.

Be sure to walk around the grounds of the museum after you've explored the artwork inside.

1/11/2014

Went to see the Hockney exhibition "A Bigger Exhibition". Should be called "A Bigger Exhibition Than the de Young Can Handle". Waited in line to get in the parking garage. Stuck in traffic inside the garage (narrow, one-way loop). Lucked out and got a space. Waited in Member's line to get a ticket. Went to the cafe and waited in line there while waiting for my designated time slot to get in the Hockney exhibit queue. Waited in the Hockney queue. Waited in a "post queue" holding area where they scanned your timed ticket. Exhibit was excellent but packed. Waited in line for elevator for continuation of exhibit. Waited in bookstore to make a purchase. Waited for rest room. When leaving, waited in line to use ticket machine to pay for parking (one machine was broken). Waited to get back in endless loop of traffic in garage. Waited to get out of garage. All in all, an excellent exhibit, but I spent much more time WAITING in lines than seeing art! Never go on a weekend when there's a big exhibit!

3/21/2013

So crowded you can't look at anything. There was a special floral exhibit spread throughout the museum so I HAD to pay $10 extra dollars even though I didn't come to an art museum to see flowers. Had the flowers been confined to one area, I could have enjoyed the museum and spent $10 less dollars. Might be better on a different day, but I won't be coming back to San Fran to find out.

1/19/2008

I've actually been to the new DeYoung several times since it opened in late 2005...now didn't that sound pretentious?...well, la-di-frickin-da to me! Anyhow, the reason I'm finally reviewing the place is that I was one of the nearly four thousand who showed up for Gavin Newsom's inaugural party last week. Lots of politicos were about, but I was just there as Jamie W.'s guest since he is passionately involved with his civic responsibilities. Me? I just hope someone picks up the dog crap in front of my building.

Lots of hobnobbing and elbowing to get to the sushi platters. Hardly worth the effort to jam my arm in front of the city supervisors to grab a California roll. But I did get it, and that's all that matters, right? Anyhow, I got a chance to roam the museum while all the glad-handing was going on in the main lobby area. The art is a relative hodgepodge but presented immaculately in an expansive area. Blown glass. Costumes. Pacific art. Mayan artifacts. Modern art constructs. That's what makes the DeYoung more inviting than many others in the city.

The copper covering of the building hasn't oxidized enough to melt into the surrounding greenery, but I imagine that'll take a while. The tower is worth a visit though don't expect to be blown away by the views. I mean it's certainly pretty...you can the Golden Gate in the distance, but most of what you see is in the park itself and the immediate environs. The best part is the blow-up of an aerial map of the city where you can look for the top of your building. But like any true art appreciator, my favorite features of the museum are the cafeteria and museum shop. Don't judge me.

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  "Fruit Still Life" (1997) by Flora Mace and Joey Kirkpatrick

  "Fruit Still Life" (1997) by Flora Mace and Joey Kirkpatrick
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• See all photos from Ed U. for de Young

3/12/2013

I'd give this place eleven out of ten stars if I could just for their stellar collection of Oceanic artifacts. Stand out pieces from Papua New Guinea (spirit boards, that human skull draped in fishnet weighted with dozens of large cowrie shells, and, of course, the false vagina!), New Zealand ("tiki" idols that look as if they're throwin' gang signs - so tough!) and elsewhere demand more than a casual breezy tour of this wing haunted by the captivating spirits of far away Pacific Islands. Not to be missed!

7/6/2012

I have few memberships...I am one to save a dime when needed and one to spend one for something worth it as well. A membership to the fine arts museums of SF if some of the best spent money ever! Love to come to the Legion of Honor and the Deyoung and see the great exhibits....notably the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit there now....amazing! Not only is it a pleasure to stop by anytime to see a little art...i also love that they have free member kids art classes....what a treat for my child.

Join...trust me....the art and the setting will set you straight after a tough week at the office....:-)

3/15/2012

Wow, who knew this place would be so cool! They are doing things right around here. The Friday night thing they have going on is so awesome. They have great exhibits, great music and yes, a bartender. I don't think I've ever felt so cultured.

I first heard about this venue by my Humanities professor several years ago. She was offering extra credit to anyone who went to view a performing artist named Guillermo Gómez-Peña. Wow, this guy and his team are amazing! I really felt connected through the art of performance.

They have great activities to offer children too. I have yet to have the time to actually bring my kids here but it's nice to know it's there. One day...

This place kinda fell off my radar. I can't wait to come back.

2/1/2010

I came with a friend and we met another friend that was in from Seattle, WA.

We came here specifically to see the King Tut Exhibit.  We bought our tickets through Ticketmaster and because my friend found a coupon from Peet's coffee, we ended up paying $30 bucks each for the ticket which included headphones.

Our viewing time was between 10:30am and 11am.  The exhibit itself was pretty interesting.  There were 11 galleries that held an extensive array of artifacts from the tomb of King Tut and other Egyptian sites. Each exhibit was well lit and had a brief paragraph about the artifact.  I found the gold coffinette the most interesting as they had contained King Tut's mummified internal organs of: liver, lungs, stomach & intestines.  

I did enjoy the headphones as it was narrated by the late Omar Sharif and did read that King Tut's death mask and sarcophagus are not allowed to leave Egypt and that is why it is not included in the exhibit.

The crowd was okay although there was one lady that kept stepping in front of me to see the exhibits therefore blocking my view. A bit frustrating, so I had to put myself in "time out" a few times.  They had a few benches in each room to sit down and chill.

Good exhibit.

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  King Tut coffinette

  King Tut coffinette
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  King Tut Exhibit

  King Tut Exhibit

2/6/2010

Four stars is about right.

I went here to see the King Tut exhibit with my family and some friends.  After a cheesy introduction with dramatic lighting and a video narrated by Omar Sharif, the main doors to the exhibit opened, seemingly by themselves, to make it seem like we were entering the tomb itself.  I rolled my eyes, and then proceeded to enjoy the antiquities.

Amidst the occasional cheese, there was a good deal of real meat in this exhibit.  Unlike the last exhibit in '79 (which I also saw), about half of this exhibit was not Tut's stuff at all, but Tut's relatives.  This didn't make it less interesting though.  There were actually few of the items from '79 there, but there were also other pieces that I had never seen before, neither thirty years ago nor in any book.  It was a really nice and informative exhibit, despite corny titles for Tut like "Commander in Chief" which was displayed boldly on the wall above some of his tomb items.  I did have a great time here--some items brought back memories.  The museum itself looks fantastic, with great eye appeal.

I remarked to a friend that this exhibit should really be called "The Zawi Hawass Show" (after Zawi Hawass, who is Egypt's Minister of Culture).  His name is all over it.  After the exhibit is over, you are routed through the gift shop with a huge, signed picture of Hawass on the wall wearing an Indiana Jones hat.  It's actually a promotion for the Zawi Hawass line of hats, and you can choose from a stack of hats there at the shop, the proceeds of which go to charity.  I don't want to belabor the issue, but this show had a good deal of self-promotion for him along with all the Tut marketing.

I would recommend this museum.  After the Tutankhamun hoopla has died down, I'll check out to see what exhibit they've got next.

11/16/2010

I went here with my dad to see the Impressionism and Beyond exhibit (running from Sep- 2010- Jan 2011). We arrived around 12:30, with previously purchased tickets (through Costco, which I recommend).  The man at the ticket counter informed us we would have to wait until the 2:30 time slot. And this was on a random Wednesday in November. Keep that in mind if you plan on only being there a couple hours. However, we were told that with our tickets came general admission to the entire museum, which is cool in its own right. There is artwork from the likes of Mary Cassatt,  Edward Hopper, and lesser known American, European, and  African artists.  Another bonus- the 8th floor observatory level. You get a beautiful 360 degree view of San Francisco. This makes the Academy of Science across the way look like a little bumpy lawn!

The Impressionist exhibit is quite good, just really crowded.  Works from the likes of Gauguin, Renoir, Van Gogh, and more, were, quite simply, beautiful. This is a must for anyone who has not been to the Orsay (or, someone who wants to re-visit some of the art, across the Atlantic).  From my understanding, there is an ever-changing roster of exhibits. I will be back.

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  View from the observatory floor

  View from the observatory floor
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  The Academy of Science, as seen from the observatory floor.

  The Academy of Science, as seen from the observatory floor.

8/15/2010

I haven't been to this place in a long time but when I came to see the Birth of Impressionism exhibit, I was pretty impressed.  The architecture of the building itself is excellent and the exhibit was very good.  Their audio guided tour was also very helpful.  My only qualm was that only about half the paintings have audio clips accompanying them and the ones that don't didn't always have a background story attached.  Nevertheless, it was interesting to visually experience the breakaway from the French Salon standard in the impressionists.

The staff was pretty helpful but boy was the place busy.  I would have liked the paintings maybe spread out more over a bigger area so as to thin the crowd a bit.  It was hard to get a good visual angle at some of the pieces and many of the visitors were not concentrating on where they were going as they went from painting to painting.

All in all the de Young is an excellent venue and the location is tucked away from the city around it as well as conveniently near the Academy of Science.  I look forward to going again maybe for the Van Gogh exhibit after the current one departs.

11/17/2009

The Rules of Date Night

1)  You do not talk about 'Date Night'.
2)  You DO NOT talk about 'Date Night'.
3)  When someone yells "Stop" or goes limp, or taps out, the date is over.  
4)  Only one girl and one guy on the date.
5)  One date at a time.
6)  No shirts, no shoes.
7)  Dates go on as long as they have to.
8)  If this is your first 'Date Night', you have to have fun!

The Date Night Rules now firmly established (and promptly broken), we walked like Egyptians over to the de Young.  Neither of us had been in ages and we were both interested in checking out the King Tutankhamun exhibit.

The $32.50 price tag for the exhibit is steep but we went on a Friday night where the tickets were a more wallet friendly $20 apiece (plus the $3.75 "convenience" fee).  In exchange, we got a mini vacay to Egypt (circa 1332 BCE natch) and the sights included gorgeously ornate statues, masks, jewelry, coffins, jars, chests, model boats, a game, and even a dog collar in an array of materials and colors including a beautiful turquoise and bling bling-y gold.  The intricate level of detail and the quality and variety of artifacts were impressive.  The ten rooms in the exhibit were well thought out and the descriptions throughout were very informative, interesting, and easily viewed.

We saved revisiting the other galleries in the museum for another day but of course we had to take a quick trip up to the tower.

The 360 view of the city from there?

AMAZING.

Much like the de Young.

12/28/2009

I guess I'm picky about architecture and design, I will even let it effect my choices in picking restaurants, places to shop and landmarks. I'm basically drawn in by attractive, interesting or historically significant buildings.

I've been putting off going to the De Young Museum since it opened, because I'm not a big fan of the design. I can't believe I let the exterior put me off, because the interior is really nice. I loved the use of natural light, finishes and the open spaces. I really wish I could have seen the view from the tower, but we had been there for awhile and I was itching to go.

I took my crush to see the King Tut exhibit a few weeks ago. We were in need of some art and culture. I wanted to see King Tut and was kinda disappointed he wasn't really there. That was my only real complaint and not a big deal.

11/4/2011

Take a second and think about all museums you've ever attended.

For me, every one is a different animal in and of itself because they all have something unique to offer, yet they're all pretty different.

De Young is another exceptional place that houses really groundbreaking work.

The paintings are exquisite and appealing to almost all tastes.

The sculptures have probably been worked on for decades and kept out of the public eye before they were found.

The craft on display really gives you a nice peak into what was going through the minds of our ancestors from thousands of years ago.

Go there.

Experience it.

Come back.

Tell everybody else.

7/17/2011 Updated review

Please, please PLEASE read this if you are going to the Picasso Exhibit:

There is NO text on the walls other than the placards, so you MUST get the audio tour if you are expecting to learn anything about Picasso or the pieces on display.

I wasn't aware of this, and I couldn't figure out a cohesive theme to any of the rooms. There is no text explaining the Blue or Rose periods, or which paintings fell into those. There is no text explaining what or why cubism is. Georges Braque was never mentioned either.

This is just a fair warning to all other visitors. I hold an Art History degree and feel like I wasted my ticket because I learned nothing from the visit, and really, REALLY wished I had purchased the audio tour.

12/9/2009

I debated a lot about what my 700th review should be and in the end I settled for this place because I've been here or around this area at least three times in the past year so I have a pretty good judge of the De Young Museum and all the cool things that they offer. I came here to see King Tut most recently but also saw the glass art display from last year which I cannot remember the name of right now to save my review ... :\ ... and also came here to see the regular exhibits (and one other one, again, my memory is failing ... must be all the alcohol?)

For the most part, I only got the bag check once and it was when I went to the regular portion of the museum, never their special exhibits. I didn't mind it much as the security just looked through my bag and passed me on. Sometimes their exhibits are pretty cool but other times slightly disappointing (still well presented) but it was overall a cool, educational experience every time I go. The chihuly exhibit, for example (yay I remembered the name) featured many beautiful artsy glass pieces that I thoroughly enjoyed and was very well setup to impress. The King Tut exhibit was ... okay I suppose. Not the best but it was still interesting to read with all the audio tour info.

The regular portion of the museum is a little dry, lots of historical items to look at but no real path, story or category being told or kind of sporadic in that way. I'd still come here for any future cool exhibits that show up on my radar.

3/28/2010

30 years ago, my father purchased tickets for him and I to see King Tutankhamun on his first and maiden visit to San Francisco and the De Young Museum.

I remember being awed by all the treasures found by Dr. Carter and I remember thinking "I wish I was there in 1917."  

Well, here we are 30 years later and again I was in awe.  My Dad did it a second time.  He not only purchased tickets for him and I, but for the rest of my family too.  This included my oldest son who is just about the same age I was 30 years ago.  

The exhibit wasn't as good as I remember 30 years ago, and that's probably becasue the King didn't make it this trip.  But what makes this trip special and a 5 star is the fact my kids were able to see and share what my dad and I saw and shared 30 years ago.  

After the visit with the king, we were able to see the rest of the exhibits in the museum with our tickets.  And I have to say the De Young's new design, especially the observation tower are worth every penny in admission cost.

I just hope in 30 more years I'm still around to see King Tut again and to share my experiences with not only my kids, but my grand-kids too.

Thanks Dad.

5/22/2012

The deYoung is one of the city's greatest assets. Sure, it was mocked as Dede Wilsey's personal pet project when it reopened - and yeah, it kind of looks like a metallic dinosaur, but don't let that fool you. It's a fantastic place to see a few exhibitions, relax a while, take a break from life. The prices are pretty out there - if you live in the city, membership is definitely worth it for cost/benefit purposes. With the recent Balenciaga and Gaultier exhibits they're really pulling in a new crowd, which is fantastic.

If you want to miss the crowds, get there early. Remember that schools usually do fieldtrips around and after lunch time, so that's probably the worst time of day if you're looking for a quiet experience. The security isn't as off the wall and over-serious as other places (I'm looking at you, MoMA), they'll tap your shoulder and give you a hint and back off. Or just give you a look like you know you shouldn't be doing that, and wait for you to stop before actually intervening. It's kind of fun, actually.

The fact that you now also have the fully restored and out of this world Academy of Sciences across the way is an incredible bonus. They did a stunning job making that part of golden gate park so cohesive.

So I say go, check it out, find yourself staring at one of a kind art work and out of this world exhibits. And hey, if that doesn't get you, the view from the observation deck is always pretty rad.

1/18/2011

The prospect of being at a museum at 7:30 a.m. did not particularly thrill me, but that was the only time I could snag tickets for the Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay exhibit, which was ending its run at the De Young. So I gave it a go.

I was surprisingly glad that I drug myself out of bed to catch this exhibit. The De Young itself is a pretty awesome architectural site and while I did not check out the permanent collection they seem to continually have some good visiting exhibits.

The post-impressionist exhibit had a few Van Gough classics: Starry Night, his self portrait and others. Cezanne and Gauguin also had some pretty well known pieces to display. Overall, more than worth the early morning trip to see this work and this space.

Friendly and helpful staff, good selection at the bookshop and well functioning audio tour equipment.

3/15/2012

Amazing.  So much art, so much to see.  I loved all of it, ranging from modern American sculpture and art to Guinea art.  It is a huge museum, it will definitely take at least a couple of hours to go through, but well worth it.  Also, this week was the "Bouquet to Art" exhibit, which was an amazing concept: local artists designing bouquets of flowers to accentuate particular works of art throughout the museum.  Very, very cool.

Since today was a rainy day, it felt like half the population of San Francisco was also there, but small price to pay for a wonderful experience.  Hands down one of the best museums in the city.

4/2/2012

great temporary exhibit on fashion.  designer of choice was Gaultier.  it was well done, a little freaky to look at the projected faces on the mannequins, but its an art gallery after all.  

the BEST part was the fern gardens and the tower view.  

my complaint is that it's EXTRA to see the Gaultier show on top of the 10$ to see the main museum.  20$ is a little steep.

4/2/2013

I love this museum...there were so many exhibits that were breath taking and heartbreaking also...I will definitely be going back very soon...worst part was the cafe located inside...food was not good and over priced.

10/27/2007

A work of art housing many wonderful works of art.  I finally got a chance to visit the De Young last night for the Friday night festivities - they are open late and have music and cocktails available, and I was blown away at how gorgeous everything was.  A friend of a friend actually has a drawing on display at the museum and was able to hook us up with access to the VIP party and free cocktails in the member lounge which made the evening that much more perfect.

The building is beautiful and the view from the observation deck fantastic! I can't wait to go back to check out the view during the day and to spend some time wandering the museum itself.

*tip* If you flash your fast pass or muni transfer you'll save $2 off the entrance fee.

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  West by Ian Ingram

  West by Ian Ingram

1/9/2011

Membership does have it's privileges, at least at the Fine Arts Museums of SF.  I've been here for most of the special exhibits and have been quite impressed with them, especially the ones for Orsay 2, YSL and Vivienne Westwood.  The regular collection includes a good selection of relics from Africa and the Pacific Islands.

The remodeled de Young is a huge improvement over the prior space.  Not only are the exhibits consistently good, but the museum itself is much better, with more space and more light.  The only downside of all these great exhibits are the crowds.  As usual, if you come early or come late there will be more room to move around and spend more time viewing the exhibits.  The docents are pretty good and the audio tours are okay.  Make sure to set aside enough time to head up to the observation tower for a beautiful view of SF.  The building itself is work of modern art.

I would recommend the cafe.  The food is tasty and includes some healthy options (that being said, the fries are pretty good).  The prices are decent too, well, decent enough so that you don't leave feeling like you've just been gouged (airports, stadiums, movie theatres).   There's a sculpture garden outside for dining and for kids to run around.  

Membership and muni passes provide some of the discounts.  If you plan to visit the special exhibits more than once per year, I'd highly recommend that option as it also includes entrance to the Legion of Honor.

7/26/2011

Why have I not come here until recently?  Equally as astonishing is that when I tell people I came here and how much I loved it, they will give me a puzzled look because they've never even heard of it!  

I had been wanting to come for some time and this summer finally decided it was time.  Especially with hearing about the Picasso exhibit.  Wow, am I glad I did.  Now that I've seen it, I wouldn't want to have missed this exhibit.  Uhhh-mazing!  While I was walking through the rooms looking at his amazing collection of timeless works put together into one collection, I realized that there is a very high probability that I'd never see most of these pieces again in person and also that I'd probably never see them all together like this.  

Aside from the Picasso exhibit, they have a great variety of other art.  They have some traditional American art spanning the late 1700's to early 1900's.  They have some modern and abstract works from local and international artists.  Some cultural pieces and sculptures spanning the Egyptians, South American civilizations, etc.  All very intriguing to look at, discuss, and enjoy.  Plenty of diversity so any art fan could enjoy.  

Almost as entertaining as the art for me was the structure and architecture.  Very, very impressive design.  You must go to the 9th floor to catch the view(although a good chance that it'll be overcast and foggy).  Walk around the outside and check out the pond, the framing of the structure, etc.  

Very reasonably priced.  I actually decided to get a membership, of which they credited me my days admission towards.  As a member you can bring a friend with you for free.  Ummm, awesome.  The same week I even returned for the Friday night festivities which included a really cool live jazz band, a bar, etc...

8/28/2010

First off, the exterior of the museum is an eye sore! I don't feel it blends well with the park surroundings. It might grow on me eventually, but it has been a few years already since it re-opened and I'm not loving it yet.

The view from the tower is beautiful, yes, I'll give that to them. The building is much more aesthetically pleasing from the inside. Still not worth the hideous monstrosity of that exterior though, in my opinion.

I was there for the Chihuly exhibit and that was gorgeous! FIVE huge stars for Chihuly! If that was a permanent fixture at the museum, they would easily get five stars. I was under-impressed by everything else. I'll have to go back and maybe get a guided tour so I can feed off the guide's enthusiasm.

11/19/2011

This is only for the observation tower as I have not gone into the actual museum. The observation tower is free and you just go through the front and to the right and make a left until you hit the elevators and then you go to the 9th floor. You get to see a different view of the city compared to twin peaks (yelp.com/biz/twin-peaks-…) and grand view park (yelp.com/biz/grand-view-…). Its a good place to check out for a good 10-15 minutes if you are in the golden gate park area around the academy of sciences.

10/3/2011

It's a beautiful museum set inside the excellent Golden Gate park.
However, it doesn't contain as much art as I thought I would be interested in. This is no reflection of the De Young. Just a personal preference/opinion.

It's quite expansive and there's plenty to see. My favorite piece was the church made entirely of gun piece and what looked like ball bearings. Very impressive. There was a tooth and a spine within the structure which was a bit odd but didn't detract from the overall attention of the piece.

Rating it as purely a museum, it's pretty nice overall, not my cup of tea but almost as impressive as London's offerings.

12/8/2012

I'm not much of a "museum" person, but this one is easy to get through. The modern art section is my favorite. There was a church made out of gun parts. Brilliant. The cafe is amaze balls too.

10/18/2009

Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

I love art in general, and when I look at an object, I can feel it talking to me. Might sound strange to you but that's the connection I feel when appreciating an object that is crafted by human hands. I can spend hours and hours here and that's where the wifey and I don't see eye to eye.

I love visiting this place and you may also say that this structure is a wonderful piece of art in it self. The architecture blends perfectly in the heart of Golden Gate Park. The tower for me symbolizes the renewed spirit to accentuate new ideas while preserving the naturally beauty of an environment. I truly believe that a civilization will crumble without artists to stimulate our senses both visually and emotionally.

You see, you cannot look at something without having a reaction to it - whether it's positive or negative, we all have that reaction. That's the beauty I see as if I'm trying to pierce into the artist's soul looking at these objects. Having a facility like this is very stimulating and we are lucky that they are available to anyone. I mean everyone.

The first Tuesday of every month is free to the public and you may choose to give a donation upon entry. This is a wonderful program as it gives access to people who may otherwise cannot afford such luxuries. If it inspires just a few person to want to create while it provides an avenue to uplift themselves, then it's doing it job for it's the artists' works of arts that will last for centuries and even millenniums.

Just the thought of someone years from now who can look at an object and create that window to peer thru our time just gives me goosebumps. It's the same kind of feeling I get when looking at Mayan, Egyptian and other past artworks throughout man's history.

10/7/2013

I want to give the museum 5 stars for the building design and every friday events, but they don't have a treasure master piece.  How can a fine art museum not to have Monet and Picasso?

3/30/2013

The collection here is African/Oceanic/American art, with some contemporary art as well.  This is what I tend to skip over at a more encyclopedic museum, so it was fun to make myself take the time to learn more about those things, and the permanent exhibits had plenty of interesting pieces.  The temporary exhibits were perhaps even more impressive, and you can't forget about going to the top of the tower for 360 view of the city.  I just wish the outside of the museum wasn't so cold and uninviting.

3/16/2012

I haven't been back since the Grand Opening a few years back.

Came here for the much anticipated "Bouquet to art 2012 exhibit".  $17/ticket.  Included a day pass to Legion of Honor as well.

It was CROWDED and I could barely take any good photos.  Saw some inspiring pieces.

4 hour FREE parking inside the GGP OR pay at the garage OR park in a neighborhood near by and take the bus to get into the park/or walk.

1/8/2012

Always something interesting going on or being exhibited here. Lovely location. Feels a bit too much like an amusement park when there are herds of patrons on weekends.

10/5/2009

As part of celebrating my boyfriends Mom's birthday, we took her to the King Tut Exhibit at the De Young Museum.  If you're going to go I have a few recommendations:

1. Bring a sweater - it's cold in there, probably to keep the artifacts and casings well preserved.

2. Dont' forget your glasses.  I need glasses to read, however, it's very dark in the rooms and I found it hard to read some of the placards.  

3. Purchase the audio to get more out of the exhibit.

4. Be prepared to spend at least 1-2 hours there, depending on how much time you want to spend standing at each display and who you go with.  

5. Be patient.  A lot of people can't see very well (uh, like me), and have to get up close to read the placards.  But really, I rubbed my eyes a lot, it was harder for me to see than usual.  I'm sure it's because of the lighting.

Overall, we enjoyed it very much and if someone asked me what my favorite part of it was, I'd have to say that looking at the actual artifacts such as the small tomb that held Tutankhamun's liver (had me in a trance!).  I kept thinking how lucky I am to have the opportunity to view these pieces that have been buried for over 3,200 years and just discovered in our lifetime.

8/29/2009

My husband LOVES anything Egyptian (except for food maybe), so for his birthday, I reserved tickets to take both he and daughter to the King Tut exhibit. This was his first time ever to the De Young and my first time in roughly 25 years. I made our ticket time for 10:00am knowing that there would probably be a line.

The museum was easy enough to get to-especially with the use of the carpool lane. Due to it being an early time on a Tuesday, we found parking in the garage (though it is pricey). We went into the museum, had our purses searched and then went to the line for the exhibit. We waited for about 30 minutes upstairs in line, then were allowed to go downstairs where we stood in another line for about 20 minutes. So much for a 10:00 ticket time. The doors opened and we were packed in a room that was pretty dark and not well air conditioned. We were told we would be watching a 90 second video before entering the exhibit. This whole thing felt very Disney-ish-like something one would do before entering a ride.

The exhibit itself was just okay. My husband was disappointed with how much of the exhibit was of Tut's family and not so much of him. With our wait times, I thought we would be staggered a bit more for the exhibit. Unfortunately, the rooms got packed awfully quickly and again, it was hard to get "up close and personal". While the items were interesting, this is not an exhibit I will ever be drawn to see again. I think the husband feels the same way, and as for the daughter, let us just say, she would have rather gone to the Aquarium again!

The exhibit gets 2 stars, the museum gets an extra star.The tickets were expensive and we took it up the orifice with surcharge fees. Does the museum actually reap the benefits of these fees or do they go to Ticketmaster?

1/7/2010

Cool. We were able to stick our faces right up to a Rembrandt and Picasso, which was undeniably cool, and really take a close look at these magnificent works of art in person. You can see the brush strokes and signatures of some of the world's most famous artists and art. Unfortunately for us, we weren't able to get tickets to the King Tut exhibit. If you want to go, I'd say get tickets in advance. I heard you can get them at Costco, but you have to wait a few days to go or something like that. Anyway, we wandered through the museum's main exhibits and it was really cool. From the brick to the charred remains of a burned down church, to the little church built with gun parts and bullets. It was really impressive.

We only had to pay ten bucks each to get into the main exhibits and I think we forgot to use our AAA discount. The Tut exhibit was much more expensive, but that's okay because we weren't able to go anyways.

What you will remember though is the crazy architecture of the building. It's very industrially modern. Odd shaped rooms and corridors. Very thought provoking even when just moving from room to room. The height (excuse the pun) of the visit was the elevator ride to the top of the viewing area. You can see the park and surrounding San Francisco hills. A fantastic view. Even just being able to wander around the immediate park area around the museum was very nice.

If you go, go early. Getting into the museum might be easy, but finding parking might not be. Wonderful visit.

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  Looking up at the Tower.

  Looking up at the Tower.
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  View from the Tower of the California Academy of Sciences.

  View from the Tower of the California Academy of Sciences.
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  View from the Tower North. You can see the Golden Gate Towers peaking over the hill.

  View from the Tower North. You can see the Golden Gate Towers peaking over the hill.
• See all photos from Brian A. for de Young

7/10/2011

I've gained a new appreciation for de Young since my field trips as an elementary and middle-schooler with boundless, unharnessed energy. In those days, any joy or amusement associated with visiting museums was paralyzed by an academic objective. Now that I have a more heightened understanding and appreciation of of history, genre, and craftsmanship, visiting the de Young is a treat, not a dreaded assignment.

It's evident how much sweat was invested in beautifying this once earthquake-ravaged museum: with its dramatic copper façade, palm-lined landscapes and conservatory flitting ribbons of light through the leaves onto the grounds, it's lovely and intelligently designed and staged for the large influx of daily visitors.

The de Young includes tremendous collections from several periods throughout American history, ranging from 1670 to present day. Highlights include Neoclassical; Victorian and realism; the Hudson River School, and Social Realism and American Scene. Some pieces are frighteningly realistic (e.g. Thomas Hovenden's "The Last Moments of John Brown"); others are ethereal and dreamy (Henry Alexander's "Scene from the Mikado" with Louise Paullin). Others masterfully tell a story, recalling a simpler time pre-dating the advent of technology, civil rights and women's suffrage (Grant Wood's "Dinner for Threshers").

On exhibition through August is "Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris", which I was so fortunate as to see without booking reservations months in advance. It was an admitted privilege to stand mere feet from paintings I've created a veritable monument to in my bedroom: "Portrait of Olga", "The Matador", "Wounded Bird with Cat", and Rose Period works I confess I strongly prefer to the Cubist works. If the breadth of this collection is indicative of the de Young's other visiting exhibitions, I will DEFINITELY be returning for the Masters of Venice exhibition in October.

Another work on my "Must-See" list: Al Farrow's "The Spine and Tooth of Santo Guerro" (look at this thing up close!), which pierces you with its painstaking detail. This is one prime example of an artist not allowing his creative intent to be stifled by an overt socio-political message manifest in splattered paint and glued-on "found objects". Yawn.

10/22/2011

I love the grounds of the de Young and the observation tower.  The exhibits are a delight - far reaching with live performances (for free),  fashion, glasswork, furniture, and jewelry in addition to all sorts of cool "traditional" art.   Some of the exhibits are more successful than others, but it's always nice to have a place unafraid to push the envelope and take risks.

8/1/2009

I'm still a die-hard fan of San Francisco museums in general.  

However, the Tut exhibit at the DeYoung was really pushing the limits of false advertising.  There was indeed a sarcophagus there, but it was not our man Tut.  NO Tut sarcophagus?  That's just ri-donk-u-lous.  (Apparently, the Tut sarcophagus is no longer allowed to leave Egypt.)

Not to say the exhibit wasn't impressive.  It was really quite amazing to see the artifacts they had there, all preserved so delicately, perfectly maintained and in most cases glistening in the professional installation lighting.  

But the advertising is pretty misleading.  You won't see a big ol' Tut.  Instead you'll see a little "Honey, I Shrunk the Boy King Tut" mini sarcophagus there.  Not nearly as impressive as what is expected after paying such a hefty price for tickets.

The cost of a ticket for members was lowered to $22.50, which seemed high for an exhibit (IMHO).  I cringed when I told my class about it because I knew my students and their families could not afford it.  (Non-members: child ticket is $16.50, adults are $32.50)

To advertise an awesome exhibit like Tut and make the price so unreachable to so many students in San Francisco seems a tad thoughtless.  I know for a fact that the majority of kids in my entire school did not get to go, which makes me frown.

Another thing that makes me frown...the impossibly large crowds of hot, sweaty people.  Being nearly 9 months pregnant at the time of our tour, I was shoved, cut in front of, denied a seat on the many benches, and basically given no slack at all as my ankles began to swell and my head became light.  By the time we left the cramped quarters of the exhibit, I was nearly passing out from the sheer effort of getting through the hoards.  They really packed the people in...and apparently, quite a few %#*@$, too.

Carrying the miracle of life in your body really gets you NO perks anymore, does it?  Geez.