De Young salutes the psychedelic
A guy with a white ponytail was pointing to a Jan. 22, 1967, poster for a Paul Butterfield Blues Band concert. “Hey, far out! I was at this,” he said.
I heard other similar comments, as people lucky enough to have been in San Francisco half a century ago browsed through the De Young Museum’s exhibit, “The Summer of Love Experience: Art, Fashion and Rock & Roll” (deyoung.famsf.org; tickets $25 for adults, $20 seniors, $10 for kids).
The 50th anniversary show, which runs through Aug. 20, includes photos, films, hippie costumes and a psychedelic light show that celebrates San Francisco’s famous counterculture.
In one room, I ran into Carol Warren of Webster Springs, W.Va., staring at a poster of three pretty college-age girls in floppy hats.
“Girls say yes to boys who say no,” read the headline. Smaller type below explained, “Proceeds from the sale of this poster go to the Draft Resistance.”
“We even had this poster in Appalachia,” she said, laughing.
Although the exhibit offers an interesting stroll down memory lane for baby boomers, it also draws younger people interested in the sights and sounds of the era.
The light show takes over a high-ceilinged room at the museum, catapulting viewers into the past as oils and dyes are projected onto the walls.
It’s a popular stop for people young enough to sit in (and get up from) the bean bag chairs on the floor. The show is reminiscent of the ones often seen at concert venues during the Summer of Love; it’s actually an art installation titled “Kinetic Light Painting” by Bill Ham.