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.

Veterans Alley Mural Painting Project

Veterans Alley Mural Painting Project Photo by A. Gregory

Arts Education Community Event Dates

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Arts Department Newsletter Click Here for May 2024 SFUSD Arts Department Newsletter
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 (Now through Oct)

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Season Calendar- Click Here
Featured July Programs/Activities:


Children's Garden Series
Fridays at 11am and Noon: 7/5  Chelle! & Friends,
7/12 Ka-Hon, 7/19 Unique Derique, and 7/26 Coventry & Kaluza


Thu 7/11, Thu 7/18, and Thu 7/25 at 1:30-2:30pm: Yerba Buena Garden Art Tours

Thursday LunchTime
Thursdays at 12:30-1:30pm :  7/11Uzumaru, 7/18 Batey Tambó, and 7/25 Destani Wolf


Sat 7/13 (Day 1) + 7/20 (Day 2) at 1-2:30pm: Yerba Buena Gardens Choreofest
Fri 7/12 at 11am and Noon: Ka-Hon (Kids Show)


Tue 7/9 at 1:30-2:30pm: Poetic Tuesdays w/ MOAD
Sat 7/6 at 1pm-2:30pm: Get Free Festival 


Wednesdays (7/3, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24, and 7/31) at 12-1pm: Dance Outdoors with Rhythm

Praxis of Local Knowledge A group exhibition featuring four artists, Kimberley Acebo Arteche, Miguel Arzabe, Daniela Rivera, and Trina Michelle Robinson, curated by Carolina Aranibar-Fernandez, SFAC Director of Galleries and Public Programs.  SF Arts Commission | 401 Van Ness Ave. Suite 126, SF, CA
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 12 pm  to 5pm | Masks Recommended
Exhibition: Now to August 17, 2024
A Soft Place to Land curated by Carolina Quintanilla at SOMARTS934 Brannan St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Exhibition: July 19, 2024 - August 25, 2024
Opening Reception: Friday July 19, 2024 | RSVP HERE
Presidio Pop Up with Special DJ Perfofmances at Main Parade Lawn/Presidio Tunnel Tops Sun 7/27 at 11am-3pm | All Ages | Free
Kultivate Labs/Balay Kreative - Kreative Growth Master Class (KGM) July Series (Virtual)

Wed 7/17 at 6:30-8:30pm, KGM#1- Leadership: Values & Vision, Culture Building, Communication, 90 Day Business Plan w/ Anthem Salgado

Wed 7/24 at 6:30-8:30pm, KGM#2- Business Strategy: Pricing & Selling Your Work w/ Anthem Salgado

Wed 7/31 at 6:30-8:30pm, KGM#3- Selling Sales: Finding & Creating Clients w/ Creative Director JJ Umoc-Casas

Illuminate Live @ Golden Gate Bandshell, 78 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, SF, CA 94118

July Calendar of Events Link     
Singer/Songwriter Wednesdays at 4-7pm (7/3, 710, 7/17, 7/24)
Friday Happy Hours at 4:30-7pm (7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26)
Crucial Reggae Sundays at 4:20-7pm (7/7, 7/14, 7/21)
Sat 7/13 at 12-5pm: San Francisco Free Folk Festival

Sunday Streets SF @ Excelsior Ciclovía Sun 7/21 at 11am-4pm | All Ages | Free
SF Youth Theatre presents Mission Cabaret at Eclectic Box, 446 Valencia Street Fri 7/19 at 6pm
SUPERBLOOMS Art Launch Party at Presidio Tunnel Tops, 210 LIncoln Blvd., SF, CA 94129 Sun 7/14 at 12pm | All Ages | Free
Manilatown Heritage Foundation at International Hotel Manilatown Center | 868 Kearny Street Sat 7/13 at 2-4pm | Flipping the Boat-Making Workshop
Sulat Festival at Sentro Filipino, 814 Mission Street, SF, CA 94103 Sat 7/13 at 11am-5pm | Sliding Scale from $10
Sundown Cinema | Film Night In The Park @ Glen Park- Movie: Labyrinth Fri 7/12 at 6-10pm | RSVP HERE
Utang Na Loob To Kusan Na Loob: Monthly Improve Drop-In Delight at Balay Kreative Studios, 863 Mission Street, SF, CA 94103 Thu 7/11 at 6-8pm | Sliding Scale from $15
The Embodiment Project Presents the 2024 Get Free Festival at Various Locations

Sun 6/30 - Sat 7/6 (Various Locations)
Sun 6/30 - Thu 7/4 5 Day Dance Intensive at Destiny Arts Center (Oakland)

  • Sun 6/30- Sold Out
  • Mon 7/1 at 9am-5pm Classes | Register Here
  • Tue 7/2 at 9am-5pm Classes | Register Here
  • Wed 7/3- Sold Out
  • Thu 7/4- Sold Out

Mon 7/1, 8-10pm- Rebearth- The Get Free Edition | From $5 | Dance Mission Theater 3316 24th Street, SF, CA 94110

Fri 7/5, 8-10pm- Sacred Rowdiness | From $20-$40 | Dance Mission Theater

Sat 7/6, 1-2:30pm- Timing Is Synchronicity | Free | RSVP HERE | Yerba Bueana Gardens Festival, 760 Howard Street, SF, CA 94103

Sat 7/6, 3-7pm- Elements Day Party | Free | RSVP HERE | Blue Shield of California Theater, SF, CA 94103

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. 

  • Artivist-in-Residence (AIR) Grant

    The Artivist-in-Residence (AIR) is a grant program for a nonprofit arts organization to hire teaching artists as part-time hourly employees to design and implement socially responsive art and creative exploration learning experiences (e.g. in-person, hybrid, remote) as a means to heal and build community. In turn, teaching artists are provided equitable compensation and opportunities to further their artistic practices and professional development as educators in a three-year cohort.

  • Grants for Youth Programming

Arts Education Activities | Special Project Grants

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
Praxis of Local Knowledge Exhibition | Main Gallery | 401 Van Ness Ave, Suite 126, SF, CA 9410
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 12 pm -5pm | Masks Recommended
Exhibition: Now to August 17, 2024 | Free

About the Exhibit: 
A group exhibition featuring four artists, Kimberley Acebo Arteche, Miguel Arzabe, Daniela Rivera, and Trina Michelle Robinson, curated by Carolina Aranibar-Fernandez, SFAC Director of Galleries and Public Programs. 

This exhibition features the work of four artists exploring diverse narratives of movement and memory. Through their artistic practice, each artist in the exhibition delves into their own migration experiences as well as those of their ancestors, seeking reconnection with ancestral traditions and stories through video, printmaking, photography, textiles, painting, and performance. 

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
SFUSD Arts Department Newsletter

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 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

The Artivist-in-Residence (AIR) is a grant program for a nonprofit arts organization to hire teaching artists as part-time hourly employees to design and implement socially responsive art and creative exploration learning experiences (e.g. in-person, hybrid, remote) as a means to heal and build community. In turn, teaching artists are provided equitable compensation and opportunities to further their artistic practices and professional development as educators in a three-year cohort.

For questions about this grant category, please contact Program Officer Jonell T. Molina at jonell.molina@sfgov.org or 415-252-2218.

What's Coming Up

Public Meeting

Executive Committee Meeting

December 18
/
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

Hybrid: 401 Van Ness | Rm 125 and Online
Public Meeting

Visual Arts Committee Meeting

December 16
/
2:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Hybrid: City Hall | Rm 408 and Online
Public Meeting

Civic Design Review Committee Meeting

December 11
/
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Hybrid: City Hall | Rm 408 and Online
Public Meeting

Community Investments Committee Meeting

December 09
/
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Hybrid: City Hall | Rm 416 and Online