Works from Imogen Cunningham, Campbell Collection at Sonoma Valley Museum of Art

The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art announced the opening of two summer exhibitions, “Seen & Unseen: Photographs by Imogen Cunningham” and “Dancing with Charlie: Bay Area Art from the Campbell Collection.” Both exhibits run May 11 to Aug. 28.

“Seen & Unseen” highlights the work of Imogen Cunningham, who worked for over 70 years probing the medium of photography for new artistic expression. According to a museum announcement of the exhibit, “her photographs are seductive and dynamic, inspired by a multitude of sources, making her one of the most experimental photographers in her lifetime.”

Cunningham moved to San Francisco in 1915 and taught at Mills College in Oakland and later at the California School of Fine Arts. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s she made images that symbolically reflected the restlessness of the times, politically and socially, according to SVMA. Her photographs are now held in major international museum collections and numerous publications have been made about her work.

This is the first exhibition of this seminal artist’s photographs to tour the U.S. in 20 years, giving a new generation the opportunity to view her work for the first time. The exhibit includes family photographs, portraiture, abstract still lifes, and later work including street portraits from San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district and Paris.

“This exhibition looks at the career of a female artist who was working during a critical era of modern art and photography,” said SVMA Executive Director Linda Keaton. “Cunningham is recognized for helping to establish photography as an art form.”

“Dancing with Charlie” focuses on the impact of Charles Campbell, a San Francisco gallery owner who represented major Bay Area contemporary artists for more than 60 years. His love of jazz and life in San Francisco’s North Beach connected him to the vibrant bohemian art and culture of the 1950s and ‘60s. Featured in his collection are works by friends such as Nathan Oliveira, Joan Brown, Elmer Bischoff, Wayne Thiebaud, and other significant Bay Area artists.

“Campbell was well-known for his eye for enduring talent and commitment to living artists, some of whom he helped push to the forefront of Bay Area art in the period after World War II,” said guest curator Susan M. Anderson in the announcement. “A study of the Campbell Collection’s development reveals a confidently intrepid character, one who was warm and witty, and who helped to extend the limits of Bay Area art, as well as helped shape its interpretation, but who was mostly interested in supporting artists he loved and admired.”

A 60-page catalog, “Dancing with Charlie: Bay Area Art from the Campbell Collection,” will be available at SVMA Museum Store.

The opening reception for these exhibitions takes place Saturday, May 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. with a Patrons’ Preview at 5 p.m. The event is free for SVMA members, and $10 for non-members.

On Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m. SVMA will host Susan M. Anderson for a Curator’s Talk. The event is $10 for SVMA members, and $15 for non-members. Pre-registration and masks are required to attend each event.

The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art is located at 551 Broadway. Current museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. General admission is $10 and free for SVMA members; additional information is available at svma.org or by calling 707-939-7862.