Presenting a Bay Area Master: Elmer Bischoff at Nelson Duni for SF Art Week

Major Exhibition of the Seminal Bay Area Figurative Artist Opens During SF Art Week SAN FRANCISCO–Nelson Duni is proud to announce "Elmer Bischoff," a comprehensive exhibition celebrating one of the central figures of the Bay Area Figurative Movement. Opening January 22, 2026, and on view through March 15, the show is part of San Francisco Art Week and coincides with the FOG Design+Art Fair, offering art lovers a rare opportunity to encounter Bischoff’s work in depth. The exhibition will present some forty paintings and works on paper, spanning the artist’s career from his early abstract, surrealist canvases and his large figurative compositions, to his joyous late abstractions. This comprehensive selection will illuminate Bischoff’s singular ability to capture atmosphere and feeling through brushwork that is at once descriptive and entirely free of representation. This will be the first Bischoff exhibition in over 20 years to offer five decades of the artist’s work, from the 1940s to the 1980s. In addition to his paintings, the show will feature numerous figure drawings from the 1960s and 1970s that were created in studio sessions with other Bay Area artists and are representative of Bischoff’s practice. "Elmer Bischoff’s paintings have a quiet power, they are luminous, optimistic, and deep," says Andy Nelson, Director of Nelson Duni. "We are honored to present this body of work in San Francisco, the city that shaped and inspired him, and to bring his vision to a new audience." A leading voice in the Bay Area Figurative Movement alongside Richard Diebenkorn, David Park, and Joan Brown, Bischoff (1916 - 1991) bridged abstraction and figuration with a painterly sensibility rooted in atmosphere and mood. Bischoff’s influence continues to resonate in contemporary painting today. "We are thrilled to be able to make this comprehensive selection of Bischoff’s work available for viewing at the new Nelson Duni Gallery," says John Bischoff of the Bischoff Family Art Trust. "To include such a wide range of paintings and drawings spanning so many years of Bischoff’s working life is particularly exciting. We hope to introduce new and younger audiences to his unique contribution to Bay Area art and culture." Exhibition Details Title: Elmer Bischoff Dates: January 22 - March 15, 2026 Location: Nelson Duni, 35 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, California Starting January 23, the gallery is open Wednesday – Sunday, 11 am – 6 pm, and by appointment. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Bischoff Family Art Trust and will be accompanied by public programming and special events during its run: Curator’s Walkthrough Sunday, January 25th, 12:00 - 1:00 PM Curators Hilarie Faberman and Andy Nelson will lead an in-depth walkthrough of the exhibition, offering discussion on key works while tracing Elmer Bischoff’s artistic journey. Space is limited - RSVP via Nelson Duni website. John Bischoff: A Sound Installation (Recordings, 1975–2025) Saturday February 22, 4:30 - 6:30 PM In celebration of Nelson Duni’s exhibition, Elmer Bischoff, composer John Bischoff, the artist’s son, will present a sound installation that unfolds across the gallery space, offering a broad survey of his electronic work from the past fifty years. John is an accomplished composer best known as an early pioneer of live computer music. Space is limited - RSVP via Nelson Duni website. In Conversation: Hilarie Faberman & Phil Linhares Wednesday, March 4th, 6:30 - 7:30 PM Drawing on decades of scholarship, teaching, and connection to the Bay Area art community, the discussion will explore Bischoff’s artistic evolution, his role within the Bay Area Figurative Movement, and the lasting resonance of his work today. Space is limited - RRSVP via Nelson Duni website. About Nelson Duni Nelson Duni is a new San Francisco-based art gallery dedicated to thoughtful exhibitions, support of artist estates, and meaningful contemporary work. Founded by siblings Lucy Duni and Andy Nelson, the gallery is committed to preserving artistic legacies while connecting collectors and audiences with work that inspires, challenges, and endures.

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