SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.- January 18, 2005 marks the tenth anniversary of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art抯 (SFMOMA)抯 Mario Botta杁esigned building on Third Street. An instant architectural landmark from its opening in 1995, the building has dramatically enhanced the San Francisco skyline and anchors the South of Market neighborhood as a burgeoning arts center. Its grand scale has allowed the Museum to mount more exhibitions, hold more education programs, host more visitors, and welcome more members than previously possible in the old location on Van Ness Avenue.

The Botta building also allows the Museum to highlight its own collection that has been growing over the past decade梐 collection that is equally as extraordinary as the building itself. 揟he grandeur of our new building inspired the institution to acquire extensively and impressively over the past decade,� commented SFMOMA Director Neal Benezra. 揝ince the opening we抳e developed one of the nation抯 leading collections of modern and contemporary art. We抳e acquired several landmark works such as Robert Rauschenberg抯 Erased De Kooning Drawing, 1953; Les Valeurs personnelles (Personal Values), 1952, by Ren� Magritte; Louise Bourgeois抯 The Nest, 1994; and Splitting: Four Corners, 1974, by Gordon Matta-Clark, among many others.�

SFMOMA opens its doors to the public to celebrate the tenth anniversary with a special community day on Saturday, January 22.