We've gathered over 100 links to resources that will provide you with further enjoyment of the arts. You'll find everything from art classes and artists' resources, to museum and exhibit listings. Enjoy!
For Artists / Art Events / Art News / Art Classes / For Kids / Museums / Other Links We Like
For Artists
Helpful Links:
Alameda Artists Call for Art: Ongoing call for Bay Area Artists.
Art Business: Resources to present, promote, and market your art.
ArtPush: An Alameda based non-profit serving the entire bay area. They are a group of artists that love the arts and helping fellow artists.
ArtSpan: Founder of SF Open Studios, they support San Francisco's emerging and established artists.
Squarecylinder: An online publication for discerning readers who care about art.
California Lawyers for the Arts: A non-profit whose mission is to establish a bridge between the arts and the legal communities.
East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse: A non-profit reuse center and organization providing art materials resource conservation and environmental educational programs
MesArt: Services to showcase, advertise, promote and sell your artwork on the Internet. Based in SF, created and designed by artists for artists.
MITRA: The Materials Information and Technical Resources for Artists (MITRA) is on online forum that brings together materials experts from the industry, art conservators, and scientists in an effort to make the most up-to-date knowledge regarding artists’ materials readily available.
San Francisco Art Forum is an open resource for SF Bay Area visual artists. Connect with innovative art professionals, art enthusiasts and possible buyers.
San Francisco Artist Network: Excellent offering of Education Programs, Calls for Artists and more.
San Francisco Arts Commission is a City agency enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy.
SCRAP: A non-profit creative reuse center, materials depot, and workshop space.
Sustainable Arts Foundation: A non-profit that provides grants for parents who are artists and writers. Their goal is to present opportunities for talented people feeling the demands of raising a family to continue their creative pursuits.
Art Explosion Studios is an organization that provides affordable art studios in San Francisco and produces art shows for its member artists.
Berkeley Art Center presents visual arts exhibitions and provides education programs for young artists and public events and workshops for all.
City Art Gallery represents almost 200 San Francisco artists.
Emeryville Artists' Cooperative: The mission of the 45th Street Artists' Cooperative is to provide affordable live/work space for artists in a supportive environment.
Graphic Arts Workshop: A fine printmaking cooperative.
Mission Artists United showcases hundreds of artists in the Mission District of San Francisco.
San Francisco Women Artists supports and promotes the talents of Bay Area women artists.
The Northern California Women's Caucus for Art (NCWCA) is a networking organization for women in the arts, offering events and programs, member forums, exhibitions, art-making, art activism and community.
Arts & Arts Advocacy Groups
Alameda County Arts Commission: Promotes opportunities for area artists and art organizations through grants, public art, education programs and more.
Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County: Lists various art activities and exhibitions in the East Bay.
Arts Council Silicon Valley: Igniting investment and engagement in arts and creativity in Silicon Valley.
ArtSeed: Innovative art education program aiding disadvantaged students.
Create Ca is the new California Alliance that advocates for high quality arts education for all students by providing policy expertise and by mobilizing a statewide network of advocates and allied partners.
Creativity Explored aids people with development disabilities through artistic expression.
Creative Growth Art Center serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing a studio environment for artistic and social development and gallery representation.
Independent Arts & Media: This organization supports independent and non-commercial art projects while engaging community involvement.
Innovation Hangar (iHangar) is a non-profit located in the iconic Palace of Fine Arts, committed to featuring exhibits, workshops, community events, education programs and open workspaces for inventors and entrepreneurs.
Intersection for the Arts: Non-profit supporting artists and the art community.
Headlands Center for the Arts is a multidisciplinary, international arts center dedicated to supporting artists; the creative process; and the development of new, innovative ideas and artwork.
Leap, Arts in Education provides quality arts education programs that help students build skills to reach their fullest potential.
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts shared vision is to promote, preserve, and develop the Latino cultural arts.
Precita Eyes Mural Arts: Inner city, community based mural arts association.
Pro Arts is an Oakland-based organization that since 1974 engages the community in exhibitions, open studios and arts education programs and provides artists services and commissionings.
Root Division: A nonprofit that supports the artist community through education, exhibitions, and studios. At their core is the support of emerging artists.
San Francisco Arts Commission is the city agency that champions the arts.
SF Camerawork: First gallery dedicated solely to the print medium, SFC is a nonprofit that supports emerging photographers.
Southern Exposure provides essential programs and services to the visual arts community through gallery-based projects and off-site works, artists in education programs, performances, residencies, exhibitions, events, and workshops.
SOMArts is an independent nonprofit that operates the South of Market Cultural Center, part of a network of six cultural centers in San Francisco.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is a high-profile San Francisco venue devoted to contemporary visual art, performance, and film/video representing diverse cultural and artistic perspectives.
(state and national resources)
California Arts Council: Government organization advancing California through the arts and creativity.
California Alliance for Arts Education:promotes, supports, and advocates for visual and performing arts education for preschool through post-secondary students in California schools.
Americans for the Arts: the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America.
National Endowment for the Arts: Independent agency of the federal government created to support the arts.
Art Events in the Bay Area
Guides and Calendars
San Francisco
Art Business: San Francisco Art Gallery Openings & Reviews.
Flavorpill: Covering cultural events, art, books, music, and news.
SFArts.org: A comprehensive guide to San Francisco Arts.
SFStation: Arts events listings.
East Bay
East Bay Express Visual Art: Reviews and information on arts & culture and much more.
Marin
Art Walks
San Francisco
Artists Guild of San Francisco: More than an art walk, The Artists Guild sponsors a consistent run of weekend art exhibitions in well-known San Francisco city parks. Go and interact directly with the artists about their artwork, as they explain technical details, creative decisions, and the many other aspects of producing a painting or a sculpture.
First Thursday Art Walk: A downtown tradition since 1993, on the first Thursday of every month many member galleries of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association are open late for a casual open house. (Many galleries across the City have a adopted first Thursdays.)
East Bay
Alameda, 2nd Friday Artwalk: Due to Covid-19 Virtual Art Talks will be held every 2nd Friday, 7:30PM with your host Victor Mavedzenge
Oakland Art Murmur (OAM): Experience visual art in Oakland when galleries are collectively open on First Friday (6-9pm) and for the weekly Saturday Stroll (1-5pm). They also host a monthly Guided Walking Tour.
North Bay
Art Works Downtown: Due to Covid-19 Art Works Downtown will be holding Virtual art talks on the second Friday of every month.
South Bay
South First Fridays: Every first Friday of the month.
Annual Events
Alameda Summer Art Fair & Maker Market: This free outdoor art festival features over 65 local Alameda and Bay Area artists. Mingle with local emerging and established artists creating unique artwork during the fair! See live painting, sketching, sculpting and illustration, live music, poetry and performance art.
Maker Faire: A leading faire promoting the maker and DIY movements.
Renegade Craft Fair is the worlds largest curated showcase of independent art and design. Now held three times a year at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture.
San Francsico Art Faire: Featuring a significant selection of contemporary and modern artworks from around the globe, the Art Faire's goal is to create an ideal context for the discovery, exploration and acquisition of art. The event is held in April at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture.
SF Art Week celebrates the rich arts landscape of the San Francisco Bay Area. Art museums, galleries, non-profit organizations and creative spaces host events during SF Art Week that invite attendees to connect in new and meaningful ways. Part of it is FOG Design+Art Fair at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture.
West Coast Craft is a juried exhibition of artist and designer craftsmen and women inspired by the mood and aesthetics of the West Coast lifestyle. Originally held in July at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, the event is now held many times throughout the year.
Open Studios
San Francisco
Bay Area
Benicia Artists Open Studios - First weekend in May, visit the private studios of Benicia artists in the Arsenal and all over town.
Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios - In November and December 100 artists & craftspeople open their workshops & galleries to the public. Also open year-round by appointment.
Bolinas & Stinson Beach Open Studios - For over twenty years every Thanksgiving weekend.
East Bay Open Studios - The first two weekends of June and in December.
Marin Open Studios - Every May, with a published directory and map of artists throughout the county.
Silicon Valley Open Studios - First three weekends of May.
Sausalito ICB Artists Open Studios - In May, and October.
Find more California locations at MesArt
Art Practical is an online magazine that enriches critical dialogue for the Bay Area visual arts by providing comprehensive analysis of events and exhibitions.
KQED Arts: Reviews and Information on exhibits and so much more. Be sure to check out their SPARK programs.
Open Space, the SFMOMA blog, is focused on producing an array of critical and personal writings about art, visual culture in general, and issues specific to the Bay Area.
SFArts.org - A comprehensive guide to San Francisco arts.
SF Gate: The San Francisco Chronicle online.
Squarecylinder: An online publication for discerning readers who care about art.
Art Classes
Animation: The Walt Disney Family Museum
The Atelier School of Classical Realism: Offers classes in Old Master Drawing and Painting Techniques, Figurative Sculpting and Figure Drawing with live models.
Arts Benicia: Arts Benicia offers an exciting year-round schedule of quarterly art classes (4-8 weeks) for adults in painting, drawing, and printmaking, plus workshops in a wide range of topics as well as after school programs, classes for teens, and summer youth art camps.
Bay Area Classical Artist Atelier: BACAA offers weekly art classes and workshops for artists of all abilities who desire to study drawing and painting in the tradition of Contemporary Classical Realism.
Berkeley Art Center: Presents visual arts exhibitions and provides education programs for young artists and public events and workshops for all.
CCA Online Extension: California College of the Arts offers multi-week sessions or one-day classes in the evenings and on weekends throughout the year, on diverse subjects in fine arts, design and digital tools.
Calligraphy: Friends of Calligraphy
Cartooning: Cartoon Art Museum
City College of San Francisco provides affordable public art education. Coursework includes watercolor, drawing, illustration, design, painting, printmaking, chinese brush painting, metal/jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, and art career and transfer portfolio preparation, and more.
Colorspace Arts: A community art space that fosters a friendly and supportive environment for art-making by offering figure drawing and painting from the live model, as well as art classes and workshops for adults and children.
Creativebug: Offers thousands of online art and craft classes you can watch from home. All videos are filmed in their Bay Area studios (Berkeley).
The Crucible: A nonprofit organization and art school dedicated to making the fine and industrial arts accessible for all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. They offer classes in welding, ceramics, glass blowing, blacksmithing and more.
Gardens of Golden Gate Park is a non-profit that connects people to plants, the planet, and each other. They offer drawing and skecthing classes, as well as other nourishing activities within the park.
The Golden Gate Atelier: Located in Oakland, the Atelier offers a complete classical training for the realist artist. Students draw and paint the human figure from life using sight-size. In addition, they receive a thorough grounding in constructive drawing, anatomy, and perspective.
Kala Art Institute: Located in Berkeley, Kala offers a full range of online and in-person classes covering all forms of printmaking, digital media, photography, and book arts.
O’Hanlon Center for the Arts: This nonprofit based in Mill Valley offers visual arts classes in many media, which are designed to allow your own perceptions to inspire your art, not necessarily geared toward developing or perfecting your artistic abilities.
Point Reyes Field Institute: In association with the non-profit Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA), they offer art classes to help people connect with nature and the outdoors in ways that they may not have before.
Richmond Art Center is the largest East Bay Art Center engaging the community through creative education programs and exhibitions of emerging and established Bay Area artists.
Root Division: In San Francisco, they offer an array of fun, affordable, and personalized art classes in drawing, painting and more.
San Francisco Center for the Book: As their name implies, SFCB offers in-person or online workshops for the book arts, and that includes so much! See workshops on gilding, letterpress, calligraphy, linoleum block printing, origami, monotype printing, book binding and more.
Sharon Art Studio: The jewel of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks' Cultural Division, Sharon Art Studios offers affordable arts and crafts classes for everyone.
SOMArts cultivates access to the arts by offering classes in Ceramics and Printmaking.
Studio One Art Center in Oakland offers fall/winter classes for adults, teens and youth.
Studio 55 Martinez is a fine arts studio for individual and group artwork that also offers workshops and classes in fine arts.
Studio 9 Mosaic offers classes and presents exhibitions of mosaic art. Based in Oakland.
For Kids
Children's Creativity Museum (formerly Zeum)
Museums
The Bay Area is home to over 100 museums. Explore the listings below and you are sure to find a year's worth of delightful afternoon activities.
Museum Education/Family Programs
Other Links We Like
Beach Plastic: Two artists making art from beach trash, and making a difference.
The Living Principles: Creative action for collective good.
Minnesota Street Project offers affordable and economically sustainable spaces for art galleries, artists and related nonprofits in San Francisco’s historic Dogpatch district.
San Francisco Mural Arts: Highlights hundreds of murals throughout the city, and includes photos, locations, and details about each piece.