BIOGRAPHY

1923
Born June 25, San Mateo, CA

1941-43
Entered University of California at Berkeley as a Botany major, later switches to medicine

1943-45
Served in the United States Army Air Corps

1944
Suffered from spinal tuberculosis as a result of an airplane crash in Army Air Corps. During his hospitalization, began to paint

1946
Marries Vera Miller

1947
Developed relationships with students and faculty at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Began studies with David Park

1949-50
Returned to University of California at Berkeley to study studio art and art history. Received Bachelors of Arts degree in 1949 and Masters of Art in 1950. Divorces Vera Miller

1951-58
Worked in Paris, traveled to Mexico, Tokyo, and throughout Europe. Marries Muriel Goodwin.

1952
First solo exhibition at Galerie du Dragon, Paris, France

1955
First major museum exhibitions at the Kunsthalle, Bern, Germany; the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, PA; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA

1956
Included in "12 Americans" show organized by Dorothy Miller at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

1957
Spent the year traveling around the world with extended stops in New York, Mexico and Tokyo. First solo exhibition in Japan at the Hyakkaten Department Store in Tokyo. Painted mural for the Sogetsu School, directed by the sculptor and master flower arranger, Sofu Teshigahara, Tokyo, Japan

1958
Divorces Muriel Goodwin

1959
Moved to New York where he lived in the Chelea Hotel. The Museum of Modern Art, New York acquired seminal painting Big Red. Worked on a monumental mural commission for the Chase Manhattan Bank, New York, NY. Drew first lithographic stones at Tatyana Grossman's workshop, the Universal Limited Arts Editions (ULAE), Long Island, NY. Marries Teruko Yokoi; birth of their daughter, Kayo

1960-61
Moved back to Paris where he traveled between Paris, Bern and Tokyo. Began Blue Ball series. Exhibition at Documenta III, Kassel, Germany where Basel Mural panels are shown

1962
Moved to Santa Monica, CA where he bought the previous home of Charlie Chaplin

1964
First monograph published on Francis's work authored by Yoshaiki Tono (Misuzu Shobo, Tokyo). Began Edge series

1966
Hired as consultant on planning of Snowmass Ski Village near Aspen, CO. Wrote statement on mankind's responsibility to nature. Divorces Teruko Yokoi

1967
Established residence in Japan. First sky painting performance in Tokyo, Japan. Marries Mako Idemitsu; birth of their son, Osamu. Major retrospective exhibition organized by James Johnson Sweeney for The Museum of Fine Art, Houston, TX

1968
Receives honorary Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, CA

1969
Shares studio on Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica, CA with Richard Diebenkorn and Charles Garabedian. Birth of second son. Received commission for a mural from the Neve Nationalgalerie designed by Mies van der Rohe in West Berlin, Germany.

1970
Establishes the Litho Shop in Santa Monica which produces all Francis lithographic prints, manages Francis' operations, exhibitions and archives.

1972
First major retrospective of Francis in United Staes organized by Robert Buck, Director of Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

1973-74
Lived and worked in Tokyo, Japan

1974
First retrospective exhibition in South America at the Fundacion Eugenio Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela.

1975
Publication of comprehensive monograph, Sam Francis by Peter Selz (Harry N. Abrams, NY). Participated in production of a film on C.G. Jung, "Matter of Heart." Founded the Wind Harvest Company with Robert Thomas for the study and development of wind mills to produce ecological alternatives to electrical and nuclear energy.

1976
Production of 52 minute film, Sam Francis (Blackwood Productions, New York, NY)

1977
Began Grid series

1978
Extensive exhibition of recent work at Musee National d'art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France

1979
Completed mural at Seattle First National Bank, Seattle, WA

1980
Elected to Board of Trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA. Divorces Teruko Idemitsu

1981
Established painting studio in San Leandro, CA, for the San Francisco Museum of Art mural commission

1983
Completed mural at the San Francisco Airport, San Francisco, CA. Francis is named Commandeur de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minster of Culture Jack Lang. Received commissions to paint a ceiling in the Louvre, Paris, France

1984
Founded Lapis Press, publisher of books on the visual arts, poetry, psychology, literature, philosophy and limited edition artist's books

1985
Completed mural for the San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, CA. Marries Margaret Smith in Japan (and again in the USA in 1986)

1986
Birth of Francis' fourth child. Purchases studio space in Palo Alto, and maintains working studio in Santa Monica. Received commission to paint mural for ceiling of the Opera National, Theatre Royal de la Monnai, Brussels, Belgium

1987
Founded the Sam Francis Medical Research Center to support research of infectious and environmental diseases. First major monograph published in French, Sam Francis: Metaphysique du vide by Michael Waldberg

1988
Major exhibition organized by The Museum of Modern Art, Toyama, Japan

1989
Established a studio and residence in Point Reyes Station, CA, and additional studio in Manchester, England

1992
Publication of major monograph, Sam Francis by Yves Michaud (Edition Daniel Papierski, Paris) and The Prints of Sam Francis: A Catalogue Raisonné by Connie Lembark, published by Hudson Hills Press. Received commission for monumental painting for the Deutscher Bundestag in Bonn, Germany.

1994
Dies on 4 November in Santa Monica, CA from complications of prostrate cancer. Francis is buried in northern California near Pt. Reyes Station