Rena Bransten Gallery in San Francisco is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of exhibitions highlighting key moments in its history. The second installment, "RBG at 50: Photo & Video," on view through August 23, 2025, features works by artists such as Dawoud Bey, Sophie Calle, Jim Campbell, and Vik Muniz. The show traces the gallery's expansion beyond its original focus on ceramics, which began in 1979 with a solo exhibition of photographer Judith Golden. Highlights include Sophie Calle's "La Robe de Mariee" (1989) and a photograph by Dawoud Bey documenting a performance by David Hammons.
This anniversary matters because Rena Bransten Gallery has been a cornerstone of the San Francisco art scene for five decades, helping to launch and sustain the careers of influential artists working in photography and video. The exhibition not only celebrates the gallery's legacy but also offers a window into the evolution of photo and video as major art forms from the 1980s onward. It underscores the vital role that long-standing regional galleries play in shaping art history beyond major metropolitan centers.