The Things We Use to Make the Things We Must

ON VIEW through May 30, 2026 at SFMOMA Koret Education Center (The public can access this installation for free on Floor 2)

The Things We Use to Make the Things We Must is an installation by Leah Rosenberg that reflects on the impulse — or imperative — of artists to reimagine the everyday as the extraordinary. The installation borrows inspiration and objects from SFMOMA’s Artist Materials Collection, an archive compiled by the Conservation Department to document and preserve artists’ processes. A color legend referencing common materials, such as pencils, tape, and tennis balls, explodes across the walls, while a display of materials peels back the multifold meaning behind each color. Rosenberg invites visitors into her process with a glimpse of materials and colors she uses in her studio. The Things We Use to Make the Things We Must encourages immersion in the mind and process of an artist and explores the many ways the familiar can be reformed into something new.

Marin cOuntry Day School FootBridge Gate 3rd Grade Installation

The third grade artists of Marin Country Day School studied Leah’s Color Collection works to identify what makes them site specific portraits and mapping of space. Students began by collecting samples of the colors on the MCDS campus. They were encouraged to take notes describing the colors using comparisons, metaphors, and descriptive language. Students mixed these found colors using their knowledge of the color wheel and the balance of tints, tones, and shades. They proceeded to paint lengths of wood proportional to the amount of each color’s presence on their campus. The final step was to create a color key that explains the student’s color choices to visitors. The third graders welcomed the work to campus by sharing their process at an assembly and with a visit from Leah Rosenberg.