Cities of Promise explores the representation of California cities and suburbs in 20th-century art. From the 1930s through the 1980s, artists including Phil Dike, Emil Kosa Jr., Roger Kuntz, Millard Sheets, Edward Ruscha, and Wayne Thiebaud have captured the energy, density, and sprawl of cities in quintessential urban scenes—from the towering Los Angeles City Hall and the massive San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge to rows of ranch houses and miles of serpentine freeways. Featuring over 50 works, this exhibition showcases how artists have chronicled the built environments that mark the state’s landscape and the distinctive evolution of its metropolises.