Condensed exhibition history of Sam Francis
compiled by Debra Burchett-Lere
1923
Born June 25, San Mateo, California.
1949
B.A., University of California at Berkeley.
1950
M.A. University of California at Berkeley.
1946-50
Began painting in San Francisco, California.
1950-58
Lived and worked in Paris, France with travels to Mexico, Japan, and
Europe.
1952
Galerie Nina Dausset, Paris
Galerie du Dragon,
Paris
1955
Galerie Rive Droite, Paris
1956
"12 Americans" group show at the Museum of Modern Art, New
York City.
Galerie Rive Droite, Paris
Martha Jackson Gallery,
New York City
1957
Completed mural for the Sogetsu School of the sculptor and flower arranger,
Sofu Teshigahara, in Tokyo, Japan.
Gimpel Fils, Ltd, London, England
1952-58
Gimpel Fils Ltd., London
Kornfeld and Klipstein, Bern,
Switzerland
Martha Jackson Gallery, New York City
1959
Lived in New York City; worked on the Chase Manhattan Bank mural.
Solo museum show at Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena, California that traveled
to San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco ; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle,
Washington.
1959-61
Lived in Bern. Solo museum show at Kunsthalle, Bern that traveled to
Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden.
1961
Moved to Santa Monica, California, which became permanent home base.
Esther Bear Gallery, Santa Barbara, California
1961-64
Minami Gallery, Tokyo
Kornfeld and Klipstein, Bern
Galerie
Benador, Zurich, Switzerland
Major exhibition at Documenta III, Kassel, Germany.
1966
Sky painting performance in Japan over Tokyo Bay.
1967
Snow painting performance in Naibara, Japan.
Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York City
Retrospective museum show at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas that
traveled to University Art Museum, Berkeley; San Francisco Museum of Art
1968
Receives Honorary Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Centre National d'Art Contemporain, Paris
Kunsthalle,
Basel.
Minami Gallery, Tokyo.
1969-71
Painted and installed commissioned mural for the National Gallery of
Art, West Berlin, Germany.
Solo museum show at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California
Martha Jackson Gallery, New York City
Felix Landau
Gallery, Los Angeles.
1970
Established the Litho Shop in Santa Monica to print and publish his own
lithographs.
1969-72
André Emmerich Gallery, New York City
Nicholas
Wilder Gallery, Los Angeles
1972
Retrospective solo museum show at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo,
New York, that traveled to Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C.; Whitney Museum
of American Art, New York City; Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Texas; Oakland Museum
of Art, Oakland, California.
Stanford University Museum of Art, Palo Alto, California.
1973-74
Lived and painted primarily in Tokyo.
1974
Idemitsu Art Museum, Tokyo.
Minami Gallery, Tokyo
Incorporated the Litho Shop
1975-77
Nicholas Wilder Gallery, Los Angeles
Galerie Jean
Fournier, Paris
André Emmerich Gallery, New York
Richard Gray Gallery,
Chicago
Kornfeld and Klipstein, Bern
Smith-Andersen Gallery, Palo
Alto
Began collaboration with Garner Tullis on monotypes.
Paintings in group exhibition "Art in Progress" at the Louisiana Museum
of Art at Humlebaek, Denmark that traveled to Centre Pompidou, Paris; Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm.
1978
Nicholas Wilder Gallery, Los Angeles
Otis Art Institute,
Los Angeles
1979
Retrospective exhibition of works on paper at Institute of Contemporary
Art, Boston, Massachusetts, that traveled to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Manila, Korea,
and Japan under the U.S. International communication Agency.
Included in "Art in Progress" exhibition at Israel Museum, Jerusalem,
Israel.
Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
André Emmerich Gallery, New
York
Brooke Alexander, Inc., New York
1980
Abbaye de Senanque, Gordes, France
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Riko Mizuno Gallery, Los Angeles
James Corcoran Gallery,
Los Angeles
Smith-Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto
Mural commissions at Weinstocks Department Store, Sacramento, and General Services
Administration building in Anchorage, Alaska.
Becomes part of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los
Angeles.
1981
André Emmerich Gallery, New York
Ace Gallery, Los
Angeles
Ruth Schaffner Gallery, Santa Barbara
Faith and Charity in Hope Gallery,
Idaho
Established temporary painting studio in San Leandro, California to complete
the San Francisco Museum of Art Mural commission.
1982
André Emmerich Gallery, New York
Nantenshi Gallery,
Tokyo
Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago
1983
Completed the San Francisco Airport Mural.
André Emmerich Gallery, New York
Galerie Kornfeld, Bern
Smith-Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto
Fondation Maeght, St.Paul, France
Studio
Marconi, Milan, Italy
Colorado State University, Colorado
Galerie
Jean Fournier, Paris
Art Attack Gallery, Idaho
John Berggruen Gallery, San
Francisco
Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Travelling survey of works on paper
through the Art Museum Association of America.
1984
Established Lapis Press to publish artists books.
André Emmerich Gallery, New York
Pamela Auchincloss Gallery,
Santa Barbara
Brooke Alexander, Inc., New York
Cantor/Lemberg Gallery, Birmingham,
Michigan
Robert Elkon Gallery, New York
Thomas Babeor Gallery, La Jolla,
California
Knoedler Gallery, London
Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Steven Wirtz
Gallery, San Francisco
1985
Galerie Kornfeld, Bern
Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago
Smith-Andersen Gallery,
Palo Alto
Hokin Gallery, Bay Harbor Isle, Florida
Completed mural for the San Francisco Museum of Art.
1986
André Emmerich Gallery, New York
Galerie Jean Fournier,
Paris
Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Angles Gallery, Santa Monica
Le Maire de Paris,
France
Received commission to paint mural for ceiling of the Opera National,
Theatre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels.
1987
Solo exhibitions at Knoedler Gallery, London
André Emmerich Gallery,
New York
Pamela Auchincloss Gallery, Santa Barbara
Heland Thorden Wetterling
Galleries, Stockholm
G.Dalsheimer Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland
Galeria Eude,
Barcelona Spain
Manny Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles
Galerie Pudelko, Bonn,
Germany
Lever/Meyerson Galleries, New York
1988
André Emmerich Gallery, New York
Galerie Jean Fournier,
Paris
Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Smith Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto
Greenberg
Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri
Galerie Seoul, Korea.
Sam Francis Exhibition traveled throughout Japan, April 1988-March 1989
to: Toyama Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, Seibu Takanawa, Karuizawa, the
Museum of Modern Art, Shiga, Ohara Museum of Art, Murashiki, Setagaya Art Museum,
Tokyo.
1989
André Emmerich Gallery, New York
Galerie
Jean Fournier, Paris
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
Sun Valley Center Gallery,
Ketchum, Idaho
Linda Farris Gallery, Seattle
Cantor/Lemberg Gallery, Birmingham
Knoedler Gallery, London
1990
Associated American Artists, New York (prints)
Gallery
Delaive, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Heland Wetterling Gallery, Stockholm
Ogawa
Art Foundation, Tokyo (monotypes)
Ochi Gallery, Ketchum, Idaho
Talbot Rice
Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
Andre' Emmerich Gallery, New York
Smith Andersen
Gallery, Palo Alto (prints)
1991
Forty year retrospective at Galerie Kornfeld, Bern
Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
James Corcoran Gallery, Los
Angeles
Angles Gallery, Los Angeles
Associated American Artists, New York
(prints)
Gagosian Gallery, New York
Centre Regional d'Art Contemporain Midi-Pyrenees,
Toulouse-Labege, France.
1992
Galerie Daniel Papierski, Paris
Museum van der Togt, Amstelveen, the Netherlands
Kukje
Gallery, Seoul
1993
Retrospective museum exhibition at the Kunst und Ausstellungshalle der
Bundesrepublik Deutchland, Bonn, Germany, curated by Pontus Hulten.
Galerie Pudelko, Bonn
Bobbie Greenfield Fine Art, Venice,
California
Michele Cohen Gallery, New York
Ochi Gallery, Ketchum
Manny Silverman
Gallery, Los Angeles
Galerie Iris Wazzau, Davos, Switzerland.
Commission for new German Parliament Building, Bonn.
Major donation of ten paintings to The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA),
Los Angeles.
1994
Long Fine Art, New York
Galerie Delaive, Amsterdam
Bobbie
Greenfield Gallery, Venice
Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris, France
Galerie
Proarta, Zurich
Andre Emmerich Gallery, New York
Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago
University Art Museum, University of California, Berkeley honored Francis
with Distinguished Alumnus Award and announced Scholarship Award in Francis
name.
Daco Verlag Günter Bläse, Stuttgart, Germany published major
monograph on monotypes.
November 4, 1994, Sam Francis passed away in Santa Monica.
1995
"The Last Paintings of Sam Francis," 152 small paintings (painted
June through August 1994, at his Santa Monica house studio) exhibited at The
Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
André Emmerich Gallery, New York
Manny Silverman
Gallery, Los Angeles
Grunwald/UCLA/Armand Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
Kunstverein Ludwigsberg, Germany.
"Les annees Parisiennes - 1950-1961," at the Jeu de Paume,
Paris reunited the three Basel Mural panels.
1996
Smith Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto
Sogetsu Art Museum,
Tokyo
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, California
Gallery Guy Pieters,
Knokke, Belgium
Galerie Michael Haas, Berlin
Galerie Proarta, Zurich
1997
"Sam Francis: The Archetypal Image," opened at the Frederick
M. Weisman Museum of Art, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California and traveled
to The Fundacion Caja de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
André Emmerich Gallery, New York
Manny Silverman
Gallery, Los Angeles
Musee d'Arte, Mendrisio, Switzerland
Richard Gray Gallery,
Chicago
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Galerie Retelet, St. Paul de Vence, France
1998
Dorothy Blau Gallery, Bay Harbor Island
Thomas
Segal Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland
ACA Gallery, Münich, Germany
Gallery Guy Pieters,
Knokke, Belgium
Bobbie Greenfield Gallery, Santa Monica
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Galleria dArte il Gabbiano, Rome, Italy.
1999
Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles (prints)
Robert Green
Fine Arts, Mill Valley, California
Galleri Faurschou, Copenhagen, Denmark
Ikon, Ltd., Los Angeles
Manny Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles
Galerie Pascal
Retelet, Saint Paul de Vence, France
Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Baukunst
Galerie, Cologne
Pace Editions, New York (prints)
Galerie Loeper, Hamburg,
Germany
1999-2001
Major retrospective exhibit Sam Francis: Paintings 1947-1990,
at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles curated by William C. Agee. Traveled
through 2001 to: the Menil Collection, Houston, Texas; Konsthall Malmö,
Malmö, Sweden; the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain;
Galleria Communale dArte Moderna e Contemporanea, Rome, Italy.
2000
Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström, Malmö
Bruk Kahan
Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida
Richard Gray Gallery, New York and Chicago
Rayuela
Galeria De Arte, Madrid; Ikon Ltd., Santa Monica
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Lawrence Rubin Greenberg Van Doren Fine Art, New York
Galleria il Gabbiano,
Rome
Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, Missouri
Idemitsu
Museum of Arts, Osaka and Tokyo.
2001
Sam Francis Estate offices/gallery/print studio move to new location
at 5440 McConnell Ave., Los Angeles.
Meyerovich Gallery, San Francisco
Baukunst Galerie, Cologne,
Germany
Galerie Guy Pieters, Saint-Paul, France
Alan Cristea Gallery, London
Galerie Proarta, Zurich
Brian Gross Gallery, San Francisco
Lawing Gallery,
Houston
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
2002
Galerie Andreas Baumgartl, München, Germany
Galerieof Fine Arts Ltd., Gstaad, Switzerland.
2002-2003
Idemitsu Museum, Tokyo organizes major Sam Francis exhibition from their
collection that travels to six museums in Japan through 2003 (The Museum of
Modern Art, Toyama; Kawamura Memorial Museum, Chiba; The Museum of Art, Ehime;
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Iwaki City Art Museum, Fukushima; Oita Art
Museum, Oita.
2003
Solo show at Galerie Iris Wazzau, Davos, Switzerland.
Ace Gallery, Beverly Hills, California
Artemis Greenberg
Van Doren Gallery, New York.
Galerie Guy Pieters, Saint Paul de Vence (France).
Robert Sandelson Gallery, London, UK
Broadbent Gallery, London, UK
2003-2004
Solo show Prototypes at Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2004
Baukunst Galerie, Cologne, Germany
Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström, Malmö, Sweden
Galerie Thomas, München , Germany
Alanda Arte Contemporanea, Carrara, Italy
Samuelis Baumgarte Galerie, Bielefeld, Germany
Galerie Proarta, Zurich, Switzerland
Venice Design Art Gallery, Venice, Italy
Martin Lawrence Galleries, San Francisco, California, USA
Gallery Artzone-Kaguraoka, Kyoto
Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen, Netherlands
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2005
Gallery Wild, Frankfurt, Germany
Robert Sandelson Gallery, London, UK
Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles, California, USA
Kaare Berntsen, Oslo, Norway.
Movimento Arte Contemporanea, Milan, Italy.
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rosenbaum Contemporary, Boca Raton
Ohara Museum of Art, Kurashiki
American Contemporary Art Gallery, Munich
2006
Kunstmuseum, Bern, Switzerland.
Galerie Flintholm, Verster Skerninge, Denmark.
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, California.
Galerie Lovers of Fine Art, Gstaad
Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Galerie Kornfeld und Cie., Bern
Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles
2007
Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris.
LC Galerie, Paris.
2008
Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, Los Angeles.
Galerie Proarta, Zurich.
Galleria San Carlo, Milan.
Galleria Repetto, Acqui-Termi.
2009
College of the Canyons Art Gallery, Santa Clarita, California.
American Contemporary Art Gallery, Munich.
Smith Andersen North, San Rafael, California.
Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles.
Samuelis Baumgarte Galerie, Bielefeld, Germany.
L&M Arts, New York.
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London.
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam.
Guy Pieters Gallery, Knokke, Belgium.
2010
Galerie Proarta, Zurich.
Helly Nahmad Gallery, New York.
Danubiana Art Museum, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
Coskun Fine Art, London.
Galerie Koch, Hannover, Germany.
2011
Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris.
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam.
Galerie Thomas Modern, Munich.
Page Gallery, Seoul.
Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York.
Nantenchi Gallery, Tokijo
Galerie Kornfeld, Bern
Robert Green Fine Arts, Mill Valley
Gallery Artzone-Kaguraoka, Kyoto
Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery, San Francisco
Galerie Son, Berlin
Galerie Thomas Modern, Munich
2012
PST, Berlin.
Martin Lawrence Galleries, New York.
Museum of Art, Santa Barbara.
Iris Wazzau, Davos.
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam.
Agnellini Arte Moderna, Brescia.
Galleri MDA, Helsingborg.
2013
Fondation Beijeler, Basel.
Pasadena Museum of California Art- PMCA, Pasadena
Malingue, Paris
Galleria d'Arte Maggiore, Bologna
2014
S2 Gallery, Sotheby’s, New York
Jonathan Novak Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Galerie Iris Wazzau, Davos, Switzerland
Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento
Pasadena Museum of Art
Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen, Netherlands
Guy Pieters Gallery, Knokke, Belgium
Greenfield Sacks Gallery, Santa Monica
Robert Green Fine Arts, Mill Valley
Galerie Fleury, Paris
2015
Galerie Diane Pollignac, Paris
Tokyo Station Gallery, Toyama
Van de Wege Fine Art, New York
Centre Pompidou, Paris
Bernard Jacobson Gallery - New York
Bernard Jacobson Gallery - London
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte
• Galerie Koch, Hannover, Germany
2016
Galerie Iris Wazzau, Davos, Switzerland
Ma Galerie, Paris
Gallery Delaive, Art New York
Norton Simon Museum, Passadena
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte, North Carolina
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee
Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, Fort Worth, Texas
Bernard Jacobsen Gallery, London
Manny Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles
Galerie Koch, Hannover, Germany
Samuel Vanhoegaerden Gallery, Knokke, Belgium
The University of British Columbia, Vancouver
2017
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
Opera Gallery, Zurich
Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen, Netherlands
Galeria Proarta, Zurich
L A Louver Gallery, Venice
2018
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Seizon Museum of modern art, Nagano, Japan
Centre Pompidou, Metz, France
2019
Jonathan Novak Contemporary Art, New York
Heather James Fine Art, Palm Desert
Sam Francis Biography compiled by Debra Burchett-Lere
(Assistance and prior research by Nancy Mozur and Beth Silverman)
Sam Francis biography, copyright by the Samuel L. Francis Art Museum, Inc.
(AKA Samuel L. Francis Foundation or Sam Francis Foundation, CA) 2005
|

|