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.
Arts Education Community Event Dates
San Francisco Arts & Culture Guide | Click here for SF Arts & Culture Guide Online |
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 |
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Season (October 2024) |
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Season Calendar- Click Here Poetic Tuesdays at 12:30pm-1:30pm Wednesdays at 12pm-1pm Outdoor Classes Thursday Lunchtime at 12:30-1:30pm: Thursday Sala Nights at 6pm-7:30pm Weekend Sessions |
When Unearthed Sights Collide, a two-person exhibition featuring Bay Area-based artist Shirin Khalatbari and San Francisco-based artist Sun Park, curated by independent curator Shirin Makaremi. |
SF Arts Commission | 401 Van Ness Ave. Suite 126, SF, CA When Unearthed Sight Collide Exhibition: Now to December 14, 2024 |
The SF Open Studios Exhibition Presented by ArtSpan @ SOMArts |
934 Brannan Street, SF, CA 94103 |
Illuminate Live @14th Ave. East Meadow |
September Calendar of Events Link Friday Happy Hours Live Music at The Whales Tail |
Presidio Tunnel Tops Events at Main Parade Lawn |
All Ages | Free |
Kultivate Labs/Balay Kreative @ Balay Kreative Studio | Balay Kreative Studio, 863 Mission Street, SF, CA 94103 Thu 10/3 at 4-7pm: Balay Open Studios | Undiscovered SF Culture Crawl Sat 10/19 at 1-4pm: Francis Garcia Baybay Exhibition |
Kapwa Gardens |
Kapwa Gardens, 967 Mission Street, SF, CA 94103 Thu 10/3 at 4-7pm: Unstaged- First Thursday x Live On Mid-Market Sat 10/19 at 12pm-6pm: Undiscovered Culture Crawl |
Hayes Street Art Walk-October 2024 |
Hayes Valley Art Works Garden, 295 Oak St., SF, CA 94102 |
2024 Artspan SF Open Studios Weekend 3: Sat 10/5 and Sun 10/6 | East/Southeast Weekend 4: Sat 10/12 and Sun 10/13 | Westside |
Now through October 13, 2024 | View the Online Guide
Weekend 3- Sat 10/5 and Sun 10/6| East/Southeast (SOMA, East Cut, South Beach, Dogpatch, Bayview/Hunter's Point, Potrero Hill, Mission Bay) |
Sunday Streets SF @ SOMA feat New Community Block Party designed to create a more focused route based on community feedback |
SOMA Blocks: Mabini Street to Bonifacio Street, Tandan Sora Street, Rizal Street, to Lapu Lapu Street. Sunday 10/13 at 12pm-5pm | All Ages | Free |
Sundown Cinema | Film Night In The Park @ India Basin Waterfront- The Princess And The Frog @ Jerry Garcia Amphitheater- The Nightmare Before Christmas (Sing along & costume contest) |
India Basin Waterfron Park, Hunters Point Blvd and Hawes Street, SF, CA 94124 Fri 10/4 at 5:30pm-10pm | RSVP HERE Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, McLaren Park, SF, CA 94134 Fri 10/11 at 5:30pm-10pm | RSVP HERE |
LAMON: A ZERO-WASTE FILIPINX FOOD + WINE SUMMIT @ Southeast Community Center |
Southeast Community Center, Bayview SF, 1550 Evans Ave. SF, CA 94124 Sun 10/6 at 12-8pm: Lamon: A FIlpinx Zero-WAste Food + Wine Summit | Tix Here |
Banana Ketchup A Comedy Show With Filipino Flavor Presents the 2nd Annual Filipino Comedy Festival 2024 @ Bindlestiff Studio |
Bindlestiff Studio, 185 6th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 Fri 10/4 at 7pm and 9pm | Tix Here Saturday 10/5 at 7pm and 9pm | Tix Here |
Tenderloin (TL) First Thursday Art Walk @ TL Neighborhood Galleries/Performance Spaces/ and other local Businesses | Thu 10/3 at 6pm-10pm | Free | See list of TL First Thursdays Art Walk Here |
About Arts Education
As part of the Community Investments Program, Arts Education at the SFAC engages with the SF Arts Community through
- Grantmaking
- Arts Education Activities
- Arts Education Conveners and Funder Collaboratives, and
- 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.
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Special Project (SPX) Grant- Citywide Youth Arts Program
Support up to $350,000 over a three-year grant period for an arts nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization or fiscally sponsored entity to design and implement socially responsive art and creative exploration learning experiences (e.g. in-person, hybrid, remote) for youth ages 0 to 24 years old. The grantee will manage and produce approximately three (3) annual culminating showcases/exhibitions/events held at one or more branches of the San Francisco Public Library that are open and accessible to the general San Francisco-based public. Funding will support production, community engagement, and youth program participation through the arts.
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Grants for Youth Programming
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 Alliance of the Bay Area (AEABA)
- Creative Youth Development (CYD) Funders Forum
- SFUSD Arts Community Collaborative
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.
- 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.
- 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
- Employment Programs | LifeWorks Employment Program (LWP) | Mayor's Youth Employment and Education Program (MYEEP)
- Gender Specific Programs
- Prevention Programs
- Treatment Programs
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
- Child Development | Chibi Chan Preschool & Chibi Chan Too
- College Access
- Youth Development | Asian Youth Prevention Services (AYPS) | Japantown Youth Leaders (JYL) | Nikkei Community Internship (NCI)
- YouthWorkforce
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA) | 2868 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Contact MCCLA: 415-796-6422
- Class Calendar | * Sign Up Online
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.
- 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
- SFYT Summer Programs 2024 | *Accessible to All! No student turned away for lack of funds. Financial Aid is available. Learn More.
- Mission Playhouse | Entering Grades 1st-4th | June 10-14
- Mission Drama | Entering Grades 5th-7th * 4th graders can join with permission | June 17- June 28
- Mission Cabaret | Entering 8th- College | July 8-19
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
- Calendar of Events- Weekend Sessions | May 4 - October 2024
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
When Unearthed Sights Collide | Exhibition On View September 20, 2024 - December 14, 2024
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) Main Gallery is pleased to present When Unearthed Sights Collide, a two-person exhibition featuring Bay Area-based artist Shirin Khalatbari and San Francisco-based artist Sun Park, curated by independent curator Shirin Makaremi.
This exhibition features the work of two emerging Bay Area artists Shirin Khalatbari and Sun Park. In When Unearthed Sights Collide, both artists established their own narratives of spirituality and history, questioning Western doctrines and exploring alternative methods in order to reclaim autonomy over spiritual and historical narratives.
When Unearthed Sights Collide marks the first exhibition in a new program with SFAC Galleries: a mentorship fellowship, where two emerging artists work closely with a curator for eight months on their professional development and to create new work for an exhibition in the Main Gallery. SFAC Galleries launched an open call for artists in January 2024 with over 160 artist applications submitted. Shirin Khalatbari and Sun Park were selected a panel of both SFAC staff and stakeholders in the Bay Area arts community.
Brava for Women in the Arts/Brava Main Stage | 2781 24th Street, SF, CA
Cultural Centers
- African American Arts and Culture Complex (AAACC) | 762 Fulton St., San Francisco, CA 94102
- American Indian Cultural Center SF (AICCSF)
- Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center
- Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts | 2868 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94410
- Queer Cultural Center (QCC)
- Ruth Williams Opera House (RWOH) | 4705 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94124
- SOMArts | 934 Brannan Street, San Franisco, CA 94103
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
.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
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
SFUSD Arts Department Newsletter
- #49 May 2024 - Click Here
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)
- American Artscape Magazine - Click here for Current Issue - Art and Health: The Role of the Arts Sector in Promoting Resilience and Well-Being
- Previous Issues 2005 - 2023 - Click Here
- Previous Issues 2005 - 2023 - Click Here
- NEA Art Works Podcast - Click Here
ARTS EDUCATION RESOURCE PAGES
Arts Administrators of Color (AAC) Network Website
Arts Education Alliance of the BAY AREA (AEABA) Website
California Arts Council Website
International FUNDERS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES Website
National Endowment For the Arts (NEA) Website
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) PreK-12 Arts Department 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
SF 2024 SF County Poetry Out Loud Competition Results
1st Place/ 2024 SF POL County Champion: Alex Hong, Lowell High School, Grade 10
2nd Place/Runner-Up: Shingki Mo, Lowell High School, Grade 10
3rd Place: Kaylee Martinez, Lowell High School, Grade 10
4th Place: Sara Bundaa, Lowell High School, Grade 10