New Legion of Honor show celebrates Ferlinghetti's printmaking

"If you live in San Francisco, you've probably heard of the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. You may even have read a poem or two from his collection, "The Coney Island of the Mind." What's less likely is that you're familiar with his works on paper. In addition to his work as a poet and bookstore owner, Ferlinghetti was a devoted painter, draftsperson, and printmaker who worked across a variety of media for over 60 years. A new exhibition at the Legion of Honor's Logan Gallery surveys Ferlinghetti's extensive work in printmaking. It opened July 19 and will remain on view through July 19, 2026."

""Ferlinghetti for San Francisco" contains a selection of Ferlinghetti's etchings, lithographs, and letterpress prints selected by Natalia Lauricella, curator of prints and drawings at the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, along with other curators. The show includes many of the 30-plus prints that Ferlinghetti's estate gifted to the Achenbach after the artist's death in 2021. The human figure is the center of many of the pieces on display."

"The curators also selected works they felt spoke to Ferlinghetti's collaborative spirit, as well as his interest in the lengthy process of printmaking itself. Lauricella commented that printmaking is democratic in nature, since multiple people can possess the same print, or two museums display a print simultaneously. It is also a form that can demand collaboration between artist and printmaker."

An exhibition at the Legion of Honor's Logan Gallery presents Lawrence Ferlinghetti's prints, including etchings, lithographs, and letterpress works, on view through July 19, 2026. The selection features over 30 prints gifted by the artist's estate and highlights the human figure, often placed in the sea or boats, reflecting possible Navy influences. Most works are black and white and frequently combine text with image. Presentation ranges from miniature sketchbooks to large illustrated books. Curators emphasized Ferlinghetti's artistic range, collaborative spirit, and the democratic, process-driven qualities inherent to printmaking.

Read at Mission Local