"Thanks for Understanding" by Tucker Nichols; courtesy of the de Young

What makes art really art is an age-old question. But what really makes a museum hasn’t ever been questioned. Leave it up to de Young Museum’s Artist-in-Residence Bay Area-based Tucker Nichols to grapple with that very question. Through a series of quirky pieces commissioned by the de Young entitled “Into the Museum,” Nichols uses mundane objects—from coffee containers and tape, to well-known sculptures and other pieces of art—to discuss the overall experience of a museum from the perspective of someone who has never been to one. With little focus on the actual art on the walls, Nichols examines the architecture, the areas surrounding the museum—even the individualistic character of the public restrooms housed in the de Young—to explore the essence of a museum is with or without the presence of the art.

As part of Friday Nights at the de Young,  you can check out Tucker Nichols’ art on display at an evening viewing on Friday, May 30. The event also includes an artist meet and greet from 6 – 8:30 p.m. and features a discussion between Nichols and Griff Williams, owner of Gallery 16. See the de Young Museum through new eyes, with Tucker Nichols as your guide.

May Artist-in-Residence: Tucker Nichols "Into the Museum"
On Friday, May 30 from 6 - 8:30 p.m.
de Young Museum 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, 415-750-3600


"Cones" by Tucker Nichols; courtesy of the de Young