Bernice Bing in her North Beach Studio, c. 1958–1961. Photo: C.R. Snyder. Image courtesy of Special Collections at Stanford University. © The Beat Museum
Bernice “Bingo” Bing was a queer Chinese American artist, community arts organizer, and arts administrator active in the Bay Area from the 1950s until her death in 1998. In the large-scale, gestural paintings that defined her oeuvre, Bing combined features of expressive abstraction, traditional Chinese calligraphy, and landscape painting to create emotive works attuned to color and movement. This single, small-gallery installation highlights material from the Bernice Bing papers and is presented by the Cantor’s Asian American Art Initiative (AAAI). The installation features a selection of highlights from the archive from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, examining Bing’s use of art and writing as tools for self-exploration and discovery.
Stanford acquired Bing’s archive (Special Collections, M2651), in 2020. To explore Bing’s archive online, please visit Stanford Libraries’ website.
Bernice Bing (American, 1936–1998), Panel #10 from unnamed Quantum series painting, undated.
Acrylic on paper. Courtesy of Special Collections at Stanford University.
The Cantor’s Archive Rooms—a new, pilot presentation at the museum—highlights the rich art historical resources available right here at Stanford. These small, single-gallery, single-artist installations feature engaging selections from the robust holdings of artist archives at Special Collections at Stanford Libraries and enhance our understanding of the artistic process. The inaugural Archive Rooms installations will feature Lynn Hershman Leeson and Bernice Bing, two individuals deeply influential in the history of art in the Bay Area, United States, and beyond.
The Cantor Arts Center is located at the intersection of Museum Way and Lomita Drive in the heart of the arts district on the Stanford campus. The Cantor faces the Bing Concert Hall across Palm Drive, northwest of The Oval and the Main Quad.
Parking is limited. Stanford has a new contactless process to pay for parking, using the ParkMobile app, website, or phone. Prior to your visit, we recommend you visit the Stanford Transportation website to learn more about the updated visitor parking process.
