Berkeley, CA | Reading at the (Art)Table - "Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect" by Victoria Kastner
2023-02-12 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, California, 94704, United States
Please join us in Berkeley, CA for the next Reading at the (Art)Table book group, where we will be discussing Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect, by Victoria Kastner. We will come together at Julia Morgan’s Berkeley City Club and become immersed in one of the architect’s magical spaces through an informal tour.

This program is free to attend and open to ArtTable members only. Registration is required below.

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Please review the below before registering:

Health & Safety All attendees must wear face masks while in the building. Attendees should arrive on time so that they may be escorted in.Please note that by registering for this event you consent to have your contact information shared with ArtTable to be used in the event that contact tracing is needed. Accessibility There is a ground level entrance which is wheelchair accessible and an elevator to the main floor. Please email programs@arttable.org if you need such accommodation and we will arrange with the staff. Getting There The Berkeley City Club is located 2315 Durant Way, Berkeley, CA 94704. Click here for directions from any location.

Image: Book cover of Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect, by Victoria Kastner

San Francisco, CA | Exhibition Tour - "Joan Brown" at SFMOMA with Chief Curator Janet Bishop
2023-02-23 17:00 - 18:00 | SFMOMA, 151 Third Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103, United States
Please join us for a tour of the retrospective exhibition, Joan Brown, on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, with Janet Bishop, Thomas Weisel Family Chief Curator and Curator of Painting and Sculpture.

Comprising eighty colorful paintings and sculptures, Joan Brown spans the charmingly personal and engaging career of one of San Francisco’s most important local heroes. Deeply embedded in the Bay Area art scene, Joan Brown drew inspiration from many sources to create works that merge autobiography, fantasy, and whimsy, with weightier metaphysical and spiritual themes. This retrospective is the most expansive presentation on the artist’s work in more than twenty years, charting the turns and devotions of a vision that was once dismissed by critics as unserious but was rooted firmly in impassioned curiosity and research and remains uniquely compelling today.

Admission:

ArtTable Members – $10

Member Guests – $20

OR attend the program for free by becoming an ArtTable Volunteer!

ArtTable relies on volunteers nationwide to act as a point of contact for programs when staff are unable to attend. The volunteer will arrive early for the program, connect with the program host, take attendance, provide a brief introduction, and answer questions as needed. The volunteer will be in contact with ArtTable’s National Programs & Chapters Manager in advance to review all tasks. Volunteers do not have to pay to attend the program.

To sign up to be a volunteer for this program, please email Haley Carloni at programs@arttable.org with the subject line, “Interest in Volunteering – Joan Brown Tour.”

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Please note that all income from program fees goes toward ArtTable’s internal costs for organizing programs.

Please review the below before registering:

Health & Safety SFMOMA asks that all visitors abide by the following guidelines:Under the weather? Take care, stay home, feel better soon. Our services team can help you reschedule your ticket for an alternative date at no charge.Masks are recommended but not required.Headsets are currently unavailable; we encourage you to download the SFMOMA Audio App on a mobile device and bring a pair of headphones.Wash or sanitize your hands frequently. Sanitizer dispensers are located within the museum.No food or drink in the galleries.Any behavior or activity that disrupts the safe or orderly use of the Museum, or that affects the staff’s ability to provide services, is prohibited.Please treat each other and our staff with respect — no profanity and/or engaging in rude, inconsiderate, or abusive behavior. We can all use a little kindness.Please note that by registering for this event you consent to have your contact information shared with ArtTable to be used in the event that contact tracing is needed. Accessibility The Museum entrance and floors are accessible to visitors using wheeled devices or who have mobility difficulties. Our Accessible Drop-off Entrance allows passengers to be dropped off in close proximity to the entrance at Third Street. The entrance also has electric push-button doors for easy entry. Admission is free for one person accompanying a visitor with accessibility needs. Service animals on a leash and under their owner’s control are welcome. Lightweight, portable gallery stools and manual wheelchairs may be checked out free-of-charge. These are available on a first-come, first-serve basis in exchange for an ID card at Coat Check on Floor 1. The use of personal mobility devices and motorized vehicles (including Segways) is permitted, on the lowest speed setting. Elevators on Floor 1 (off of Third Street and Howard Street) are available to take visitors up to the Ticketing Desk and galleries on Floor 2. A second elevator, located in the Helen and Charles Schwab Hall on Floor 2, stops at all gallery levels (Floors 2–7). For more information on accessibility at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, visit their website. Please email programs@arttable.org if you require any specific accommodations. Getting There The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is located at 151 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94103. Click here for directions from any location. For information on parking at the museum and public transportation, visit the museum's website.

About the Curator
Janet Bishop is SFMOMA’s Thomas Weisel Family Chief Curator and Curator of Painting and Sculpture. With associate curator Nancy Lim, she is the co-curator of the museum’s Joan Brown retrospective, on view through March 12, 2023, followed by presentations at the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Orange County Museum of Art. Bishop’s first assignment when she joined SFMOMA was to assist with the survey Bay Area Figurative Art, 1950-1965, which gave her a chance to meet Brown. Bishop’s later exhibitions with Bay Area ties include The Steins Collect, Matisse/Diebenkorn, and David Park: A Retrospective. When SFMOMA was closed for construction, she oversaw “SFMOMA On the Go.” Janet is a graduate of Cornell University and Columbia University and currently serves on the Advisory Council of the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell.

Image: Joan Brown, The Bather #5, 1982; collection SFMOMA, gift of the estate of Joan Brown, Noel Neri, and Michael S. Hebel; (c) Estate of Joan Brown.

Berkeley, CA | Reading at the (Art)Table - "Maria Lassnig—The Biography" by Natalie Lettner
2023-04-16 11:00 - 13:00 | Gillman Grill, 1300 Fourth Street, Berkeley, California, 94710
Please join us in Berkeley, CA for the next Reading at the (Art)Table book group, where we will be discussing Maria Lassnig—The Biography by Natalie Lettner. This detailed account of the artist who died in 2014 at the age of 96 reveals a gritty view of life as a woman making art in the second half of the 20th century.

This program is free to attend and open to ArtTable members only. Registration is required below.

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Image: Book cover of Maria Lassnig—The Biography by Natalie Lettner

Berkeley, CA | Reading at the (Art)Table: "Also a Poet" by Ada Calhoun
2023-06-04 11:00 - 13:00 | Gilman Grill, 1300 Fourth Street, Berkeley, California, 94710
Join Northern California Chapter members for Reading at the (Art)Table as we discuss Also a Poet by Ada Calhoun. Explore memories, musings, and dig into the stories of Frank O’Hara, Peter Schjeldahl—the author’s father—and writer, Ada Calhoun.

“Brave, blistering… Fierce, dissonant, yet compelling.”—Washington Post

This program is free to attend and open to ArtTable members. Registration is required below.

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Image: Book cover of Also a Poet by Ada Calhoun.

Berkeley, CA | Reading at the (Art)Table: "The Surreal Life of Leonora Carrington"
2023-08-13 11:00 - 13:00 | Gilman Grill, 1300 Fourth Street, Berkeley, California, 94710
The Northern California Chapter’s book club, Reading at the (Art)Table, will meet to discuss The Surreal Life of Leonora Carrington by Joanna Moorhead. We hope you can join us at brunch for lively conversation and a view of this extraordinary life in art and world history! This story chronicles the development of a young woman artist at the heart of the surrealist movement in Europe prior to the outbreak of World War II with intimate recounting of dangers, mental illness, immigration, and rebuilding life and studio practice in Mexico.

“An intimate portrait of this wild child of surrealism and tells her fascinating story as recounted during a series of meetings in the later stages of her life.” —Tate etc.

This program is free to attend (optional donation) and open to ArtTable members.Registration is required below.

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Image: Book cover of The Surreal Life of Leonora Carrington by Joanna Moorhead.

Berkeley, CA | Reading at the (Art)Table: Kathan Brown "Know That You Are Lucky"
2023-10-08 11:00 - 13:00 | Gilman Grill, 1300 Fourth Street, Berkeley, California, 94710
Join Reading at the (Art)Table for a discussion of Know That You Are Lucky by Kathan Brown. From Europe to the United States, this memoir of fifty years of printmaking reveals the cross-pollination that includes East and West Coasts, Northern and Southern California, as well as the collaborative influence of Japan.

Kathan Brown has authored eight books, including Ink, Paper, Metal, Wood, which was published by Chronicle Books in 1996. Artforum’s Bookforum describes her work as “the next best thing to being there.” Brown is additionally known as the editor of the “MAGIC SECRETS” instructional series for printmakers, which is published by Crown Point Press. She has contributed articles to significant publications including “A John Cage Reader” (published by Wesleyan University Press in 1983), the “Cambridge Companion to John Cage” (published in 2002), and The Guardian in 2002.

This program is free to attend (optional donation) and open to ArtTable members.Registration is required below.

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Image: Book cover of The Surreal Life of Leonora Carrington by Joanna Moorhead.

Berkeley, CA | Reading at the (Art)Table: Katy Hessel "The Story of Art Without Men"
2023-12-10 11:00 - 13:00 | Gilman Grill in Berkeley, 1300 4th street, Berkeley, California, 94710, United States
Join the Northern California Chapter in Reading at the (Art)Table as we move through the centuries of “The Story of Art Without Men” by Katy Hessel. Here is an opportunity to marvel at art in every shape and form by women who wielded brush, hammer, and fire across continents and conventions to pursue their art.

This program is free to attend (optional donation) and open to ArtTable members.Registration is required below.
Please Note: The event will take place outdoors. In the event of inclement weather, the event will take place indoors with masking suggested for those at risk.

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Berkeley, CA | Curator-Led Tour: "Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection" with Chief Curator Margot Norton
2025-03-05 16:00 - 17:00 | Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, California, 94720, United States
Join ArtTable for a curator-led tour of Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection at the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, led by Chief Curator Margot Norton.

Making Their Mark brings together more than seventy artworks from the Shah Garg Collection, which is committed to amplifying the voices and visions of women artists. The exhibition, which premiered in New York in 2023, is the first public presentation of this important collection. Making Their Mark juxtaposes contemporary practices with pathbreaking historical works to illuminate transgenerational affinities, influences, and methodologies among artists from the postwar era to the present. Featuring a wide spectrum of artworks spanning almost eight decades, the exhibition emphasizes dialogues between artists who circumvent and break through conventions in art making, embracing craft techniques, uncommon supports, and alternative materials. Accompanied by a major publication produced in advance of the exhibition, Making Their Mark assembles significant examples by artists whose works go beyond prescribed definitions of art making established within a historically patriarchal field.

The Shah Garg Collection us owned by Komal Shah and Gaurav Garg, who support scholarship and public engagement highlighting the achievements and innovations of women artists through the Shah Garg Foundation. Through a wide range of projects and partnerships with educational institutions, arts organizations, and arts leaders, the Foundation works to bring greater recognition to art by women and to rectify the underrepresentation of women in public collections, exhibitions, and art historical narratives. Komal Shah will be honored at ArtTable’s Annual Benefit & Award Ceremony in April of this year. Click here to read more and register!

“I want to make a point with the collection, which is how excellent these artists are — they belong in every single museum.”– Komal Shah, The New York Times, 2023

Please review BAMFA’s accessibility page for available accommodations.

Program Admission:

ArtTable Members – $15

Member Guests – $20

Public – $25

Not a member? Join today!

About Margot Norton

Margot Norton is Chief Curator at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), where she leads the curatorial team and oversees the exhibition program. At BAMPFA she curated the exhibition Gabriel Chaile: No hay nada que destruya el corazón como la pobreza (2023), and is curating the collection exhibition To Exalt the Ephemeral: The (Im)permanent Collection (2024) and Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection, co-curated with Cecilia Alemani (2024). Norton was previously Allen and Lola Goldring Senior Curator at the New Museum, New York, where she recently co-curated the 2021 New Museum Triennial: Soft Water Hard Stone; Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined; and Pepón Osorio: My Beating Heart/ Mi corazón latiente. At the New Museum, she has also curated solo exhibitions with Carmen Argote, Judith Bernstein, Diedrick Brackens, Pia Camil, Sarah Charlesworth, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Ragnar Kjartansson, Sarah Lucas, Chris Ofili, Goshka Macuga, Nathaniel Mellors, Laure Prouvost, Pipilotti Rist, Mika Rottenberg, Kaari Upson and Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca, among others, and group exhibitions including The Keeper, Here and Elsewhere, and NYC 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. In 2017, she curated the Eighth Sequences Real Time Art Festival in Reykjavik, Iceland, and the Georgian Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale with artist Anna K.E. She is a founding member of Museums Moving Forward (MMF), an intergenerational, cross-institutional coalition of art museum professionals committed to advancing equity across the museum field. Before joining the New Museum in 2011, Norton was a curatorial assistant at the Whitney Museum of American Art. She has contributed to and edited numerous publications and exhibition catalogues, and regularly lectures on contemporary art and curating. She holds an MA in Curatorial Studies from Columbia University, New York.

Image credits:Installation view: Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, October 27, 2024–April 20, 2025

Margot Norton, photo by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr, courtesy of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

San Francisco, CA | Guided Tour of the San Francisco Art Fair
2025-04-18 13:00 - 14:00 | Fort Mason Center – Festival Pavilion, 2 Marina Blvd., San Francisco, California, 94123, United States
Join ArtTable for a special tour of the San Francisco Art Fair. Produced by AMP with Fair Director Kelly Freeman working in partnership with Artistic Director Nato Thompson, the 2025 edition of the San Francisco Art Fair will present 85 leading galleries from around the world alongside a dynamic series of public programming at Fort Mason Festival Pavilion. This year’s programming will be a continuation of the fair’s consistent commitment to providing a platform that celebrates diverse perspectives and pushes the boundaries of artistic expression.

Program Admission:

ArtTable Members – $15

Member Guests – $20

Admission includes complimentary access to the fair.

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Please note that ArtTable registration fees go toward administrative costs for the organization.

Image credits:2024 San Francisco Art Fair, Courtesy AMP

2026 San Francisco Art Fair | Complimentary VIP Passes
2026-04-16 16:00 - 2026-04-19 18:00
All ArtTable Members are invited to claim their complimentary General passes for the 2026 San Francisco Art Fair, running April 16- April 19!

San Francisco Art Fair returns to Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion this April 16–19, 2026, bringing together a dynamic cross-section of modern and contemporary art from the Bay Area and beyond. With an emphasis on thoughtful presentation and curatorial rigor, the fair’s 14th edition will reflect the experimental and inclusive character of the Bay Area while continuing its role as a year-round platform for the many voices of its region.

These passes are only offered while supplies last.

Admission:

FREE to All ArtTable Members

All registrants will receive an email after registration here with how to get their ticket(s). These passes are only offered while supplies last.

Location: Fort Mason Festival Pavilion2 Marina BoulevardSan Francisco, CA 94123

Select VIP Preview:Thursday, April 16, 2026: 4—6 pmExclusive Entry for Select VIPs

Opening Night presented by RBC Wealth ManagementThursday, April 16, 2026: 6— 9 pmExclusive Entry for Fair Pass Holders and Select VIPs

Public HoursFriday, April 17, 2026: 11 am—7 pmSaturday, April 18, 2026: 11 am—7 pmSunday, April 19, 2026: 11 am—6 pm

If you want to be eligible for this or other opportunities, consider upgrading your membership! Reach out to membership@arttable.org with any questions.

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