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BAY AREA THEN AND MAKIBAKA: A LIVING LEGACY

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Media Contacts:

David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

Lauren Macmadu / (415) 350-1884 / lmacmadu@ybca.org

YBCA ANNOUNCES FULL SEASON OF FREE PROGRAMMING FOR EXHIBITIONS 

BAY AREA THEN AND MAKIBAKA: A LIVING LEGACY

Monthly concerts, performances, festivals, talks, and film screenings 

activate YBCA campus from August–December 2025

5 August 2025 – San Francisco, CA: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) today announced an expansive lineup of live events and community programming accompanying its recently opened exhibitions Bay Area Thenand MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy. From August through December 2025, YBCA’s downtown campus will come alive with concerts, festivals, talks, and film screenings that celebrate the Bay Area’s rich legacy of resistance and cultural innovation—while welcoming thousands of visitors for free experiences.

“At YBCA, we believe that exhibitions aren’t just something to look at—they’re something to live through,” said Mari Robles, CEO of YBCA. “This season’s programming opens our doors wide, inviting the public to gather, listen, dance, and imagine together.”

A key component of Bay Area Then is a dynamic series of monthly concerts held during San Francisco’s Downtown First Thursdays, when YBCA’s galleries at 701 Mission Street are open late and free to the public. Curated by Chris Johanson and Ethan Swan, the free series celebrates the artistic spirit of the Bay Area’s countercultures and artist communities.

2025 Music and Performance Lineup:

  • August 7: Cellski and DJ TC
  • September 4: Linton, and special guest to be announced
  • October 2: Mike Morasky + Kal Spelletich, and special guest to be announced
  • November 6: Erica Dawn Lyle and Brontez Purnell
  • December 4: Ovarian Trolley and Wife

“This series brings together both contemporary performers and artists deeply connected to the Bay Area’s history of creative resistance,” said Eungie Joo, Bay Area ThenGuest Curator. “Drawing on the rich intersections of music, visual art, and performance, the spirit of the exhibition—its experimentation, irreverence, and sense of community—runs through every performance.”

MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy, presented by SOMA Pilipinas, in collaboration with YBCA, is activated by events that celebrate Filipino culture and history. Highlights include:

  • August 9–10: Pistahan Festival Weekend (11 AM–5 PM): A two-day celebration of Filipino culture featuring performances, art, and food in the heart of the Yerba Buena neighborhood. Included in the events is an unveiling and celebration of Mark Baugh-Sasaki’s sculpture Lighthouse, installed on YBCA’s plaza on Mission Street at 2pm on Saturday, August 9. 
  • August 13: Talk with Historian MC Canlas (1–3 PM): Learn about the history of the Mock Battle of Manila Bay and its enduring impact.
  • Second Sundays: Free Film Screenings (Monthly): Each month, YBCA will host free screenings of films and documentaries exploring the stories of the Filipino community in San Francisco and across the Bay Area.

“MAKIBAKA is more than an exhibition—it’s a living expression of the Filipino community’s creativity and resilience,” said Raquel Redondiez, SOMA Pilipinas Director. “From Pistahan to monthly film screenings, this programming reflects the power of art to honor our past while shaping our future.”

Together, Bay Area Then and MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy represent one of YBCA’s most ambitious curatorial undertakings in recent years—bringing together more than 40 visual artists, monthly concerts, festivals, and talks to foster vibrant public exchange. Additional programming will be announced this fall, further expanding the season’s offerings and inviting the public into even more opportunities for connection.

YBCA Programs are made possible in part by Blue Shield of California, the City and County of San Francisco, Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Bloomberg Philanthropies, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, James R. Lilienthal Trust, California Arts Council, Yerba Buena Community Benefit District, Amy and Hannah Eliot, Tides Foundation, Farhang Foundation, Peter Rigano and Cody Hicks, Malia Simonds, Alan Seiffert, Katie Colendich, Peter Schumann and Rob Wullenjohn, Vicky Shipkowitz, John Bankston and Robert Goodman and YBCA Members.

For more information visit www.ybca.org.

About YBCA:
Opened to the public in 1993, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) was founded as the cultural anchor of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens neighborhood. Our work spans the realms of contemporary art, performance, film, civic engagement, and public life. By centering artists as essential to social and cultural movement, YBCA is reimagining the role an arts institution can play in the communities it serves. For more information, visit ybca.org.

YBCA is open Wednesday through Sundayfrom 11:00am to 5:00pm. General admission is $10, and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased in person or reserved in advance at ybca.org. Admission is free every Wednesday and on the second Sunday of each month. 

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