Arts Education Resources

The San Francisco Arts Commission is committed to providing access to high-quality arts experiences in and out-of-school time for San Francisco youth, families, residents, and stakeholders across San Francisco neighborhood communities through Arts Education.

For additional information about Arts Education Programming, please contact Program Officer Jonell T. Molina at jonell.molina@sfgov.org or call 415-212-2218.

Please sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about our grants program.

USAAF 2025 Critical Refuge

Arts Education Community Event Dates

San Francisco Arts & Culture Guide Click here for SF Arts & Culture Guide Online
San Francisco Cultural Districts Program African American Arts and Cultural District
American Indian Cultural District
Calle 24 (Veinticuatro) Latino Cultural District
Castro LGBTQ Cultural District
Japantown Cultural District
Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District
Pacific Islander Cultural District
SoMa Pilipinas Filipino Cultural District
Sunset Cultural District
Transgender Cultural District
San Francisco Cultural Centers African American Arts & Culture Complax (AAACC)
American Indian Cultural Center of San Francisco (AICCSF)
Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC)
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA)
Queer Cultural center (QCC)
Ruth Williams Opera House (RWOH)
SOMArts
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Arts Department SFUSD Arts Department Newsletter (Final Newsletter for School Year 2024-2025)- 4th Semester #52
Domingos Familiares at MCCLA Every Sunday at 11am - 5 pm 
Hair 101 Workshop Hosted by Kids in the City Saturdays at 1pm - 3pm | Register: kidsinthecity2018@gmail.com
Pop-Up Resource Village Second Saturdays in the Bayview | Between 1201 Mendell Street & Ruth Williams Opera House 2nd Saturdays from 1pm-4:30-pm

Sucka Flea Marketplace

 
​Local Brands, Local Vendors, and Local Love. Come and Celebrate Your City.

First Mondays at Mothership Bar at 11am-6pm, 3152 Mission Street, SF, CA 94110

Second Sundays at City Station, at 11am-6pm, 701 Valencia Street, SF, CA 94110

Fourth Sundays at Thee Parkside at 11am-6pm, 1600 17th Street, SF, CA 94110

Sucka Flea Marketplace | IG Page: @suckaflea 

 
Sucka Flea Marketplace is a place for Local Brands, Local Vendors, and Local Love. Come and Celebrate Your City.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival (YBGF) | Yerba Buena Gardens | 

760 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103

YBG Festival presents classical, world, and jazz music, contemporary and traditional dance, theater, children’s and family programs, and cultural events reflecting the rich cultures and creativity of the region. Artistic excellence, inclusion, diversity and innovation are at the heart of our mission. As the only curated arts park fully dedicated to the long-term presentation of free arts and cultural programs, Yerba Buena Gardens has a unique place in the cultural landscape of San Francisco.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Season: May 2025 - October 2025 | Free

Location: Yerba Buena Gardens

Link to Calendar Season (May 2025 - October 2025):
Weekend Sessions
Thursday Lunchtime
Children's Garden Series
Poetic Tuesdays
Outdoor Classes
Dance Nights

San Francisco Public Library | Main/Civic Center Location | 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Skateboarding San Francisco: Concrete, Community, Continuity | Jewett Gallery - Lower Level
Until the 1990s, skateboarding was perceived as a suburban, niche activity in Southern California, surfing on sidewalks. Today, it has surged into a global, urban, youth culture phenomenon. Defying easy definition and traditional classifications, skateboarding can be both a sport at the Olympics and an underground subculture, a way to connect with other skaters and surfaces, and also a means of self-discovery through movement in space. Much of skateboarding’s 21st-century appeal – embracing diverse communities, creative approaches to the city’s built environment, music, fashion, slang, trick choice and style – come directly from San Francisco. Skateboarding San Francisco explores how a local activity made global impact. San Francisco has always been and remains a lodestar for skateboarders worldwide, where challenges are seen as appeals, surfaces beckon play and whose lore is celebrated through the city’s characteristic concrete and evolving, vibrant communities.

Exhibit: Now - July 6, 2025 | Jewett Gallery - Lower Level | Free

 

Check out the related satellite exhibitions at the Main Library:

Margaret Kilgallen: Off the Wall, in the Book Arts & Special Collections Center Exhibit Space on the 6th Floor.

First Person: Art by Felicia Gabaldon, 5th Fl., Wallace Stegner Environmental Center​

Karl Watson: My First Skateboard, 2nd Fl., Main Children’s Center​

Thrasher Mag: San Francisco in Concrete, 5th Fl. Elevator Landing​

Get Busy: LGBTQIA Zines from the Bay and Beyond, 3rd Fl., James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center ​

That's Rad: San Francisco Bay Area Zine Culture, 6th Fl., Skylight Gallery

Metaphors of Recent Times: A Dialogue of the Personal, the Political and the Cultural at SF City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place  | Ground Floor and North Light Courts at City Hall

The exhibition features twenty works from PhotoAlliance's INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 portfolio from 2023, alongside work by twenty-four artists that respond to themes present in the portfolio. The exhibition features a wide range of incisive visual perspectives from artists of diverse identities and background, each responding to the issues of our times. Curated by PhotoAlliance founder and creative director Linda Connor

On View: Now to Fri 6/20/25 | Hours: 8am-5pm | Ground Floor and North Light Courts at City Hall

United States of Asian America Festival (USAAF) 2025: Critical Refuge

This year’s theme, Critical Refuge, asks us to reflect on our journey as immigrants, refugees, and generations of descendents and/or mixed race people in the diaspora as we seek necessary sanctuary within ourselves and in our communities in times of unrest and uncertainty. The festival will honor AAPI arts and culture reflecting on where we have been, where we are now, and what our collective future holds while acknowledging our roots as immigrants, refugees, and mixed-race descendants.

Exhibits/Events at Various SF Locations- See Calendar of Events (Now - June)

Funeral Faust at the Ram Gallery/SOMArts, 934 Brannan Street, SF, CA 94103 | Curated by Rebeca Abidaíl Flores

As an artistic process artist Funeral Faust also known as Naz, uses a meditative practice to release emotion and empty out a flooded body of anxiety onto canvas.

They create to find reason within existence. A route to happiness, balance, pleasure and sadness. By creating repetitive paint brush movement memories and experiences come to the surface leaving physical expressions.

As an ethos, Naz creates to destroy and for rebirth, for divine self, to leave a mark for when the soul leaves this realm. The artist shares, “If anything can be created from existence and human experience, let it be art.

 

Exhibit Open: Now - Tue 5/27

Brown Palms, Yellow Balms: Reinventing Caregivers of Color at SOMArts, 934 Brannan Street, SF, CA 94103

The Brown Palms, Yellow Balms: Reinventing Caregivers of Color exhibition unfolds in ever-expanding circles of caregiving, mirroring the Buddhist Metta practice—beginning with the body as the most intimate site of care and spiraling outward to embrace family, community, collective archetypes, deities, and the environment.

Immerse yourself in depictions of nurturing, nursing, birthing, mothering, mending, comforting, restoring, resuscitating, protecting, soothing, cheering, reclaiming, and empowering—not just the Self, but Society and the Cosmos—all viewed through the lens of AAPI cultural heritage, history, and socio-political landscapes.

Exhibit: Now -  Sun 5/25 | Free

2025 Carnaval San Francisco | 2 Day Festival at Mission District, Harrison Street Between 16th & 24th Streets

2025 Theme- AfroMundo: African Diaspora in the Americas

Carnaval San Francisco cultivates and celebrates the diverse Latin American, Caribbean and African Diasporic roots of the Mission District and the San Francisco Bay Area. We accomplish our mission through dance, music, the visual arts and by creating spaces for community learning, school–based education, and advocacy.

Now in its fourth decade of celebration, Carnaval San Francisco has been an opportunity for many cultures to come together in one spirit to share their creative expression.

 

 

 

Sat 5/24 - Sun 5/25 at 11am-6pm at Mission District, Harrison Street Between 16th & 24th Streets

Free | Family-Friendly event with live music, dancing, food vendors, and more

2025 Theme- AfroMundo: African Diaspora in the Americas

Location: Mission District, Harrison Street Between 16th & 24th Streets

Carnaval Grand Parade: Sunday May 25, 2025
-Features floats, samba schools, Caribbean contingents, and other multicultural groups. 

Twin Windows: Papercuts by Beatriz Vasquez and Xiaoqing Shi at Kearny Street Workshop, 1246 Folsom Street, SF, CA 94103 | Free

“Twin Windows” brings together contemporary papercuts by an internationally exhibiting Mexican American artist from Indianapolis, with papercuts rich with traditional symbolism by an emerging Chinese American artist from Folsom. 

Beatriz Vasquez makes art inspired by papel picado, the Mexican craft of punched paper. Through her work, she aims to challenge stereotypes about marginalization, advance racial equity, and honor cultural knowledge, ancestry, and craftsmanship. Her work in “Twin Windows” depicts life on both sides of la frontera, including childhood visits to a grandmother’s house, cultural emblems, and cacti-filled landscapes.

Xiaoqing Shi is a practitioner of Chinese paper cutting, also known as jianzhi. As a child, she learned to cut paper from her grandmother. Later, she advanced her craft during the pandemic by studying with a master. Using only scissors and a single sheet of paper, Shi’s papercuts use flora and fauna to symbolize cultural beliefs, such as the cyclical nature of life. In “Twin Windows,” Shi exhibits a multitude of butterflies, an illustrated alphabet, and a new triptych about the immigrant experience.

 

Twin Windows: Papercuts by Beatriz Vasquez and Xiaoqing Shi at Kearny Street Workshop

Reception: Sat 5/25, at 12pm-3pm 

Exhibit: May 10 - June 7, 2025 | Free

Edge on the Square | 800 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94108

Exhibition: All Eyes On Us: Invention & Ingenuity During Artistic Diasporas Curated by Candace Huey

All Eyes on Us: Invention & Ingenuity During Artistic Diasporas shines a spotlight on “hidden dragons”  - individuals whose artistic careers, practices and expressions shape shifted or became dormant as they navigated the complexities of immigration, assimilation and survival. Impacted by displacement, resource scarcity, and cultural marginalization - some indefinitely postponed their creative journeys, while others ingeniously adapted their artistic expressions, merging their past with their present in unexpected ways.

The exhibition explores the consequential lights and shadows of these “hidden dragons”. In what ways were these individuals’ stories, experiences and legacies deliberately submerged, overlooked or made to be invisible? Conversely, how might their hidden status be a form of protection or act of freedom, essential for sustenance and survival? How may hiding provide moments of respite, a space for incubation, or safeguarding until the moment for emergence arrives?

Chinatown Pride 2025: We Are Immortal! | 華埠驕傲2025: 我們不朽 The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco (CCC) and Edge on the Square co-present the 2nd Chinatown Pride 2025: We are Immortal!—a powerful evening-long festival that transforms our neighborhood into a bold celebration of resistance through art, dance, and storytelling, opening with a first-ever Chinatown Pride procession and culminating in an exhilarating silent disco!

At a time when LGBTQIA+ and immigrant rights are under attack, Chinatown Pride 2025 stands as a force of resistance and solidarity. This year's theme, "We are Immortal!" is a declaration on transformation, reinvention, and the refusal to be anything but unapologetically alive.

Exhibition: All Eyes On Us: Invention & Ingenuity During Artistic Diasporas Curated by Candace Huey @ Edge on the Square

 

Sat 5/24 at 6m-10pm: Chinatown Pride 2025 at Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco (CCC), Pedestrian Bridge & Ballroom - 750 Kearny Street - 3rd Floor | Free to the Public

6pm: Pride Procession Starts at Edge on the Square 
Led by Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) and Rice Rockettes | Location: Edge on the Square

6-10pm: Pride Program Location at CCC Pedestrian Bridge & Ballroom | Location: CCC Pedestrian Bridge

6-10 pm: Arm Day, Leg Day by Bijun Liang

6-10 pm: Build-a-Demons Yearbook Led by Inky Fingers Print Collective in collaboration with Student artists of San Francisco | Location: CCC Pedestrian Bridge & Ballroom

6-10 pm: Hand-Printing Station with Wendy Liu | Location: CCC Pedestrian Bridge & Ballroom

6-9 pm: Community Resource Fair | Location: CCC Ballroom

7-10 pm: Silent Disco Featuring DJ : MIcrotone & DJ Livv | * Limited Headsets- tickets on sale here.

Manilatown Heritage Foundation at International Hotel Manilatown Center | 868 Kearny Street, SF, CA 94108

Beginning Philippine Maranao Kulintang
Immerse yourself in the rich culture of Philippine kulintang percussion as we explore the interlocking rhythms of the Maranao ethnolinguistic group. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, this event is perfect for anyone interested in learning and appreciating the beauty of Philippine music. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with ancestral heritage and discover the power of percussion.

Club Mandalay- Jazz Music
Welcome to Club Mandalay, where the music is live and the community is gathering!

Join us for another afternoon of non-stop fun at Club Mandalay! Prepare, to smile, dance and enjoy an unforgettable experience at the International Hotel Manilatown Center. This in-person event will bring together jazz music lovers and community enthusiasts from all around the Bay Area. With a vibrant atmosphere and a lineup of talented musicians Club Mandalay promises to keep you grooving all afternoon. Don't miss out on this incredible afternoon of music, friends, and good vibes in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown-North Beach district!

Sat 5/10 at 2pm-3pm | Beginning Philippine Maranao Kulintang | *Donations Accepted

Sat 5/24, 2025 at 2pm-4pm | Club Mandalay at International Hotel | Free| RSVP HERE
Club Mandalay-this month, we're excited to present two  ensembles:
At 2pm the Manilatown Jazz Ensemble (AKA The Autonomous Region), will take the stage featuring Caroline Cabading on Vocals, Raymond Bambao on Bass, Harold Ohashi on Drums, Chris Planas on guitar,  Socorro DeCastro on piano and Special Guest Soloist Melecio Magdaluyo!

And then at 3pm please join Jibril Alvarez and Jibril's Cool Jazz Combo when they take the stage for a great funky jazz set.

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD)- Spring 2025 Youth Arts Festival Events at SF Main Public Library, 100 Larkin Street, SF, CA 94102

The SFUSD Youth Arts Showcase celebrates student artistry, skills and passion through 2-D and 3-D artwork in a range of styles and mediums. Inspired by holidays and cultural celebrations, San Francisco's neighborhoods and architecture and the students' lived experiences, the SFUSD Youth art installation celebrates the power of art education and creative expression. 

SFUSD Youth Arts Exhibition at SF Main Public Library
Exhibition Open: Now to Friday 5/9

 

Gumiho at Theatre Rhinoceros, 4229 18th Street, San Francisco CA 94114

A West Coast Premiere by Nina Ki | Directed by Crystal Liu

Gumiho Trailer:  https://youtu.be/5BQp_VnSNiA?si=-XVUN2c7Y9KxuH65

When Kam Grey, a Korean adoptee and former reality TV star, gets dumped by her longtime girlfriend, she quickly re-immerses herself in the alcohol- and lust-fueled world of her local queer scene. Through a series of hookups, Kam is forced to face some monstrous realizations about herself, her past, and the deep-seated fears that keep her from connection and happiness. If you've been waiting your whole life for the arrival of Asian American lesbian/queer/non-binary horror theatre, Queer Korean playwright Nina Ki delivers a night of terror and magic unlike any other.

Now through Sunday May 11, 2025 | Tix Here
Ceremonies: Rituals to Self | SFAC Main Gallery | 401 Van Ness Ave, Suite 126, SF, CA 94102

 A group exhibition curated by PJ Gubatina Policarpio, featuring work by Demian DinéYazhi', Gericault De La Rose, Khari Johnson-Ricks, J Rivera Pansa, and André Bloodstone Singleton. The exhibition will draw upon the life and writings of celebrated writer, editor, and activist Essex Hemphill (1957 – 1995).
On View:  Now to Sat 5/3/25

 

Bindlestiff Studio | 185 6th Street, SF, CA 94103

Bindlestiff Studio Presents: The Love Edition 8: Save The Date
Jo and Rita are getting married for all the right reasons: Love, Commitment, and Saving The Theater. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as government funding runs dry and Rita steps into her new role as the company’s Artistic Director. So, why not plan a wedding-slash-fundraiser? Especially after an RSVP from a potential big donor and former-company-member-turned-Hollywood-heartthrob. But confidence in the couple’s heroic matrimony quickly fades after the parents’ disapproval of their not-so-holy venue, the return of Jo’s other-other theater ex and– not one, but TWO runaway wedding rings! Without an angel donor at the wings, all hope may be lost for Rita, Jo, and the theater.

Will the wedding go on? Or will they be forced to close the curtains for good?

Sat 5/3, 2025 at 7pm | Tix HereStudents/ Seniors: $20 | General Admission: $25 | Support-the-Artist: $50


 

San Francisco Public Library (All Branches)

Free Comic Book Day | San Francisco Public Library

Celebrate Free Comic Book Day with San Francisco Public Library! Free Comic Book Day occurs each year on the first Saturday in May, where the comic book industry comes together and gives away free comic books. Comic books are a wonderful way to turn reluctant readers into lifelong readers with their short stories and engaging images. 

Free Comic Book Day | San Francisco Public Library
Sat 5/3, 2025, during regular Library open hours

Where: All SFPL locations

With our partnership with Comix Experience, SFPL will provide free comic books and graphic novels for youth at all library locations, while supplies last.

 

 

About Arts Education

As part of the Community Investments Program, Arts Education at the SFAC engages with the SF Arts Community through

  1. Grantmaking
  2. Arts Education Activities
  3. Arts Education Conveners and Funder Collaboratives, and
  4. Arts Education Resources.

Grantmaking 

The Community Investments program supports San Francisco-based artists, arts organizations, and communities with an equity lens through grants, technical assistance, arts education initiatives, and community-based Cultural Centers. Arts Education. 

  • Grants for Youth Programming

    • Special Project (SPX) Grant- Citywide Youth Arts Program

    • Arts Impact Endowment (AIE) 

Arts Education Activities 

The Arts Education program partners with teaching artists, and arts organizations at schools and after school sites for youth programming. The Arts Education program partners with community stakeholders to provide opportunities for youth programming, networking, highlighting the impact of the work, and discuss trends in the field.

Arts Education Conveners and Funder Collaboratives

Arts Education Conveners and Funder Collaboratives are strategic networking spaces to better understand the impact of the work and better understand the issues in the trends of the Arts Ecosystem (locally, state, and federal); cohort learning, professional development, and Arts Education Policy Advocacy in our communities.

Arts Education Resources

Providing and sharing access to the community resources, services, and programming to youth, artists, families, and community stakeholders.

Arts Education Categories

AcroSports | 639 Frederick Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 | Contact- E: info@acrosports.org or O: 415-665-2276
 Tuition Assistance | Installment Plans

Kids Classes: 10 months - 16 years Old
AcroSports is a unique space designed to inspire play and empowerment through non-competitive movement.

  • PreK/Toddler Classes: 10 months - 5 Years Old
    • Students are encouraged to be themselves in a colorful, creative, and stimulating space. Our coaches help students use a variety of apparatus as they learn to move and discover their own bodies.
       
  • Youth/Teen Classes: 6 to 18 years Old
    • From artistic gymnastics to aerial arts, breakdancing and parkour, AcroSports offers fun and challenging youth classes for active children aged 6 and up.
       
  • Special Needs 
    • Come to our Special Needs Open Gym and encourage your child in self-guided exploration of our facility. We have space to run, jump, crawl, swing, balance, bounce and climb.

Bayview Hunters Point Center for Arts & Technology (BAYCAT) | 2415 Third Street, Suite 230, San Francisco, CA 94107
Contact- E: info@baycat.org or O: 415-701-8228

BAYCAT believes that every person’s story matters. We envision a world where media and technology facilitate the telling of stories from the broadest possible range of experiences, driving people to create inclusive, equitable communities.

BAYCAT addresses racial, gender and economic inequity by creating powerful, authentic media while diversifying the creative industry. Through the education and employment of low-income youth, young people of color, and young women in the Bay Area, and producing media for socially-minded clients, we are changing the stories that get shared with the world.

  • Youth  Programs | Digitial Media Classes for Youth: Filmmaking, Graphic Arts

Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco | Main Office: 380 Fulton Street, SF, CA 94102 | Various Clubhouse Locations Across San Francisco | Serving Youth Ages 6 -18 years Old

At Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, we inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.

We provide high-quality programs and support services that allow Club members to leave us at age 18 “ready for life.” We focus on four essential program areas that we call our Formula for Impact: Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, Good Character and Community Engagement, Job Readiness With Earning Potential. Our Formula for Impact is based on running targeted programs in these areas and ensuring regular attendance and an optimal experience in our Clubs.

  • Find A Club Near You For More Info- Bayview | Excelsior | Fillmore | Mission | Tenderloin | Visitacion Valley 

Citizen Film | 1111 Buhanan Street, Suite 11, San Francisco, CA 94115
Contact- Contact Form Here or O: 415-206-1880

Citizen Film is a not-for-profit production company dedicated to crafting documentaries with care and dignity. We collaborate with cultural institutions, communities and civic organizations to create documentary media that fosters active engagement in cultural and civic life.

Cuicacalli | 2781 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Contact- E: cuicacalli.sf@gmail.com or O: 415-672-6550 | Class Information and Registration

Summer Camp | Registration Form | Schedule | Class Description | Fees

Cuicacalli (House of Culture) is a year-round youth dance program, based at Brava Theater in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District-the ​​unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. Founded in 2008 by renowned international performer Jesus “Jacoh” Cortes, Cuicacalli is an international, cross-cultural, dance-arts educational institution, providing Indigenous, Ballet Folklórico, and Contemporary Dance programs.

The Cultural Conservancy Sacred Land Foundation | 1016 Lincoln Bluvd #5, San Francisco, CA 94129

Contact- E: tcc@nativeland.org or O: 415-561-6594

Youth and Elders are integrated into all of our work, which is inherently intergenerational, as we work together to clear the spring of our minds, hearts, bodies and communities, serving not only living generations, but also our ancestors and descendants. Youth and elders in our programs engage in activities such as harvesting and weaving native tule plants, participating in community workshops to build canoes, holding night astronomy sessions with traditional Hawaiian navigators teaching Native star sciences, and studying clean water systems to revitalize traditional water springs in the historical Presidio National Park of San Francisco.

  • Apprenticeships & Internships
  • Youth Arts
  • Native Youth Guardians of the Waters Program

Horizons Unlimited of San Francisco, Inc. | 440 Portrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110

The DJ Project Programs/Class | Ages 16-26 | Contact: Nancy Abdul-Shakur, Program Manager | O: 415 - 487 - 6714 or E: nancy@horizons-sf.org

​The DJ Project’s one-of-a-kind DJing classes harness the hip-hop culture and use it as a medium through which youth validate their own existence and express themselves. Under the guidance of a world-renowned DJ and scratch guru, youth participate in a variety of cutting-edge and industry specific skill building trainings such as scratching, digital DJing, and live performances, while also engaging in lessons in professionalism, project management, artist development, and collaboration. Our youth have gone on to become high-profile DJs in the industry while contributing to a cultural movement that promotes inclusion and attachment.

Trainings culminate in public performances during in-house events such as graduation ceremonies and orientations, but also at highly attended and famous community events such as Carnaval.

Eligibility/Commitment

  • Youth and young adults ages 12-26
  • Willing to commit to an 8-month program
  • Able to commit to programming twice per week
  • Excited to learn industry skills

Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) | 1840 Sutter Street, Suite 207, San Francisco, CA 94115

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA) | 2868 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Contact MCCLA: 415-796-6422

Presidio Dance Theatre | 2902 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123 
Contact - E: info@presidiondance.org or O: (415) 561-3958
Presidio Dance Theatre (PDT) is a program of the Presidio Performing Arts Foundation (PPAF). PPAF’s mission is to create cultural change, global dialogue and human connection through the artistry of dance. PPAF preserves, enhances and presents dance, music and theatre traditions in their historical context, increasing public knowledge and appreciation of peoples and art forms throughout the world.

Community Engagement

  • Youth Company | Ages 5 to 18 | Youth Ensemble & Elite Division | E: presidiodance@gmail.com
    • Presidio Dance Theatre's Youth Company provides young dancers, ages 5 to 18, with the opportunity to study Vaganova-style Ballet, Folk, Character & Historical Court Dance, and perform alongside the Adult Company in PDT Signature Productions. Youth Company students have been accepted into professional dance companies, college dance programs and summer programs with Kirov, Royal, Bolshoi and American Ballet Theaters. 
       
  • DANCEOUT!
    • Presidio Dance Theatre community outreach program, DANCEOUT!, provides opportunities for sustained engagement in the arts, while advancing racial equity and supporting youth development. In partnership with SFUSD and the YMCA, 280,000+ Bay Area students and families have benefitted from our programming, including our annual Children’s Day at the SF War Memorial Opera House, a multicultural dance presentation highlighting the diversity and inclusive spirit of California. 99% of our students pursue a college degree and 85% of DANCEOUT! students are the first in their families to attend university, the majority receiving scholarships for dance. 

San Francisco Children's Art Center (SFCAC) | Fort Mason Center, Bldg C San Francisco, CA 94123
Contact: sfcac@childrensartcenter.org | SFCAC Scholarships

  • Summer Camps Grades K-5 and 1x a Week for Children ages 2-5 | June 10 - August 24
  • Summer Camp Descriptions
  • Scholarships
  • Drop-in Classes 
    • In once-a-week classes, our inquiry-based approach supports an exploratory process. Tailored to children’s stages of development, our classes sequentially build children’s creative skills, social interaction, imagination, and reflective dialogue with both the teaching artist and peers.

San Francisco Historical Society | 608 Commercial Street, San Francisco, CA 94142
Contact: Lana Constantini, SFHS Director of Educaiton and Publications, E: lana@sfhistory.org

San Francisco Youth Theatre (SFYT) | 3106 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Contact - E: info@sfyouththeatre.org or O: 415-571-1234

Tech in the Tenderloin | 1446 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Contact- E: info@techinthetenderloin.org 

Tech in the Tenderloin (TNT) expands career imaginations and life possibilities for low-opportunity youth and families in our city's and nation's most challenging neighborhoods by connecting them with high-opportunity tech through fun events and educational activities.

  • Tech Clubs, Event, Field Trips, Tech Initiatives, & Spark Sessions

The MIX at SFPL | 100 Larkin Street, San Franciosc, CA 94102
Contact: O: 415-557-4404 or E: themix@sfpl.org

Check out the San Francisco Public Library's resources, programs, and services for Middle School and High School Youth

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival (YBGF) | Venue: Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. (Between 3rd & 4th Sts.) | Office: 760 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Contact: 415-543-1718 | Now through October 2023

Youth Art Exchange (YAX) | 5137 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 

 Contact- O: 415-574-8137 or E: info@youthartexchange.org 

Youth Art Exchange sparks a shared creative practice between professional artists and public high school students, furthering youth as leaders, thinkers, and artists in San Francisco.

YAX Summer 2024 Programs | Middle School Instensives and High School Internships

FREE SFUSD HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES | Orientation for high school classes, Wednesday, September 13th 4:30pm. Classes start the week of September 18th.

  • Prinmaking | Photography | Architecture Studio | Comic Book Illustration | Fashion Design | Mixed Media Sculpture | Architecture Internship | Mural Arts Internship | Prinmaking Internship  

     

  • Please note, YAX has changed their registration system to better manage enrollments and communicate with participants and families. Parents/guardians and students should complete the applications together as there are specific questions for both. If you need support completing an application, please contact info@youthartexchange.org.

SF Arts Commission Galleries
Main Gallery | 401 Van Ness Ave, Suite 126, SF, CA 9410
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 12 pm -5pm | Masks Recommended

Brava for Women in the Arts/Brava Main Stage | 2781 24th Street, SF, CA

Cultural Centers

Embodiment Project

Golden Gate Bandshell

Kapwa Gardens | 967 Mission Street, SF, CA

Kultivate Labs | 1010 Mission Street, SF, CA

Manilatown Heritage Foundation | 868 Kearny Street, SF, CA

Presidio Tunnel Tops | 210 Lincoln Blvd. SF, CA 94129

Sunday Streets SF

Sundown Cinema SF | Film Night in the Park

.The Art Education Directory provides access to a profile list of San Francisco-based Arts Education Organizations and Programs which includes details about the following below. If there is an Arts Education Organization and Program you would like to add to the list please contact Program Officer Jonell T. Molina at jonell.molina@sfgov.org  or 415-252-2218.

Information About the Program

Name of Artist/Organization

Contact Information: Address, Contact Number, Email Contact, and Website (If available)

Organization Type: N/A, Arts Organizer, Teaching Artist, Arts Administrator/Coordinator

Type of Program/Services Offered by the Program:

  • Field Trip takes place off school grounds and includes structures for student interaction and engagement
  • Performance takes place at the school site, fits into a 45-60 minute time frame (the length of a typical assembly program) and includes structures for students interaction and engagement.
  • Workshop includes one to four instructional sessions working with the same group of students each session and may include performance or field trip opportunities
  • Residency Includes  five or more sequential instructional sessions working with the same group of students each session and may include performances or field trip opportunities.
  • Professional Development includes providing art education lectures, workshops, or seminars to teaching artists or art organizations.
  • Advocacy & Community Organizing incldues individuals and organizations that serve as a link between teh arts education community and public agencies.

Filter for a Specific Category(ies):

  • Grade Level: Pre-K, TK, Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, High School, Post High School, All Ages, Adults, and Seniors
  • Discipline: Dance, Literary Arts, Media, Multi-Discipline, Music, Storytelling, Theater, Visual Art
  • Subject(s): History, Language Arts, Math, Science, N/A
  • Languages: English, Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Cantonese), Spanish, Filipino (Tagalog), Russian
  • Professional Development Type: Arts Integration or Deepenign Disciplinary Knowledge

Program Description

Arts Education Directory

 

The Arts Education News and Resources section will provide share updates on local, state, and federal Arts Education developments; offering upcoming professional development opportunities and Arts Education Meetings.

In the News

SFUSD Arts Department (PreK-12 Arts) Website

Art on Market Street Poster Series:

  • We are Still Here, Celebrates the Cultural Contributions and Resilience of Bay Area and South Coast Range Native Communities - Click Here

California Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Proposition 28 and Prioritizes Arts Education for All Students; Create CA Calls for Equity and Accountability in its Implementation - Click Here for Report by Create CA

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

ARTS EDUCATION RESOURCE PAGES
Arts Administrators of Color (AAC) Network Website  

Arts Education Alliance of the BAY AREA (AEABA) Website  

ART EQUITY Website

California Arts Council Website 

CReate CA Website  

Justice Funders Website

International FUNDERS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES  Website

National Endowment For the Arts (NEA) Website  

Pawanka Fund Website 

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) PreK-12 Arts Department Website  

The CEnter for cultural power Website
 

Poetry Out Loud is an annual (November - March) free, tiered recitation competition supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and California Arts Council, where students choose poems from the POL website anthology (www.poetryoutloud.org) that resonate or speak to them. Students memorize and recite these poems in a performance competition, beginning at the classroom/school level or afterschool program. One student champion will represent their school/program at the San Francisco County competition, the county champion will compete at the state competition, and the state champion will represent California at the national competition. The national champion wins a grand prize of $20,000! POL is a way to introduce/expose teens to Literature/Poetry, developing their public speaking skills, and being able to add this onto their resume/personal statements/scholarships for college as well.

For questions about the Poetry Out Loud (POL) Program, please contact Program Officer Jonell T. Molina at jonell.molina@sfgov.org

Poetry Out Loud Website 

SF 2025 SF County Poetry Out Loud Competition Results
2025 SF POL County Champion: Alex Hong, Lowell High School, Grade 11
 

What's Coming Up

Public Meeting

Executive Committee Meeting

December 19
/
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Hybrid: City Hall | Rm 408 and Online
Public Meeting

Community Investments Committee Meeting

December 18
/
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Hybrid: City Hall | Rm 408 and Online
Public Meeting

Visual Arts Committee Meeting

May 21
/
2:00 PM to 4:15 PM

Hybrid: City Hall | Rm 416 and Online
Public Meeting

Civic Design Review Committee Meeting

May 19
/
2:00 PM to 4:30 PM

Hybrid: City Hall | Rm 416 and Online