● = Black Culture
ARTS & CULTURE
(SEP. 21) ● Artist Lava Thomas Explores Her Ancestral Heritage in ‘Lineage’ — 7×7
Bay Area artist Lava Thomas turns family photographs, archival documents and inherited memory into a deeply personal exhibition at Jessica Silverman Gallery. The work traces Black family history from enslavement through emancipation and civic life, making private lineage part of the Bay Area’s contemporary cultural conversation.
(OCT. 1) ‘RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me’ Opens at SFMOMA — San Francisco Chronicle
BTS leader RM makes his curatorial debut at SFMOMA with 142 works from his personal collection shown alongside 36 works from the museum. Opening Oct. 3, the exhibition is the largest presentation of Korean art in SFMOMA history and brings a major global-culture audience into the Bay Area museum world.
(SEP. 18) Mill Valley Film Festival at 49: Our Own Cannes on the Bay — Marin Magazine
The 49th Mill Valley Film Festival is underway with an international slate of films, filmmaker appearances and awards programming across Marin. This weekend’s lineup includes spotlight events with Andrew Scott and Virginie Efira, continuing the festival’s role as one of the Bay Area’s most visible gateways to awards-season cinema.
(OCT. 2) ● Twentieth Century African American Quilts in California — Black Art in America
Routed West traces more than a century of African American quilt-making in California through more than 80 objects by Black artists, many tied directly to Oakland, Richmond and the Bay Area. Organized originally by BAMPFA, the exhibition connects migration, family memory, labor and Black artistic innovation across generations.
FOOD & DRINK
A. (SEP. 22) The Big Eat 2026: 100 Dishes to Try in San Francisco This Year — 7×7
7×7’s annual Big Eat list returns with 100 dishes spanning neighborhood institutions, newer restaurants and under-the-radar spots across San Francisco. The breadth—from Bayview-Hunters Point to North Beach and the Outer Richmond—makes it a useful snapshot of what the city’s food culture looks like right now.
B. (SEP. 29) Four of San Francisco’s Most Anticipated Restaurant and Bar Openings for October — San Francisco Standard
October’s openings include the return of North Beach cocktail institution 15 Romolo, a new Japanese-French tasting-menu destination in the Financial District and other additions to the city’s dining scene. It is a compact look at where San Francisco food culture is expanding this month.
STYLE & DESIGN
A. (SEP. 28) OXIDE Returns With a Collaborative Mix of Art and Design — Modern Luxury San Francisco
OXIDE returns Oct. 15–25 at TINT Gallery with artists and designers working across painting, ceramics, jewelry, interiors and collectible design. The project has grown from a post-lockdown experiment into a distinctly Bay Area model built around collaboration, artist-led community and the overlap between fine art and design.
PEOPLE, ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURAL CONVERSATION
A. (OCT. 2) ● Netflix Renews ‘A Different World’ Sequel for Season 2 — theGrio
Netflix has renewed its continuation of A Different World, extending a franchise that helped define Black college life on television. The new series follows Deborah Wayne, daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert, while original-series veterans including Debbie Allen and Gina Prince-Bythewood remain involved behind the scenes.
B. (OCT. 1) ● Victoria Monét’s ‘Frequency of Love’ Aims to Strike the Optimal Sonic Vibration — KQED
Sacramento-raised Victoria Monét returns with the 22-track Frequency of Love, expanding on the R&B success that followed her Grammy-winning Jaguar II. She talks about artistic risk, love, criticism and an unexpected parallel creative pursuit: graduating from culinary school at the top of her class.
C. (OCT. 3) How Michael Tilson Thomas’ Legacy Lives On in San Francisco — San Francisco Chronicle
A San Francisco Symphony tribute brought together artists closely associated with Michael Tilson Thomas, including Audra McDonald, Yuja Wang, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Renée Fleming. The evening emphasized his adventurous programming, mentorship and lasting influence on San Francisco’s musical identity.
ABOUT CULTURE NOW
Culture Now is Bay Area Registry’s curated briefing on arts, culture, lifestyle and adjacent stories shaping the Bay Area and the broader cultural conversation. Black Culture stories are marked with ● and integrated throughout the briefing.
