Museum gotta see 'um

"The garden will act as an entirely new kind of gallery, adding a fresh dimension to the museum experience,” said SFMOMA Director Neal Benezra. "The grand scale of this remarkable space will enable us to exhibit large works —and even to extend and play off of the special exhibitions on view in our fifth-floor galleries.”

Artists to be featured in the Rooftop Garden’s inaugural exhibition include Robert Arneson, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Ellsworth Kelly, Mario Merz, Juan Munoz, Barnett Newman, Joel Shapiro, Ranjani Shettar and Kiki Smith. Sculpture displayed includes works from the museum’s collection that were either recently acquired or that are rarely seen. Highlights include Calder’s Big Crinkly (1969), Kelly’s Stele I (1973) and Newman’s Zim Zum I (1969).

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, located at 151 Third St., near the Moscone Center, can be reached from the Peninsula by taking Caltrain to the S.F. station and hopping a bus for the short ride to the museum. Museum hours are Thursday through Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. with extended evening hours Thursdays until 8:45 p.m. The museum is closed on Wednesdays. Admission is free the first Tuesday of each month. For more information call (415) 357-4000 or visit www.sfmoma.org.