Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Visited BAMPFA for the first time and was truly impressed by the exhibits. "Routed West" featured an incredible quilt collection that highlighted the history of quilts in California, particularly among African Americans. I was also captivated by "Lee ShinJa: Drawing with Thread," which showcased the artist’s bold innovations in fiber art. It’s astonishing how she created such intricate pieces over five decades, with remarkable attention to detail. Additionally, "Matrix 287," an exhibit in one of the halls, presented anthropomorphic assemblages with fused prostheses that challenge standardized body expectations. Be sure not to miss the Art Wall at the entrance, which features impressive work by artist Stephanie Syjuco in a modern setting. You will definitely enjoy the exhibits if you’re into art and history. Definitely give it a visit if you’re around. Exhibits can be seen in an hour time.

We went to a Quilt exhibit which was extensive and well documented. A definite must see if you are in the area. The collection was culled from the museum's 3,000 quilt collection.

Came for the Routed West exhibit, but also loved the Lee ShinJa exhibit as well . Very well done!

The entrance fee is $14 but there are a lot of discounted and free categories. They also have a coat check service available. The museum is manageable, you would be able to cover all exhibitions in a short time. The wall texts sometimes provide a lot of information but sometimes they don't which is a shame because many of the well described wall text helps me understand the materials, concepts and artist interpretation. Generally the exhibition is curated well too. The gift store is small but has a lot of fun things to buy.

Beautiful exhibit, “Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California," open through November 30, 2025

A good museum for contemporary art. It's big but with a lot of hopeful empty space. It didn't take me that long to finish the displays. The art is beautiful but it needs bigger names to generate more appeal to the masses. Maybe they should reduce the $14 admission fee or just make it a free entry museum. Their gift shop is nice, go check it out. There's a cafeteria but it was closed the day I was there. It's better to get there on public transportation than to hunt for parking spaces. Have a meal after the visit at one of the many nice restaurants nearby.

This is a great art museum, housing some of the finest pieces across centuries. They have acrylic and oil paintings from the 1600s and also paintings and items from Science which talk about quantum theory. Alongside they also had a display of minimalist design and craft. It was a nice experience. Their gift shop is pretty good too. Lots of fun things to get. A fun library section too with the cutest furniture.

Excited to attend quilting exhibition. Was looking closely....not touching pointing to patterns. discussing techniques with my daughter, I am a little shortsighted so may have been very slightly close when pompous offiocious unfriendly stewarding burst bubble ...left early. Sad. Expressive folk art made inaccessable... and un-fun.

I had visited..I could remember...where is your post on Yelp? It's a college campus museum..there are many galleries at college campuses.. it charges $18 for adult tickets...berkeley students can pay a discounted fee...$5...it's not free...it's a museum gallery.. the exhibit was quilts..nice building to visit and there may have been a class lecture hall for college students.. open to the public all the time..free first Thursday today.. the cafe was closed...for the community kids...all major college campuses feature museums and galleries.. I had come here once and don't remember the exhibit..years ago..

I found out about the Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California exhibit from a fellow quilter. As a new quilter I wanted to see the exhibit, so we planned a day of things to-do in OAK and Berkeley. Parking was easy. We were able to get a metered spot across the street, but I know that there are also parking garages in the area. The street was busy with CAL students all around, just adding to a great vibe! I loved reading the museum labels to get information about the quilter (artist) and the quilt. I think my favorite section was the case with quilters notebooks. So interesting to see their notes and sketches. The Untitled Necktie Quilt was a big hit with all of the patrons. There were three other exhibits in the museum and we saw that another exhibit was in the prep-process. The employees made checking in a breeze. Clean bathrooms and a small, but stocked gift shop. The Fisher Family Art Lab wasn't open, but you could walk through. I was able to pick up a paper for designing your own quilt. I'm sure that I would have needed more time on the parking meter if the Lab was open!

We were drawn to the BAMPFA Art Gallery (Oct 2025) by their American and international artists working in so many media, such as thread art, textiles, wall-art, life-size figures, sketches, prints, familiar objects, and film. Our family shares some patchwork and quilting, so we were focussed for an hour or so on the Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California by 80-or-so artists, (shown through Nov 2025).

Caught the African American Quilt exhibit. There was plenty of two hour meter parking and it was plenty of time to see the exhibit. Beautiful building and exhibition space.

Cool museum, on the smaller size and i think the main exhibit is African quilts. There were alot of quilts! Has a gift shop and colosseum steps and a little place kids can color and do art on the bottom floor. It wasnt the most interesting museum tho, the girls at the front r nice!

In general, I had a good experience. The organization was impeccable. There are many exhibits that are still in progress. It was a beautiful day at the University of Berkeley. If you have time, stop by and enjoy the arts.

Small little gem of an art museum. You can see. The whole thing in an hour. Street parking available

Good museum with a beautiful movie theater. On the small side, so you don't need to plan a long visit. Nice cafe and gift shop.

Really great exhibits and deals such as free first Thursday and Berkeley students get in free! They also have films and special events that occur which showcase different local artists which really serve to amplify the voices in our surrounding area. The films are usually very niche and sometimes they have the filmmaker come and talk as well. I loved the exhibits that I went to below which my favorite was the fallen raven with the ribbon in its mouth. Not only do you get to know about the art piece and the artists, but there are also historical pieces to the puzzle and you really get to learn more about different cultures and similarities between yourself and the artists. Thus, it is a great way to spend an afternoon diversifying viewpoints while looking at food for the eyes.

Enjoying deep conversations in the art opening of friends and surrounding by creativity and brilliance - appreciating those who value arts and intellect. Life and joyful inspirations keep expanding~!

I enjoy spending time here and like to check out the annual UC Berkeley MFA exhibit. It's a small museum, you can probably see everything in an hour. They have lots of special events and movies, check the calendar. The entry is only $14 for adults.

For the price you pay ($18) this is a small museum and depending on your interest in a current exhibition on quilts you may find yourself going through it rather quickly. BAMPFA's decision to feature African-American quilts as the main exhibit is interesting considering the niche status of this form, overall. The art wall that dominates the space as you enter, by Stephanie Syjuco, is a monument to the debatable, left-wing academic orthodoxies present in many university humanities and social studies curriculums. The museum itself describes this exhibit as featuring "radical pedagogy," so there you go. I did find the film installation by Georgian artist Andro Eradze engaging. The security within the museum was borderline intrusive, with the (apparent) college students employed as security darting back and forth between rooms as if they were on high alert. Maybe there have been problems in the past, but it got in the way of my viewing. One note: I did not, regrettably, have the time to take in any of the films (charged separately from admission as I understand it).

Unfortunately I can't recommend coming to the museum for the art galleries. At the time of my visit the art was low quality and in my opinion, less interesting than any other museum or gallery I've been to in a very long time. Even small town art galleries with local artists have more to offer than this museum did. There was also tons of volunteers awkwardly standing in every single room but they couldn't even give directions around the museum or maybe didn't speak English. You're better off going to any other art museum in the Bay Area or to Crocker in Sacramento.

Clean but definitely not worth the $18 entrance fee. It has a small and pompous atmosphere. If you frequent art museums you could just go down the street to the Oakland one and leave feeling like you weren't just scammed.

Caught their Free 1st Thursday of the month entry & I'm so happy for these kinds of events. Only 2 levels of art work & the 1st level is really the main attraction with 4 art collections to view. Candice Lin's Art work featured downstairs. Personal Impressionable Artists at BAMPFA: John Zurier's art, it wasn't so much as his art but his quote "The common quality linking all of his work, is a sense of silence & solitude or perhaps a longing for solitude,freedom,calm, & serenity..." Although we aren't in a state of war, sometimes there's a crisis within yourself that prevents you from obtaining that sense of inner peace & calm. It reminds me of taking the time to "smell the roses" in this fast paced world. It was also great to see that BAMPFA recognizes it's UC Berkeley Fine Art students by displaying 7 of its student's artworks. I really liked Ahn Lee's ceramic lanterns. The Jade green lanterns add a soothing sense of calm for me. Downstairs is Candice Lin's art work featuring her Indigo colored work inspired by the Nigerians & Japanese. She not only dyed the fabric with meticulous time & care, but she also added a print design. The reason for Candice's use of indigo was bc indigo is considered to be a "magical" & "cool" color, it has even been said to help cure feverish conditions. Also downstairs are reading areas with books & a theatre. So much to see on the 1st floor, it's a nice place to relax & slow down.

Excellent tour of a fascinating exhibit of various artists interpretation of the southern immigration in the US.

Maybe this kind of museum is just not directed toward people like me, but I found the exhibits at this museum to be really weird and peculiar. The special exhibit on Alison Knowles art don't make sense to me. My kids 7 and 10 didn't really like the exhibits either and kept asking me when we could leave.... Not sure we would be returning again unless there's significant changes to the exhibits... I had much more fun at other Bay Area museums like Oakland Museum and SF MOMA.

Beautiful museum - love the film festivals. Entry price is affordable so hopefully most public will patronize it.

Unfortunately I haven't spent much time in the museum portion of BAMPFA, so my review will focus exclusively on the theater portion. I love films. I know a lot of people say that, but I sincerely mean it. And BAMPFA is one of only a few local theaters that plays the kind of films that resonate with me. You want to see a screening of Nosferatu with a live piano accompaniment? You want to see Werner Herzog in-person introducing his film Stroszek? You want to see a Yasujiro Ozu retrospective? Well damn, did you come to the right place. The tickets are incredibly affordable, and with each purchase you're helping to keep cinema and the history of cinema alive. I wish that more theaters had such careful curation as BAMPFA obviously does.

I love the Osher Theater! I always feel so inspired when I come see the new art exhibits, vintage foreign films, or old school live concerts in the theater. Treat yo' self!

I used to go to the PFA when it was on Durant Avenue and I was a fresh-faced undergrad acing my introductory film class. I'd go over there, watch obscure foreign films, and get in touch with my inner geek. Imagine my forlorn state when I saw it shuttered, but then I realized it was moved to the western end of the campus on Center Street. Still combined with the city art museum (which I frankly ignored), it's referred to as BAMPFA and housed in a retrofitted building modernized by the in-demand architectural firm of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the same team that designed The Broad in L.A. (review: http://bit.ly/2Lw89Io). It's quite an expansive space and when I visited, the lobby with the descending steps was dominated by a bright mural by South African street artist Karabo Poppy Moletsane (photo: http://bit.ly/2wiZqnS). The museum's largest exhibition was Way Bay, a collection of multimedia pieces by Bay Area artists (photo: http://bit.ly/2wkAnB8), but the most dramatic gallery was Agony in Effigy, vivid representations of violence and death in art like Sylvia Ludins' "Death March" (photo: http://bit.ly/2wwcPZ6). Yes, modern art dominates the space in surprisingly frequent rotations, and it wasn't exactly my cup of orange pekoe tea. Non-student admission was $13 for the museum, and film showings are separate and also $13. RELATED - Interested in discovering a new museum? Here's a list of the ones I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2LyXFIa

Great museum my favorite is the Buddhist statues they are fantastic nice and big spacious modern building so its great and not crowded at all

The SF Chronicle recently featured photos of the latest BAMPFA exhibit and for those suffering from coulrophopia*, it was a doozy. The newest exhibit features rooms full of clowns, not a single one transported from the current White House. These are the clowns (by artist Ugo Rondinone) that haunt you in nightmares and it didn't help that a worker at BAMPFA announced as we entered the exhibit, "there's one real one in the bunch". She was kidding but her joke made the clown experience all the more terrifying as it planted the seed that one of these lethargic clowns could suddenly spring to life. BAMPFA is a nice museum and the people that work there seem very nice. It's not their fault that the overall experience underwhelmed me. They do have some fine, oft-changing exhibits (in addition to the clowns I enjoyed the extensive display of Charles Howard works), just know that the museum is unlikely to hold your interest beyond about 70 minutes which is actually quite adequate for most people (it held my interest for 90, but that's me). What I think of BAMPFA is that it's a great excuse to go to the city of Berkeley. First Thursdays are free and the museum is always free for Cal students. For others, the admission charge runs $10-$12. Plan ahead though, and check the "Discover & Go" feature at your local library and you might find you can get a pass good for free admission for two, as I did; that's a great value. The museum has a very nice, well-curated gift shop. They also have a cafe (Babette, no museum admission required), an art lab which provides time and materials to make your own art, and of course, the Pacific Film Archive. For film buffs, the Pacific Film Archive is a most interesting thing so be certain to wander inside during your visit and ask what they do. You might find they offer something that you didn't know existed and that knowledge might be life changing. Most nearby street parking is metered and limited to 2 hours (most days) which is sort of perfect given the size and scale of BAMPFA. If you're a museum fan or just someone looking for an excuse to go to Berkeley, add BAMPFA to your list. It's a perfectly fine museum experience even if there are plenty of better museum experiences to be had out there in the world. * coulrophobia - persistent and irrational fear of clowns

Incredible and intriguing art shows here. We stopped here for a couple of hours before a performance at Zellerbach and glad we did.

Fantastic museum with many art things! And it's free for Berkeley students! I really love the full-red stairs!

I'm a film and museum buff, probably due to my day's checking out many theaters and museums in my hometown. I'd been meaning to visit BAMPFA since they opened up their new building on Oxford Street, with my mind having dimly-lit memories of the former home on Bancroft Way. Luckily, I've gotten to see both the museum and film aspects of the place over a week last year. Overall, I'm really impressed with the new BAMPFA! I checked out an excellent Peter Hujar exhibit that displayed a series of impactful black and white prints that brought a vivid representation of 1970s/1980s NYC. I also saw a film by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, "Time of Love", and really enjoyed both the movie and the intimate theater. I would definitely revisit given the impressive museum exhibits and film retrospectives!

For it being in Berkeley, I can say that this museum is just "okay". The city of Berkeley is so unique in itself and I was expecting a little more from this Berkeley art museum. I came here with a group to attend their "free museum day" promotion. The museum is free to the public every first Thursday of the month which was perfect for me because I probably wouldn't pay to come back here. To their defense, a large center portion of the museum is currently closed down due to renovations. From the outside art, this portion seemed to be the most interesting. The Museum has three stories and also has a small café located on the third floor. Some of the featured art includes pieces from local artists, popular replicas, and modern day ethnic art and pieces. My favorite features include the East African and Buddhism room. The East African room has a few distinctive modern pieces that rightfully depict East African culture and beauty. I loved the vibrant colors that were used on some of the pieces... it was actually a breath of fresh air compared to some of the art rooms that I felt were lacking creativity. I would say that they Buddha room was my most favorite! This room featured multiple Buddha pieces and picture art from different eras in time. Many of the smaller pieces were encased in glass, but my favorite piece was the large traditional Golden Buddha! I observed many people taking pictures of and with this Buddha and I presumed that this was most likely their most popular piece. If you are a Berkeley local, this museum is located right across the street from UC Berkeley and would be nice it is so close. I did notice that many students were seated on the steps working on their computers. The parking is hard and if you do find a parking lot, it will most likely be paid and expensive. Be ready to cough up a couple dollars per hour for paid lots! So, would I go back again? Probably only on another free Thursday or on a discounted day once the museum has finished undergoing it's renovations.

What a thrilling and thriving experience I recently had at the museum! Not only did I come on their free day (first thursdays) but I came with genuine spirit of a good time and it was. I got to see interesting textural accounts of many inspiring artists (Hans Hofmann, Tenzing Rigdol and Fernando Botero to name a few) and I also got to immerse myself in different time periods the showcase lapsed as I gallivanted the many corridors. (Like a piece from 1339 Buddhist Tibet) All and all you should really check this place out! There's also a nook cafe located in the museum. I wanna say it's the 2nd floor, anyway there's an elevator with directions, you'll figure it out!

It is hard to miss BAMPFA. As soon as you see it you will notice the thirty-foot-wide outdoor LED screen which plays films and videos. The architecture of BAMPFA is one you'll want to go inside. There are two film theaters, four study centers, a reading room, art-making lab, and a café. If you love contemporary or historical art this is the place for you because here you can enjoy over twenty art exhibits annually. As you walk in you'll be mesmerized when you see the art wall by Karabo Poppy Moletsane. She uses such beautiful colors and patterns when portraying the people of South Africa. On a busy day these steps serve as seats for listeners. There is a hands on corner and you'll find people cutting, glueing, drawing, and creating different things. The great thing is that around the table you will find different ages of people from young to older all creating unique things.

The worst museum out of 30+ museums I have visited across the US :) - 3 pictures - 5 carpets on walls - 2.5 statues - and a cafe on the top floor that is crowded with people

I went to the FREE Community Day at the new location for BAMPFA Sun 1/31/16. This new location is great, only 1 block away from Downtown Berkeley Bart and it's pretty roomy inside and has lots of light! Once you enter you notice on the left a huge art mural in the Forum. It's really interesting to see, kinda like a scene from China with made up lakes and mountains. On this floor was the new exhibit "Architecture of Life" now thru 5/29. It's interesting and has 2 rooms full of art. Only 1 unisex bathroom on this floor. Small gift shop next to the gallery. On the right side of the floor is a gallery with a limit of 6 people - glass cases with spider webs - the spiders have been taken out. Kinda neat to see. 2nd Fl - that's where the Babette Cafe is. I had a bowl of split pea soup w/ ham hock $7, winter tabouleh salad $4, and a chocolate hazelnut cookie $3. All pretty tasty. Order at the register, pay by credit card if you want, get a little sign holder, someone brings the food out to your table. One unisex bathroom this floor. Down at the Lower Level is where the multi-stall separate M/F bathrooms are! There's 5 galleries of art, learning center, etc. Hrs: Wed-Sun 11-9 First Thurs of the Month FREE Galleries FREE BAMPFA members; UC Berkeley students, faculty, staff; 18 & under $10 Non-UC Berkeley students, disabled, 65+ $12 General admission Theater $7 BAMPFA members, UC Berkeley students $8 UC Berkeley faculty & staff, Non-UC Berkeley students, disabled, 65+, 18 & under $12 General admission Additional feature: $5 Website: http://bampfa.org/

Modern art lovers will really appreciate the beauty that is the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. It's sleek and sexy and epitomizes everything modern in its newly built location on Center Street in the heart of downtown Berkeley. With its metallic exterior and natural light interior it is the perfect addition to the downtown Berkeley skyline and with only a block away from the downtown BART entrance makes for the most convenient access. It combines various artwork like paintings, photography and historical sculptures all created in the 20th century and beyond. I love that they bring the art of legendary art of Jackson Pollack and Robert Mapplethorpe to the suburban masses of the East Bay. I had previously been to the Berkeley Art Museum location when it was housed on Bancroft Street, where it was a concrete multi leveled mass of coldness. But now they've moved to a former printing plant and made it destination any architectural buff will love. I came with a friend on a Thursday afternoon, we made sure we came on the first Thursday of the month because it is free to all museum goers no matter if they live in Berkeley or not. The museum building is three levels with the main entrance and galleries on the ground level, a threat and cafe/ bar on the second level, and additional galleries and a study center and art lab on the underground lower level. Today's artwork featured in the main gallery was from the mind of Ugo Rondinone. The exhibit "the world just makes me laugh" had unique themes from popular culture as well as drawing inspiration from historical art movements such as Romanticism and Surrealism. And how surreal was it? There were actually lifelike mannequins dressed as clowns in every position possible in the main gallery. Each gallery had something visual for the eyes on that first level ranging from the photography of Sam Contis to children's drawings. I loved the lightness of the entire space which emanated from the rafters of this warehouse turned art museum. The lower level was a little different as they had four smaller galleries filled two completely different styles of art. In two galleries there was the abstract art of Charles Howard, while in the other two galleries it was the ancient art of the Buddhist Realms. Although both exhibits were visually stunning, it did make my friend and I wonder what did ancient art and sculptures of East Asia have to do with that of modern art? We both questioned how they curate their art for exhibitions. After we asked a friendly docent where much of the artwork came from, we learned much of it came from the private collection of donors, many of whom were responsible for this entire museum being even built in this location. That made sense. A small museum like the Berkeley Art Museum has to rely on donors and alumni to survive because many people don't know this place even exists. That's why I think you should try to come on the first Thursday for complimentary admission to see if this place is for you. A nice intimate collection of hip and modern artwork that's a feast for the eyes not unlike the movies that play on the exterior of the building. Stay for the art that changes seasonally, but enjoy this stunning new facility it's in.

Aside from the films and exhibits on abstract surrealism... send in the clowns. Isn't it great? Isn't it grand? There ought to be clowns. They sent in the clowns. Boy did they send in the clowns. There here. They are all here...

If you want to check out the new location, but aren't sure if you want to shell out the bucks? Then come here the first Thursday of every month since it's open/free to the public or if you're a Cal student just flash that ID of yours. As a fellow Cal bear and someone who passed by the old location quite often, I was really excited to check out this location. This location is great being in the Downtown area and actually has a small parking lot next to it, but I felt underwhelmed after my first visit. The place is basically broken down into 3 floors. The bottom and entrance floor are the main exhibit halls and the top floor hols the Theatre and Babette. While the exhibits such as the Clown and Buddhist ones were interesting, they weren't that memorable in my opinion. We also wanted to check out the theatre too but it was closed by the time we got there. Babette is in a small corner on the top floor too and it's awesome that it overlooks the place, but it felt cramped up there. Overall, while the entrance floor was inviting with the natural light and openness, I felt that the other floors were less inviting that what I was expecting of the new place. TBH, I'm glad I came on a free First Thursday because I don't think this place is worth the admission fee, at least with the exhibits they currently have.

Thank you Cal Day for allowing us to visit this chic, modern museum for free at least once a year. The exhibit, HIppie Modernism(which closed mid-May), enthralled and engaged both mama and child. I dug the protest art and historical aspects. Mini-me liked the colors but really dug the room featuring psychedelic lighting and a Jimi Hendrix soundtrack. As a Cal student, I never took advantage of my free membership to BAMPFA so I welcome the opportunity to spend some quiet time engaging with interesting pieces and the even more interesting questions my daughter asks. My suggestion would be to take BART to downtown Berkeley as this is located near several restaurants and literally across the street from campus.

Every time i come to NE BAM, i am disappointed. It is a beautiful building in downtown Berkeley. It could be great if it was actually filled with art. It is sad the way it's curated and makes little sense. The old museum on Durant constantly had serious exhibits, and i loved to go there. Every year i visit a new museum and so far i have not seen any changes towards the better. I would not waste my money here until something changes in they way museum approaches "art".

LOVE this museum. The previous version of Bampfa was a brutalist concrete cave. This gorgeous building was designed by starchitects, Diller Scofido + Renfro (of Broad and Highline fame) and it's a fantastic and welcoming addition to Berkeley. The large screening theatre, (the small, super dark screening room), the red stairwell, the agora gathering space, the arts and crafts station and Risograph printer, the ever-changing giant wall murals, the cafe upstairs with angled windows overlooking the street: all of these add up to a magical museum punching above its weight.

My job gave me two free tickets, so the hunny and I went to check out the Berkeley Art Museum. I wasn't sure what to expect: a museum owned and operated by world-class university in a city that stubbornly lives in the Age Of Aquarius. But Berzerkeley values open-mindedness, so in we went . . . I dunno. I'm not much of an art museum guy anyway, I didn't study it in school, so not much moves me. In this case, there wasn't a lot here to look at. Two floors in a smallish gallery, lots of space between the paintings, ranging from 16th century Biblical art to 20th century statements. One room had "modern art", blotches of bright paint that made me think "this is art?" At the time we went, one whole room was Chinese sketching, and that was illuminating to see the difference in their perspective compared to European paintings. Maybe I've been spoiled by the museums in Golden Gate Park and the Getty Center in LA. But this is okay for those who get into it. And if you don't, then it can be skipped.

I was excited when they opened in downtown Berkeley. No long trekking to the other side of the UC campus to visit. However, I had a few problems. 1) I had a discount because I am an Oakland Museum member. I went in there and the woman in charge of the people taking admission and issuing tickets (possible training issues) was called over. I had gotten an email from the Oakland Museum telling me that I had two weekends left to get free admission. However, at the front desk the woman told me that I had the wrong membership. I had the email with my membership number and she didn't take it. My husband wanted to go in, but I was pissed. But I went inside. The show was OK. And before we left, we went upstairs to use the bathroom. One bathroom for women on the first floor). After selling a kidney to get in there, I actually expected to be able to go to a bathroom and not have to wait in line for a year. Not so. The bathroom consisted of a single room with a toilet and a small sink. They could not have sprung for stalls? Strike one! Then we went upstairs to look around. Nothing to see, but they had a cute little cafe. Actually, it was kinda slender and crammed, but I'm being nice. So we walked in to get a coffee and a nice treat (hopefully gluten free). A woman approached my husband and I and said that we could not come in and order. She said it very rudely. I knew that they had another hour and a half before closing. Then she started rushing the other patrons, telling them that they had to hurry up and finish because a group had reserved the room and they had to leave. Strike two! Never ever going back!

Such a cool space, and very conveniently located downtown (close to Bart)! They also seem to be screening some really interesting films consistently. The museum itself is well curated, with lots of contemporary pieces and a beautiful screening room. I really enjoyed the architecture of life exhibit. My favorite aspect of the BAMFA though is the architecture itself. High ceilings, lots of open space, the perfect amount of light, and all together it's just so ascetically pleasing. I haven't been to the cafe Babette, but have heard good things and hope to try it soon. From what I understand, you don't have to pay admission when eating there, but can still sort of enjoy the beautiful building and a nice view of Berkeley.

I had great expectations for the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive yet felt the art here was underwhelming. I would have liked for the BAMPFA to have more art & better quality art. I was expecting to be blown away like I usually am at other museums I have been to. On the surface BAMPFA houses one of the largest university art collections in the US. It was born in 1963 when Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann left Nazi Germany w/ the help of two Cal professors, donated 45 paintings & $250,000 to the university. It was moved into the current space in order to meet seismic standards at Oxford & Center Streets near the university's western entrance. The 16,000 piece permanent collection is strong in 20 C art & pre0 20 C European painting, Asian ceramics, & contemporary art sculpture. I was looking forward to seeing the piece called the Father yet apparently it is in an art museum in Sacramento where it lives permanently. The two pieces I liked the most were a mandala by Jackson Pollock using his drip painting technique circling around a penny & a Indian miniature painting of a battle of Krishna vs Shiva. Besides that I felt that nothing else really stood out for me. I did go into the Pacific Film Archive library. It is open to the public even if you don't go into the museum during normal hours which is cool. They had a nice selection of books about film all over the world from Hollywood to Bollywood to everything in between. The librarian working there said that with two weeks notice one could get a film to view from their extensive archives of 14,000 films, videos, & rare prints of classic films w/ a focus on Japanese, Soviet, & American art cinema yet nothing was on hand to view right away. The First Thursday of every month is free at BAMPFA & might be good to see an art film here yet the art at the museum didn't do it for me.

Much art, so deep, very wooooow. That's the feeling I got after going through the Berkeley museum of pacific fine arts for the first time. Not much of an art person ("how do you art?"), it's tough for me to grasp the intricate complexities of each piece of art work. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my first and probably not last experience at the bampfa. From the gorgeous "world garden" painting on the wall to the captivating spider room from this season's exhibit, I had an amazing time trying to interpret and analyze different pieces of art with my friend. I wanna give a huge shoutout to some of the workers during my shift. They were hella nice and incredible. With their knowledge and assistance, I was able to better understand some of the art pieces. It's cool to see college students getting involved in the art scene. Great addition to Berkeley and thanks for all the wonderful art pieces! Have fun and prosper,

It's a great museum. It's not as vast as others you can go to in the bay, but for its price it is a damn good deal to the general public (Cal students get in free so don't waste your time in college--go here!). The exhibitions change almost semesterly and there's always new things each time they change. Come here for a great time to chill out on the wooden stairing, cafe, or book room. Or for, you know, the art.

The art is nice. Everything smells like fresh wood. Staff don't seem to smile or be enjoying their work or environment. It's a definite feel of what are you going to take from our locked thick glass cases. Disconcerting. Cafe requires a purchase. Benches are really really uncomfortable and not conducive to relaxing. Water tastes like chlorine - ick. Cafe is a pass.

Gorgeous space. I visited the new Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed building on opening day, and I was pleasantly surprised, albeit a little overwhelmed, at how large the space was. I wasn't able to get through the entire museum in a single visit, and it's quite wonderful that the range of exhibits is so varied that it could capture anyone's interest. Exhibits include an "Architecture of Life" exhibit that invites guests to consider architecture as a metaphor. Don't leave without checking out Hyun-Sook Song's pieces. Most surprising of all, this museum is dog friendly, as long as Fido is on a leash.

I came to BAMFA on a Sunday afternoon and to be honest, I was dragged into going here with my brother. The place looks very new and the exhibits are great. I thought the museum was well prepared for it's opening and I like how it functions like an independent museum although it is literally right next to Cal. The architecture is photo worthy both inside and outside. I first would like to describe the parking details for this area. Because BAMFA is right on the edge of campus, I say good luck to anyone who wants to drive here. BAMFA does not have any designated parking areas although there is a university parking lot behind it. I am not from the area and parked my car there without getting a ticket. The ticket machine was broken anyway soooo, newcomers can try their luck there but I HIGHLY recommend not driving to BAMFA. If you are a newcomer, try to park somewhere away from downtown and just walk. It's a nice stroll to BAMFA and you'll save money on any parking fees. Admission here is FREE for UC Berkeley students and members. Outside visitors are $12 but any student with a student ID is $10. I guess this place is awesome if you don't pay the ticket fee, but I personally would not recommend this place to people outside Berkeley students. I personally don't think $10 is worth it. Now I am not bashing on the exhibits, but there are bigger museums around that have the same admission fee. I still enjoyed the art and film pieces and I like how they have a cafe on the 2nd story. Be warned: the cafe requires a purchase of some sort aka you cannot sit in the cafe area without buying something. Overall, my experience here was fine and there are some excellent art pieces here. Check it out especially if you are a Cal student!

Charming little museum with intriguing exhibits! Compared to other University and college museums I've visited (like Smith College, Williams, or Emory) the collection is surprisingly underwhelming, but sometimes the odd exhibit really impresses, like the current Dimensionalism: Modern Art in the Age of Einstein (one piece's photograph attached).

Quite frankly, it's hard to find deep meaning and intrigue in art as a 21-year-old male; however, This museum did have some very interesting works of art. It's newly opened and free for Cal students (bonus). I ended up going here with a friend because she was on an art scavenger hunt for one of her classes. I'm not sure if I ever would have gone in if she didn't ask me to. I'm glad I did though. The museum is beautifully designed and has many sections with wonderful pieces. We were there specifically to find a work called "The Liberation of Aunt Jemimah." It took some looking, and because of that, we also viewed many pices. Some perplexed me, some seemed downright weird, some were gorgeous and some were fascinating. There is a great variety in this hall. We were in a bit of a rush, so we had to leave after finding the required piece of art, but I will DEFINITELY be coming back to spend a day here observing all the other works of art. The museum is bright and full of life. The openness and light really does a lot for me as an observer of art. It makes things seem more lively and interesting. One bad thing though: PARKING. We were lucky enough to find parking here since it was sunday and there was an open spot only a block away, but I definitely know how bad berkeley parking can be, especially on non-Sundays. Be prepared to either search for parking or pay for it. All in all, a great experience and I will go back for more!

I definitely wouldn't call myself an art museum connoisseur, but I have been to quite a few and I love looking at contemporary art pieces. BAMPFA is definitely not the largest one that I've visited, but I really enjoyed their exhibits! I'm not a Cal student but my boyfriend is, so I was preparing to pay the $10 non-Cal student fee. However, they said that my boyfriend was allowed to bring a guest in so we were both able to see the galleries for free. Yay! The interior is very clean and spacious, and each room has something to see. I especially loved the installation of the house with the projection inside. They have quite a few film pieces that I really enjoyed, actually. You can take pictures of the pieces, with the exception of a couple, but the entire museum itself is very aesthetically pleasing. If you want some Instagrammable photo ops, this is your place! There's also a cafe inside, Babette, but it has such a great location that there are numerous restaurants and cafes within walking distance (across the street, even!). Overall, this is a great museum to check out, and you can easily spend a couple hours in here. I would definitely come back when more exhibits open, or if there was a film showing. It seems like there are a lot of showings and special events going on, so be sure to check their website for details on those!