Shape the world with art + ideas!
There are various opportunities to exhibit your work at SFAI. Most spaces on campus are available for students to book and organize an exhibition, screening, or special event. Exhibitions can be organized and curated by the exhibitions department, faculty, alumni, and students.
Established in 1969, the Walter + McBean galleries present exhibitions at the forefront of contemporary art practice, and constitute one of the oldest ongoing exhibition spaces in the country. The galleries serve as a laboratory for innovative and adventurous projects, and commission new work from emerging and established artists. Exhibitions have featured artists including Doug Hall, Allora and Calzadilla, Shazia Sikander, and Kara Walker.
The current curatorial vision aligns with site-specific, immersive, cross-disciplinary, and socially engaged practices that amplify SFAI's history of seminal exhibitions. The exhibitions and public programs of SFAI promote an environment that catalyzes the creative process of its student artists and thinkers—creating intimate connections between the SFAI community and the public.
Gallery Hours: Wednesday–Saturday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Home to the SFAI historic Diego Rivera mural is a student-directed exhibition space for work by SFAI students. The Gallery is managed by an Exhibition Committee that works with one faculty member in coordinating and selecting proposals for exhibitions in the Diego Rivera Gallery during the academic year.
Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm.
Prentice and Paul Sack Still Lights Galleries are student-led and curated exhibition spaces showcasing photography-related works.
Located on the ramp leading to the Sculpture Pit, Ramp Gallery is a student-run shelf & wall between Studio 105 & 106 accommodating both the organized and unplanned.
SFAI brings internationally acclaimed artists and scholars to campus to present their work and engage in meaningful dialogue with current student artists. In addition to these public presentations, small symposia and studio visits provide opportunities for one-on-one discussions and critique of student work. The nearby, ever-changing mural wall reflects the mood and inspiration of current student artists. Projects range from highly-stylized graffiti to meticulously rendered murals to three-dimensional installations.
The art deco-style tiled koi and turtle pond is a delightful centerpiece to a lush garden of fuchsia and jasmine plants. Shade trees drape over the hand-laid brick providing coverage on warm Summer days. The exterior walls of the courtyard are adorned with juried paintings created by SFAI students.
The Rooftop Terrace + Amphitheater is a large space near the McBean Gallery for performances, events, and installations.
Contact: Facilities - [email protected]
SFAI's historic tower is often transformed into a monumental wraparound canvas for video screenings.
The Zellerbach Quad is the dynamic social hub of SFAI's iconic campus. Students use the space for performances and site-specific work, and it plays host to events throughout the year, like film screenings, artist talks, receptions, and critiques.
The Quad boasts over 4,000 square feet of open space and features a 90-foot concrete wall that juts into the San Francisco skyline and provides the perfect backdrop for psychedelic light shows and avant-garde video art displays
Contact: Facilities - [email protected]
These studios are laboratories of experimentation. They have housed incredible and historic acts and are also the space where many New Genres courses take place. New Genres is conceptually driven and has its roots in the late-1960s and early-1970s performance and video art. It still carries a legacy of irreverence and pushes the vocabulary of art into new territory.
New Genres practices position the concept of the work as the primary medium, and often employ video, performance, installation, and sound to support the overarching idea. Notable faculty and alumni include Paul Kos, Tony Labat, Tom Marioni, Karen Finley, and Sharon Grace.
Contact: Studio Manager - [email protected]
