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Wednesday 11am - 4pm Thursday 11am - 4pm Friday 11am - 4pm Saturday 11am - 5pm Sunday 11am - 5pm

Marin Museum of Contemporary Art

Name: Marin Museum of Contemporary Art
Address: 1210 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA, 94901, US
Telephone: +14155060137
Price range: $

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Marin Museum of Contemporary Art

A public benefit non-profit organization. MarinMOCA connects....artists, community, and artistic expression.

As the North Bay’s foremost contemporary art space, MarinMOCA showcases renowned local, regional, and national artists who offer fresh visions of place, person, and planet.

09/02/2026

What happens when words become both language and image?

In ART FWD: 𝘐𝘯 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴, artist and curator Tucker Nichols explores the ways words function as both concept and visual form. Bringing together artists who use language, symbols, signs, and mark-making in physical and unexpected ways, the exhibition considers our fundamental need to communicate, connect, and make meaning.

In this video, Tucker shares the thinking behind 𝘐𝘯 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 and his interest in the many ways words can take shape.

ART FWD: 𝘐𝘯 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 opens with MarinMOCA’s annual ART FWD celebration on 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟲, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟱–𝟴:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠. Join us for an evening of art, live music, dinner and drinks, hands-on art activities, karaoke, and more, with all proceeds supporting MarinMOCA’s education and outreach initiatives.

𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗼.

08/26/2026

Artist Highlight: Deborah Lohrke

Deborah Lohrke is a California-based artist whose practice centers on drawing as a sustained, process-driven form of inquiry. Working across decades, she has developed a language grounded in repetition, structure, and attentive mark-making, often using fountain pen ink to explore the material possibilities of line, rhythm, and accumulation.

Her work is shaped by an interest in how simple systems can expand into complex visual fields through duration and focus. Lohrke’s drawings unfold gradually, balancing control with intuitive movement, and often reflect a meditative engagement with time, healing, and perception.

Lohrke moved to Benicia in 1982 to work with Judy Chicago on The Birth Project, contributing to photographic production and exhibition development. She later completed her BFA (1989) and MFA (1993) at Mills College, where she worked with Catherine Wagner and assisted on projects including Home and Other Stories.

On view in The Shape of Thought at MarinMOCA through August 30.

08/20/2026

Veronica Ryan’s hand-crocheted and netted structures evoke fishing nets, stockings, and systems of transport.
Informed by observations of fishing nets in Cornwall and techniques learned from her mother, Ryan’s weaving practice links domestic craft traditions to global networks of labor, trade, and exchange.

Paired with organic and discarded materials, these woven forms act as both support and container. Delicate yet resilient, they function as emotional and psychological vessels, holding multiple histories, and associations at once.

On view in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 at MarinMOCA through August 30.

08/12/2026

Join curators Alexandra Bowes and Catherine Wagner as they discuss Jay DeFeo’s work in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵.
In this conversation, Bowes and Wagner share memories of DeFeo, reflect on her lasting influence, and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the curatorial process, including how they selected her works as an anchor for the exhibition.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 is on view through August 30 at MarinMOCA.

08/10/2026

Join us August 15 for an afternoon conversation with the artists and curators behind 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵.

Artists Deborah Lohrke, Sandra Ono, and Nicole Phungrasamee Fein will join exhibition curators Catherine Wagner and Alexandra Bowes for a conversation about the ideas, materials, and processes behind the exhibition. Moderated by MarinMOCA Director Jodi Roberts, the discussion will explore themes of contemplation, perception, repetition, and creative process.

Bringing together practices in drawing, painting, sculpture, and installation, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 considers the quiet power of sustained attention and material exploration.

⭐️The Shape of Thought Artist Talk
📆Saturday, August 15, 1–2:30 PM
📍MarinMOCA, 1210 Fifth Ave., San Rafael
💛Free and open to all.

08/08/2026

🎨 Get crafty with us this Sunday, August 9! ✨

Kids are invited to get creative with painting, drawing, mixed media, and more during a fun-filled afternoon of art-making. Parents are welcome to create alongside their child or explore the gallery while they make art.

Come make something, get inspired, and spend a creative Sunday at the museum! 🖌️💫

Reserve your spot at marinmoca.org/learn

08/07/2026

ART FWD is back! 🎉 Tickets are on sale now.

This event has sold out two years in a row, so don’t wait. Secure your tickets today through the link in our bio.

Join us on Saturday, September 26 for ART FWD: In Other Words, MarinMOCA’s annual celebration and fundraiser. Expect a full evening of art, live music, incredible food and drinks, hands-on activities, and karaoke, all supporting MarinMOCA’s exhibitions and education programs.

🍽️ Enjoy bites from some of Marin’s favorite restaurants, including Burmatown (BURMATOWN), Bungalow 44 (Bungalow 44), Perry’s (Perry's), Jane The Bakery (Jane), Walds Craft Bakery (Waldscraft Bakery) and more.

🍷 Drinks are covered too! Special thanks to our exclusive wine and beer sponsors Eden Rift Vineyards (Eden Rift Vineyards) and Pond Farm Brewing Co. (Pond Farm Brewing Co.), plus cocktails courtesy Sausalito Liquor Co. (Sausalito Liquor Co.) & Madre Mezcal (Madre Mezcal).

✨ Explore a new exhibition curated by Tucker Nichols (Tucker Nichols), shop the Park Life (mark) pop-up, make art with Sumi Ink Club (sumiinkclub), catch live music from Give Me a Dollar (Give Me A Dollar), and end the night with karaoke with Hola Coach Chris (Chris Williams (he/him)) plus other surprises!

07/28/2026

Step inside 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵, now on view at MarinMOCA through August 30.

Bringing together six women artists — Jay DeFeo, Nicole Phungrasamee Fein, Deborah Lohrke, Sandra Ono, Tressa Pack, and Veronica Ryan — the exhibition invites visitors into a space of quiet attention, material exploration, and contemplation.

Through painting, drawing, collage, and sculpture, these artists explore the ways we perceive, remember, and make meaning in a world that often moves too quickly. Visitors are invited to slow down, look closely, and consider: what shapes the way we think?

Come spend time with the works, discover new details, and experience the exhibition for yourself before it closes.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵
On view through August 30
MarinMOCA | 1210 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael

07/23/2026

Artist Highlight: Tressa Pack (Tressa Pack)

Tressa Pack is a Bay Area-based visual artist working with lens-based media. Her practice explores perception, atmosphere, stillness, and the role of chance in image-making, often using large-format photography to create works that balance formal precision with spontaneity.

Working with an observational approach, Pack frequently places herself in fixed positions, allowing people, light, weather, and environment to shape the composition as it unfolds. Her images hold quiet tension between structure and unpredictability, capturing fleeting interactions between landscape and human presence.

Pack has exhibited throughout the Bay Area, including at the Headlands Center for the Arts, Berkeley Art Center, and Saint Joseph’s Arts Society, and was nominated for the SECA Award in 2016 and 2022.

On view in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 at MarinMOCA through August 30.

07/22/2026

Heading to the San Francisco Art Book Fair this weekend? Be sure to stop by Park Life (PARK LIFE) and say hello.

The San Francisco Art Book Fair (SAN FRANCISCO ART BOOK FAIR) returns for its 10th year, bringing together independent publishers, artists, designers, collectors, and art book enthusiasts from around the world for a celebration of art publishing and print culture.

We’re excited to partner with Park Life for ART FWD: 𝘐𝘯 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 this fall. Beginning September 26, Park Life will open a pop-up shop at MarinMOCA for the full run of the exhibition, featuring a curated selection of art books, prints, apparel, design objects, gifts, new MarinMOCA merchandise, and special artist editions inspired by the exhibition.

Founded in 2006 by Jamie Alexander and Derek Song, Park Life has long been a cornerstone of the Bay Area’s contemporary art and publishing community. We’re thrilled to bring their unique selection and spirit of discovery to MarinMOCA this fall.

📍 San Francisco Art Book Fair
🗓 July 23–26, 2026
📍 Minnesota Street Project

Address

1210 Fifth Avenue
San Rafael, CA
94901

Opening Hours

Wednesday	11am - 4pm
Thursday	11am - 4pm
Friday	11am - 4pm
Saturday	11am - 5pm
Sunday	11am - 5pm

Telephone

+14155060137

Website

http://www.marinmoca.org/

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