June 11, 2026 - San Francisco Post

Joseph Slusky’s Exhibitions, Awards, Commissions, and Publications Across Bay Area Art Institutions and Public Programs

San Francisco Post Staff on June 11, 2026

Art records in California tend to look uneven, with long gaps and sudden returns. One year, a sculptor appears in a museum show. Another year shows only teaching, studio work, or a public commission with little exhibition trace. In the Bay Area, this pattern is common. University galleries, city programs, and regional museums all operate on separate timelines. Together, they form a scattered archive rather than a single track of visibility. Sculpture, with its cost and space demands, often moves even more slowly through this system.

Joseph Slusky’s record follows this same structure. It stretches across exhibitions, awards, commissions, and publications from the 1960s through the 2020s, mostly within California and mainly in Bay Area institutions.

His earliest listed appearances come in the mid-1960s. In 1964, he took part in the FSM Group Show at the Berkeley Gallery in Berkeley. In 1965, he appeared in a group show at Comara Art Gallery in Los Angeles and also in the 400th Anniversary Michelangelo Exhibit and Competition at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. These early entries sit in group settings, not solo presentations, which was typical for emerging sculptors at the time.

By 1970, his work appeared again in a group exhibition at William Sawyer Gallery in San Francisco, shown with Don Henrico. After that, the record shifts toward more structured solo presentations.

In 1974, he exhibited at the DeSaisset Art Gallery at the University of Santa Clara. Two years later, in 1976, he showed work at Mills College Art Gallery in Oakland and at Richmond Art Center in Richmond. These venues were central to Bay Area contemporary art life during that period. They often supported sculpture and drawing in the same space, especially work linked to university training.

In 1983, he presented “Sculpture and Drawings” at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art and also at Wurster Hall Gallery at the University of California, Berkeley. The pairing of sculpture and drawing is consistent here. His practice was shown as a linked set of media, not separated categories. That format appears more than once in his exhibition history.

Following this period, the record for his exhibitions becomes sporadic before re-emerging in the 2020s. He showed “12 Painted Wood Panels” in 2021 at the Parker Plaza Building Lobby, Berkeley. From 2021 to 2023, he participated in an exhibition titled “Pain and Metal Works by Joseph Slusky,” exhibiting painted metal sculptures and wood panels, held at The Builder’s Booksource in Berkeley. In 2023, Joseph Slusky was honored with the show of his work in the Environmental Design Library of the University of California, Berkeley, titled “Joseph Slusky: Painted Metal Sculptures.”

The list of honors received by him includes both national and state-level awards and spans many years. For instance, he was awarded the Eisner Prize by the University of California, Berkeley in 1966. In 1967, he won a fellowship for research in Lund, Sweden. That fellowship matches his documented time in Sweden through a student exchange program.

In 1975, he received a Purchase Award at the Hayward Area Festival of Arts. In 1979, he received both a Purchase Award and a Bonus Award at the same festival. These festivals often functioned as both exhibition spaces and acquisition points for regional art.

In 1987, he received the First Place Award at Bay Arts ’87 in Belmont, California. In 1988 and again in 1991, he received the Award of Excellence at the California State Fair in Sacramento. In 1989, he received a Sculpture Prize at Gallery House in Palo Alto. In 1990, he received a Merit Award from the Arts Council of San Mateo County. In 1992, he received an Award of Merit at the California State Fair. The pattern is steady but not centralized. The recognition comes from repeated juried shows rather than one major institution.

Public commissions and funded projects appear more clearly in the 2000s. In 2001, he received a contract from Bayer Corporation to fabricate and install the sculpture “Helios” at the Bayer South Properties Plaza in Berkeley. In the same year, he was a finalist in the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza Sculpture Fountain Competition in Oakland and received the Ernie Kim Award in Metal Arts from the Richmond Art Center. In 2002, he received a grant from the City of Berkeley Public Art Program to restore the sculpture “Calliope” at Berkeley Marina Plaza. In 2008, he received a grant from the Embassy of the United States of America in Mexico City for the “Antología Escultórica” exhibition at the Museo del Pueblo de Guanajuato.

His publication record is also spread across museum catalogs, academic surveys, and collaborative books. In 1985, his work appeared in Thomas Albright’s The Art of the San Francisco Bay Area 1945–1980, published by the University of California Press. The same year, the Arts Commission of San Francisco included his work in San Francisco Civic Art Collection: A Guided Tour to Publicly Owned Art of the City and County of San Francisco. In 1999, the Oakland Museum of California published Joseph Slusky: Sculpture Survey 1978–1998, tied to its Sculpture Court at City Center.

Later publications include Joseph Slusky: The Artist and the Dancer in 2006, published in 360 Life from Every Angle by American Express Publishing, with text by Andy Brumer and photography by Erik Butler. In 2014, Norfolk Press published Impulse to Draw, co-authored with Chip Sullivan. In 2018, Below Understanding paired Slusky’s drawings with poems by Brumer. In 2020, Norfolk Press released Joseph Slusky: Painted Metal Sculpture and Selected Works on Paper 1977–2020. In 2021, Collaborations and Tangents documented his long working relationship with Katie Hawkinson through the Museum of Friends.

Across all of this, the structure stays the same. Exhibitions appear in bursts. Awards come from regional systems. Publications document specific phases rather than a continuous spotlight. Joseph Slusky’s record sits inside that broader Bay Area framework, where visibility is built slowly, through many small institutional entries rather than one sustained platform.

Bay Area Transit Agencies Unveil World Cup Travel Plan

San Francisco Staff 2 on June 11, 2026

Bay Area transit agencies announced a coordinated World Cup travel plan that will expand service and strengthen regional transportation connections for visitors and residents traveling during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The effort involves multiple public transit providers across Northern California working together to manage increased passenger demand associated with tournament activities and matches scheduled in the region next year.

Transportation officials confirmed that agencies including the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni), Caltrain, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), and other regional operators have developed a joint strategy aimed at improving mobility between key destinations. The plan includes additional transit service, expanded operating schedules, station support personnel, and coordinated passenger information systems.

The announcement comes as regional authorities continue preparations for the international soccer tournament, which is expected to attract significant numbers of visitors to the Bay Area and surrounding communities.

Regional Agencies Coordinate Service Planning

Public transportation providers stated that coordination efforts have focused on creating a connected travel experience across multiple transit systems. Agencies are working to align schedules and improve transfer opportunities between rail and bus services serving major transportation corridors.

Officials said the transportation framework is designed to assist travelers moving between airports, hotels, entertainment districts, and match venues. The approach includes operational planning intended to reduce congestion while providing alternatives to private vehicle travel.

BART, which serves San Francisco, Oakland, and other East Bay communities, is expected to play a central role in moving passengers throughout the region. Caltrain will provide connections between San Francisco and the Peninsula, while VTA services will support travel within Santa Clara County, including areas surrounding Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Transit agencies have also discussed strategies for communicating service information to visitors who may be unfamiliar with Bay Area transportation networks. The effort includes wayfinding assistance, multilingual information resources, and coordinated customer service support.

Officials stated that transportation providers began planning activities well in advance of the tournament to address operational requirements associated with large-scale international events.

World Cup Matches Drive Transportation Demand

Levi’s Stadium has been selected as one of the host venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making transportation planning a major focus for local and regional agencies. Tournament-related travel is expected to extend beyond match days as visitors participate in activities throughout the Bay Area.

Transportation officials noted that the event will generate movement across multiple counties, requiring cooperation among transit providers that typically operate within separate service areas. The regional approach aims to ensure that passengers can travel efficiently regardless of which transit systems they use during their journeys.

Agencies involved in the planning process have evaluated passenger flow patterns, station capacities, and service requirements associated with major sporting events. The information is being used to identify locations where additional resources may be needed.

Regional transportation leaders have also considered the potential impact of international tourism on transit operations. Many visitors attending World Cup events are expected to rely heavily on public transportation while staying in the Bay Area.

The transportation strategy includes preparations for periods of increased ridership before and after matches as well as travel related to fan gatherings and other tournament activities taking place throughout the region.

Expanded Operations and Passenger Support Measures

Officials stated that transit providers are preparing for expanded service levels during key tournament periods. While agencies continue to refine operating plans, the strategy includes additional trains, buses, and personnel where needed to accommodate expected demand.

Station staffing plans call for increased visibility of transit ambassadors, customer service representatives, and operational personnel at major transit hubs. These employees will assist passengers with directions, ticketing information, transfers, and service updates.

Transportation agencies are also evaluating technology tools that can help travelers navigate the region more effectively. Real-time service information, mobile applications, digital signage, and coordinated alerts are expected to play important roles during the tournament.

Regional operators indicated that accessibility remains an important component of planning efforts. Transit agencies are reviewing procedures and infrastructure intended to support passengers with disabilities as well as travelers requiring additional assistance.

Emergency preparedness and incident response planning are also part of the transportation strategy. Agencies have coordinated with public safety organizations and local governments to establish procedures for managing large crowds and responding to operational disruptions if necessary.

Officials stated that planning efforts will continue as tournament schedules and operational requirements become more defined.

Connections Between Airports, Cities, and Event Locations

One of the primary objectives of the transportation plan is improving travel connections between key regional destinations. Visitors arriving through major airports are expected to use public transit to access accommodations, attractions, and event sites.

San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport, and San Jose Mineta International Airport all connect to public transportation networks that serve different parts of the Bay Area. Agencies are working to ensure that passengers can transfer between services with minimal difficulty.

Transportation planners have focused on travel corridors linking San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Santa Clara, and other communities expected to experience increased visitor activity. Rail and bus services will provide options for travelers attending matches while also supporting residents conducting normal daily activities.

Officials emphasized that maintaining reliable service for local commuters remains an important consideration throughout tournament planning. Agencies are seeking to balance the needs of visitors with the transportation requirements of residents who depend on public transit for work, school, and other routine travel.

The regional strategy also recognizes that visitors may stay in different cities throughout the Bay Area rather than remaining near match venues. Expanded transportation connections are intended to support travel across a broad geographic area.

Transportation agencies indicated that ongoing coordination meetings will continue as operational plans advance toward implementation.

Patricia Leavy Wrote Cowboy Eyes for a Friend Who Didn’t Make It. What Came Out Was Something Much Bigger Than a Love Story

San Francisco Post Staff on June 11, 2026

By: Sonia Thomas

Some books get written because a writer has a story to tell. Some get written because a writer has someone to remember. Cowboy Eyes is both, and that double weight is exactly what makes it land the way it does.

Clearly written from the heart, Patricia Leavy has crafted a layered novel that is grounded and escapist, resonant and aspirational. The novel is a hopeful tale of dreams and their underside, and the friendship and love that sustain us on the journey.

Leavy lost one of her closest friends last summer. Joey. Thirty-five years of friendship, gone without warning. And in the grief of that, she did what writers do. She went to the page. What came back wasn’t a eulogy. It was a novel about two young dreamers, a crashed debutante ball, a Hollywood hustle, and the question that haunts almost every ambitious person at some point: when you spend everything chasing who you want to become, what happens to who you actually are?

The Friend Behind the Character

Leavy is clear that Colt Thatcher, the charming, scheming, deeply lovable male lead of Cowboy Eyes, is not Joey. He’s fictional. But he carries something real. The hustle, the irreverence, the coded sense of honor underneath all the scheming. The way Joey moved through rooms like someone who genuinely didn’t care what anyone thought of him, a kind of freedom Leavy watched from close range and never quite felt she had herself.

She also remembers a night when they were young, walking from town to town just talking about dreams. Hers came true. He didn’t. That asymmetry sits quietly underneath the whole book, giving it a tenderness that the plot alone couldn’t produce.

Novels need heroes, Leavy says. People do too. She built one, and she named that spirit after something she lost.

Identity Is a Process, Not a Finish Line

As both a sociologist and a novelist, Leavy has spent years thinking about the gap between who we are and who we’re trying to become. The novel puts that question directly in front of two characters who are chasing identity as much as they’re chasing success, and it doesn’t let either of them off the hook easily.

Her take is that identity isn’t a destination. It’s a process. We’re always becoming, always evolving, always letting certain things fall away. Sometimes that’s healthy, she says, shedding old ideas that no longer fit, loosening the grip other people’s opinions used to have. But sometimes we drop things we should have fought harder to keep. Hope, for instance. Optimism. The willingness to believe the effort is worth it.

That’s the territory the book moves through, not with heavy-handed messaging but through two people in their twenties trying to figure out whether the version of themselves they’re building in Los Angeles is still someone they actually recognize.

Where Ambition Crosses Into Self-Betrayal

Leavy doesn’t romanticize ambition. She respects it, lives it, but she’s also clear about where it goes wrong.

Dreaming big is brave, she says, especially for artists. Putting work out into the world invites rejection, critique, and the particular kind of exposure that makes a lot of people decide it isn’t worth it. She understands that. She’s lived it. And she still believes disappointment is easier to carry than regret.

But there’s a line. And the line is where the striving stops being about the work and starts being about the status. Where the hustle stops being joyful and starts consuming the very thing that made it worth doing. Ambition becomes self-betrayal, in her words, when someone is willing to sacrifice anything to make it, and they start losing themselves and their joy in the process.

Cassy and Colt both brush up against that line. Watching them navigate it is most of what the book is actually about.

What It Costs to Always Feel Like an Outsider

Both characters in Cowboy Eyes start the story from the outside looking in. Cassy was crashing a party she wasn’t invited to. Colt is parking cars for people who don’t see him. That position is uncomfortable, and Leavy doesn’t pretend otherwise. It takes a toll, she says. It feeds doubt and insecurity in ways that don’t just disappear when circumstances improve.

But she also knows, from her own career, that outsider status can be an asset if a person is willing to use it that way. Leavy built her reputation by merging academic and literary work, a path that put her firmly outside both worlds at different points. Now with more than 100 awards, two named after her, and more than a million books sold, it’s clear that nearly every meaningful recognition she’s received came from carving that path anyway, and watching other people follow it later.

The outsider who refuses to shrink, she believes, often ends up creating something no insider would have thought to make.

Fame Is Not the Thing

What Leavy most wanted to expose about Hollywood, and about the pursuit of fame more broadly, is the emptiness waiting at the center of it. Being an artist is worth everything, she says. The work, the craft, the meaning that comes from making something that connects. Fame is a different thing entirely, a byproduct that sometimes shows up, not a goal worth orienting a life around.

It won’t fill you up, she says. The work will.

The book tells the story of two people learning that the hard way. And somewhere underneath all of it is a night two young friends spent walking from town to town, talking about what they wanted their lives to look like.

One of them made it. This book is for the one who didn’t.

Cowboy Eyes is available on Amazon.

Day: June 11, 2026