The San Francisco Bay Area is blessed with more working artist studios than any region in the country, well over a thousand. But if you are looking for some art to adorn your walls, where do you go? Here’s how to surround your home or business with fine art.

Creating work year-round, most artists have career jobs that pay the bills, in addition to their dedication to art. They may have representation from a gallery with a show here and there, or get into a local exhibit at a cafe or community center, but the artists do not have a retail front. Their beautiful creations accumulate in their studio and then, twice a year, their doors open for business.

The Open Studios held in the spring and fall and are the best way to find great art, straight from the inspiring atmosphere of the artist’s studio. The different studio groups coordinate their Open Studios so that each as an exclusive weekend. We list the Open Studios websites on our Resources page (scroll down to Annual Events > Open Studios).

How to Prepare for Open Studios

Attending Open Studios is magical and memorable. You will remember it for years because there will always be an artist (or two or three…) whose work grabs you. There are so many artists though, that you won’t see everything. Mission Artists United, for instance, has hundreds of artists spread out over 23 buildings. In two days even the most committed cannot see all of the artwork. A great way to plan your Open Studios trip is to preview an artist’s style and medium through the Open Studio websites. Take a tour and note the artists that intrigue you. If you see something too awesome and just can’t wait, many artists have a contact link and will gladly make a special appointment with you.

Other Venues to Find Great Art

Galleries, of course. My favorite is CITY ART gallery on Valencia. It’s a cooperative with over 100 participating artists, many of whom are part of Open Studios, and each exhibit features a good number of artists. City Art presents a terrific flavor of the artistic talent that exists in San Francisco. That is where I bought the piece above left, Caravans on the Dunes, for my wife’s birthday. While the scene is set in England, it reminded me of Dillon Beach, a special destination for us in West Marin.

There are hundreds more artist studios that are not part of the Open Studios. To find these artists go to the art events held throughout the year, most notably the fall arts festivals that cities host across the Bay Area. Again, you can find more opportunities on our Resources page under Art Events & For Artists, with links to events such as the First Thursday Art Walk and the online artist listing MesArt.

The three artists whose work appears on this page all participated in our Live Artist program. They are all also part of the Open Studios, which starts the last weekend of March and runs through April, and then again in October/November. Killer art is out there, now go get it!

Credits in order of appearance:
Hadley Northrop- The Seine
Trish Tunney- Photographer
Robert Reed- Barnacles