SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- On Wednesday, November 10, 2010, the Modern Art Council of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) will host the 2010 Bay Area Treasure Award Luncheon, honoring esteemed artist William T. Wiley. Organized by the Modern Art Council, SFMOMA's premier fundraising auxiliary, this annual lifetime achievement award recognizes Bay Area artists who continually define and redefine contemporary art. Wiley is the eleventh honoree; previous award recipients are painters Robert Bechtle, Manuel Neri, Nathan Oliveira, and Wayne Thiebaud; sculptor Richard Serra; sound artist Bill Fontana; industrial designer Sara Little Turnbull; architect Lawrence Halprin; and photographers Ruth Bernhard and Larry Sultan.

William T. Wiley has challenged precepts of mainstream art for the last fifty years with works in media ranging from drawing, painting, and sculpture to film and performance. Difficult to classify as part of any movement or style, his is an art of engagement and confrontation, challenging our views on any number of universal topics, including art, love, war, and the natural environment. Wiley's multivalent pieces use both familiar imagery and a personal vocabulary of symbols to communicate his ideas. Complex and elusive, Wiley's remarkable works consistently encourage us to consider human nature and contemporary society in a new light.

Proceeds from the 2010 Bay Area Treasure Award Luncheon benefit the museum's exhibitions and public programs.