Street Artists Program

It’s about San Francisco street artists working for themselves and making a living by their own hands. Find out how to apply to the program, get details on program certificates, learn about the lottery for space assignments, download diagrams of the selling areas and booth requirements.

 

Effective August 23, 2010, the certificate (license) fee is $166.02 quarterly (this is for 3 months), or $664.08 for one year.

Since 1972, the Street Artists Program, under the direction of the San Francisco Arts Commission, has encouraged talented artists by licensing them to sell their work on the city’s bustling streets. Today, about 400 artists join in an unparalleled City program that champions their efforts as businesspeople and as artists.

Enterprising street artists delight shoppers with the variety of their handcrafted wares—from amber earrings to wooden sculptures—in some of the city’s most-frequented areas: Fisherman’s Wharf, Downtown, and Union Square.

Together, store owners and street artists build a community, sharing San Francisco’s streets—and its rich commerce. The city’s reputation as a mecca for art and culture grows beyond the interiors of its celebrated galleries and museums to include its streets.

The artists must demonstrate to a screening committee appointed by the Mayor that they make the artwork they sell. In return, they receive certificates licensing them to sell their work in the spaces designated by the Board of Supervisors. Every morning, the artists hold a lottery at Fisherman’s Wharf to determine which space each will have for the day.

The voter-mandated Street Artists Program, recognized with “Street Artists Day” proclamations by the Mayor on November 1, 1991, and the Board of Supervisors on September 20, 1997, benefits artists, art-minded San Franciscans, and visitors from around the globe.

 

To Apply

To be licensed as a Street Artist in SF:

  1. Download an application and read about the licensing and screening process.
  2. Find out what screening category your work fits under.
  3. Check the screening meeting schedule and monthly agenda.
  4. After successful application and screening, receive your Street Artist’s certificate.
  5. Get assigned to a selling space by joining the daily lottery.
  6. Still have questions? Contact us.

Program Handbook

Review the Street Artists Program "Bluebook."


ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES:

Here's a guide to some helpful tips for new and current artists!

 

 

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