Museo Italo Americano

Mission

The mission of the Museo Italo Americano is twofold: to research, collect, and display works of Italian and Italian-American artists, and to promote educational programs for the appreciation of Italian art and culture, thereby preserving the heritage of Italian-Americans for future generations.

Featured Fun

Although closed due to the pandemic since March 16, 2020, Museo Italo Americano is pleased to offer a virtual version of two exhibits, each show a reprise of an original exhibit created by the Museo Italo Americano and sponsored by the E.L. Wiegand Foundation of Reno, Nevada.

In Cerca di Una Nuova Vita (Italian Immigration from Italy to California)

Please check the exhibit guide from the original exhibition In Cerca di una Nuova Vita: Italy to California 1850 to Today presented Oct. 16, 2009 – Jan. 17, 2010. The same exhibit is currently at the Museo from March 25th to October 17, 2020.

The exhibition told the story of the three “waves” of Italian immigration and of the great impact that Italian Americans have had in shaping the state of California.

Benjamin Bufano: So Be It in Peace, A retrospective from our permanent collection.

This exhibit features a selection of lithographs, sculptures, sketches, and works on paper by Beniamino Bufano originally showcased at Arte Italia in Reno, Nevada in 2015. Bufano was one of San Francisco’s most colorful characters and renowned artists.

A lifelong pacifist, he was deeply inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi – to him, the embodiment of world peace.