PHOTOS | Opening Night for Bay Area Then and MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy

Event:ย Opening Night for Bay Area Then and MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy
Date: August 1, 2025
Location: YBCA, San Francisco
Photos:ย Natalie Schrik for Drew Altizer Photography

On Friday, August 1, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts threw the party of the summer โ€” and San Franciscoโ€™s art scene showed up. The public opening for Bay Area Then and MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy transformed YBCA into the cultural epicenter of downtown, with galleries packed, music pulsing, and the Bay Areaโ€™s creative elite shoulder-to-shoulder celebrating two groundbreaking exhibitions. Ruby Ibarra, fresh off her win as NPRโ€™s 2025 Tiny Desk Contest star โ€” and a proud Bay Area native โ€” ignited the room with a high-voltage performance that had the crowd rapping along, phones in the air, and the Forum literally shaking.

The energy didnโ€™t stop there. DJ Shortkut kept the beats rolling, and avant-garde musician BARR delivered an unexpected, electrifying set that had guests talking long after the music ended. A whoโ€™s-who of artists, collectors, and tastemakers explored YBCAโ€™s halls, snapped shots with the art on display, and toasted the cityโ€™s cultural heartbeat. By the end of the night, one thing was clear: downtown San Francisco is back โ€” and YBCA is leading the charge.
โ€‹
โ€‹Notable attendees:
โ€‹Mari Roblesย – CEO of YBCA
โ€‹Raquel Redondiezย – SOMA Pilipinas Director
โ€‹Eungie Jooย – Guest Curator, Bay Area Then
โ€‹Trisha Lagaso Goldbergย – Guest Curator, Makibaka


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