di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art maintains a permanent collection of works by Northern California artists that was originally collected by Rene di Rosa (1919-2010) and Veronica di Rosa (1934–1991). The collection contains notable works by artists living or working in the San Francisco Bay Area from mid-twentieth century to the early twenty-first century, highlighting a story of experimentation of the artists of the region. It is displayed in part, on a rotating basis, in the galleries at di Rosa.
This page represents a just a portion of di Rosa’s rich permanent collection. Stay tuned as we continue to populate this page with artworks from our collection.
di Rosa strives to be a resource for educators, students and lifelong learners. For research inquiries, please contact curatorial@dirosaart.org.
Necklace with Stuffed Palm Leaves
Sculpture
Hand-painted fabric with camel and pyramid in center and stuffed palm leaf pendants
192
Paint on cotton
Fiber Art
AR0192
Janet Bishop
Purchase
K. Lee Manuel
1973
Verso; K Lee Manuel '73
Object
22 in
12-1/2 in
1 in
To the Max!
September 8, 2023 - Sunday, August 24, 2024 - di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa
Building A Different Model: Selections from the di Rosa Collection
March 9 - December 29, 2019, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa
Curator
2019
K. Lee Manuel was a leading figure in fiber and wearable art. She often hand-painted and/or incorporated feathers into her unique garments, fabric designs, and accessories. Manuel credited her turn to this inherently public but also ephemeral medium to an experience in the late 1950s as a painting student at the San Francisco Art Institute: “I had an extremely disturbing experience at the San Francisco Museum of [Modern] Art. . . . We were taken down into the bowels of the museum to investigate the hundreds of works of art stored in darkness—hidden from the world. I asked the guide how often these pieces got out into the light of day and had an opportunity to interact with the public. ‘Perhaps once in two years at most,’ the guide replied. ‘Sometimes longer. Or never.’” Manuel set out to make all manner of usable artworks that would be seen in the world on an ongoing basis.