SFMOMA Opening Weekend — Matisse Exhibit

SFMOMA opens “Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal” to the public on Saturday, May 16, with a run scheduled through Sept. 13 at the San Francisco museum’s SoMa campus. The exhibition centers on Henri Matisse’s 1905 “Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat),” a portrait of his wife, Amélie, that the museum says helped define Fauvism and remains one of SFMOMA’s signature works. (sfmoma.org) Member previews began Thursday, May 14, and continue through Saturday morning before the public opening. Weekend visitors need timed tickets, and the museum lists the show as a surcharge exhibition. (sfmoma.org) ### What is opening at SFMOMA this weekend? “Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal” is a major SFMOMA exhibition built around Matisse’s 1905 painting and the reaction it provoked when it first appeared at the Salon d’Automne in Paris. SFMOMA says the show restages that 1905 debut and brings together works associated with that historic display, alongside later responses to the painting. Floor 4 is the exhibition site, according to the museum’s listing, and the show is billed as an exclusive SFMOMA presentation. The museum says the work cannot travel under the terms of its bequest, making San Francisco the only venue for the full exhibition. (sfmoma.org) ### Why is this one painting such a big draw? Henri Matisse’s “Femme au chapeau” has been tied to SFMOMA’s history for decades. The museum says the painting was first shown in the United States in 1936 at the then–San Francisco Museum of Art and entered SFMOMA’s collection in 1991 as a bequest from Elise S. (sfmoma.org) Haas, who had bought it from Sarah Stein in 1948. Janet Bishop, SFMOMA’s Thomas Weisel Family Chief Curator, said in the museum’s press materials that the exhibition is intended to tell “the full story” of a work she described as emblematic of Matisse’s break with convention. (sfmoma.org) SFMOMA says the show also traces the painting’s influence on later artists, including Bay Area Figurative painters such as Joan Brown, Richard Diebenkorn and David Park, as well as contemporary artists including Hilary Harkness and Rachel Harrison. ### What happens during opening weekend? (sfmoma.org) Saturday, May 16 is the public opening date after three days of member previews that began May 14. SFMOMA’s events calendar lists a “Hat Party” for Sunday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., described as a day of craft-making inspired by the exhibition. Sunday, May 17 also includes “On Creative Courage: Artists in Conversation” at 2 p.m., according to the museum’s event listing. The same weekend schedule includes a museum store jewelry trunk show on May 16 and May 17. (sfmoma.org) ### How much does it cost, and do you need a separate ticket? SFMOMA says the exhibition carries a $10 surcharge on weekdays and a $12 surcharge on weekends and holidays. The museum’s FAQ says all visitors need a museum ticket and a timed exhibition ticket, and it describes the show as limited-capacity. (sfmoma.org) Visitors 18 and younger attend free, and members also receive free access, but the museum says both groups still need timed reservations. The FAQ says tickets are sold online, with a limited number of same-day tickets potentially available on-site at the Floor 2 ticket desk on a first-come, first-served basis. (sfmoma.org) ### What comes after opening weekend? Sunday, May 24 is SFMOMA’s next major public date tied to the exhibition. The museum says it will hold a Free Community Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free museum admission and limited timed entry to the Matisse exhibition available on-site on a first-come, first-served basis. (sfmoma.org) Sept. 13, 2026 is the scheduled closing date for “Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal,” and SFMOMA says tickets and visitor details are available through the museum’s exhibition and FAQ pages. (sfmoma.org) (sfmoma.org) (sfmoma.org)