Bank of the West Announces Sponsorship of Photography Interpretive Gallery at the New San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West is proud to announce sponsorship of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's Photography Interpretive Gallery, a dynamic interactive gallery that will be a highlight of the new SFMOMA when it reopens to the public on May 14, 2016.

The Photography Interpretive Gallery will feature interactive exhibits designed to provide engaging ways for visitors to learn about the Bay Area's role in the formation of photography. The Gallery will be part of the new Pritzker Center for Photography which is the largest gallery, research and interpretive space devoted to the medium at any U.S. art museum. It will focus on both the history of photography, of which California and the Bay Area play a notable part, as well as the underlying technology that drives it.

"Bank of the West is devoted to engaging with our communities to promote and celebrate art, design, innovation and education," said Michael Shepherd, Chairman and CEO of Bank of the West.  "This partnership with SFMOMA, in support of this innovative exhibit, is an important contribution to this mission."

"The Photography Interpretive Gallery will offer an opportunity for visitors to explore the development of photography in California, and how it shaped our view of the West," said Neal Benezra, the Helen and Charles Schwab Director of SFMOMA. "SFMOMA is grateful to Bank of the West for partnering with us to help make the Photography Interpretive Gallery possible."

Since its opening in 1935, SFMOMA has been dedicated to making the art for our time a vital and meaningful part of public life. SFMOMA was among the first American art museums to recognize photography as an art form. Its photography collection spans the history of the medium – from 1840 to the present day – and comprises more than 17,000 works.

Bank of the West's sponsorship of SFMOMA continues its growing support of the arts. Currently, Bank of the West is the Presenting Sponsor of Frank Gehry at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and also supports the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University and the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. Bank of the West has also sponsored exhibits at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco since 2008.

About Bank of the West:

Bank of the West is a regional financial services company chartered in California and headquartered in San Francisco with $72.5 billion in assets as of June 30, 2015. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 offices in 22 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with 185,000 employees.

About San Francisco Museum of Modern Art:
151 Third Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Founded in 1935 as the first West Coast museum devoted to modern and contemporary art, SFMOMA is reaching the conclusion of a major expansion project that will significantly enhance gallery, education, and public spaces, enabling the museum to better showcase more of its expanded permanent collection.

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SOURCE Bank of the West