SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) announces a dazzling new exhibition, From Street to Stage with Beaver Bauer, opening Nov. 5, 2026, and on view through April 11, 2027. From Street to Stage surveys the career of costume designer and artist Debra “Beaver” Bauer, spanning more than 50 years of creative work. She began as a member of the experimental Angels of Light Free Theatre, which flourished for ten years before its cast was impacted by AIDS. 

After her work with the Angels of Light, Bauer transitioned to costume design, becoming one of the Bay Area’s most respected and celebrated costumers.

“The range of Beaver Bauer's brilliant contributions to San Francisco's cultural landscape are breathtaking— from her seminal contributions to the Angels of Light to the outrageous costumes she envisioned for regional theater,” said Mark Johnson, From Street to Stage with Beaver Bauer co-curator and professor emeritus, San Francisco State University. “Astonishingly generative and always generous, Beaver Bauer embodies the best of the Bay Area.” 

Bauer designed for major theaters such as the American Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T.) and Berkeley Rep, as well as experimental companies First Voice and Theater Yugen. She also worked with circus ensembles, including Teatro ZinZanni, while maintaining an approach based in drawing and a lifelong inspiration from the Angels.  Bauer continues to design costumes and has expanded her practice to illustration through her Bus Queen Gazette series. The exhibition includes original renderings, performance photography, video clips and elements from costumes drawn from her expansive work. 

“The collective experience of theater…in the making, in the searching and imagining, sitting with an audience and allowing the words of the playwright, the director's guidance, the world limned by the set designer and the focus and emotion of the lighting...” said Beaver Bauer, “and of course the actors sinking into character is celebrated in this exhibition. It's my tribute to all my colleagues in the dream world and the ‘what if’ we explore.”

For an immersive experience, the Main Library has planned a set of satellite displays on different floors of the building. These include Digger Do, Queer Beat, Mutant Communes: The Radical Origins of the Angels of Light Free Theatre, which highlights the history of the anarchist, guerilla free theater movement in the 1960s and its influence on the Angels of Light in the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center on the 3rd Floor of the Library; Let the Stars Fall Down!: Theater & Magic with the Angels of Light, 1970-1984 exploring the later years of the Angels of Light on the 6th Floor of the Library; and The Art of Costume:  Dress Your Part, in the Steve Silver Beach Blanket Babylon Music Center on the 4th Floor.

Additionally, the Library has planned events showcasing Bauer’s costumes and the ethos of the Angels of Light Free Theatre. The exhibition opens with a reception on November 5, featuring a cast of characters in Bauer’s costumes and a DJ set by Stanley Frank Sensation. On December 3, Bauer will give a haptic tour for blind and low vision patrons. The events extend into the new year; Bauer will be on stage with San Francisco theater icons Brenda Wong Aoki and Kimi Okada in a conversation moderated by co-curator Trisha Lagaso Goldberg on January 20. Finally, exhibition programs conclude with a spirited closing procession, in which Bauer’s costumes will enliven a not-to-be-missed parade around the Main Library on April 3, 2027. This closing procession is a featured “Spotlight Saturday” event as part of the Bay Area’s inaugural Further Triennial, which brings together organizations from across Northern California through exhibitions and programs exploring the region’s creative life.  

 “For fifty years, Beaver Bauer has used costume, adornment and self-creation to transform performers into otherworldly entities, and recast everyday life as an endless and ever-changing work of art,” said Zully Adler, Executive Director, Further Triennial.

For more information about the exhibition and full calendar of related events, visit: sfpl.org/exhibits/2026/11/05/street-stage-beaver-bauer.

From Street to Stage with Beaver Bauer — Nov. 5, 2026–April 11, 2027. Main Library, Jewett Gallery, Lower Level

Opening Reception — Nov. 5, 5–7:30 p.m., Main Library, Jewett Gallery, Lower Level

Celebrate the creative work of Bay Area costume designer and artist, Debra "Beaver" Bauer, at the opening reception of From Street to Stage with Beaver Bauer. Showcasing a career that spans over 50 years, the exhibition includes original renderings, performance photography, video clips and elements from costumes drawn from her expansive work. Light snacks and beverages will be served.

Haptic Tour with Beaver Bauer — Dec. 3, 5–6 p.m., Main Library, Jewett Gallery, Lower Level

Learn about the creative work of Bay Area costume designer and artist, Debra "Beaver" Bauer, through a haptic (touch) tour featuring material from select objects in the exhibition. Space is limited and priority is given to patrons who are blind or low vision.

Panel Discussion with Beaver Bauer, Brenda Wong Aoki and Kimi Okada — Jan. 20, 6–7:30 p.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium, Lower Level

Hear from three icons of San Francisco theater and performing arts as they discuss the life and work of Debra “Beaver” Bauer. The panel will be moderated by exhibition co-curator Trisha Lagaso Goldberg. 

Closing Procession — April 3, 2027, 1–4 p.m., Main Library 

Strut your stuff in this closing procession for From Street to Stage with Beaver Bauer. Costumes and dress up encouraged. Part of the Further Triennial “Spotlight Saturday” series.