Best Galleries in San Francisco

Studio Gallery is a treasure trove of several art works ranging from paintings, craft and home accessories. The artists here, use various forms of medium to display their creativity. The gallery also provides the artists, the liberty to customize their work so as to accept commissions. However, the major attraction is their annual show of art work greatly inspired by food, known as "Delicious." From most common foods, fruits and vegetables, to the more exotic ones, everything seems splendid on the canvas.

ArtHaus presents works by well known New York and Bay Area artists. The collection available includes different subjects including media and style. ArtHaus offers excellent works and after sales to collectors, curators, art advisers, interior designers and visual merchandisers. Some of their well known artists are Andrea Arroyo, Serena Bocchino, Brian Blood, Deborah Brown, Marc Lambrechts and Adam Kurtzman. Guest artists include Rex Ray, Ricardo Carbajal Moss, Carolyn Meyer and Samuel Fleming Lewis. Check the website for more details.

Serving the community for many years, disabled artists from diverse occupations and backgrounds put up their work on display. It is the medium of art that is the uniting force between them as it provides common ground for different people to express themselves without any barrier. Portraying a wide range of feelings and works on canvas, these disabled artists have come up with some fantastic pieces of art proving that simply being disabled is not a hindrance to ingenuity. Come to Creativity Explored for a glimpse into this colorful world and to encourage these artists.

Weinstein Gallery might catch your eye when you walk past. You might ask, "Is that a Chagall, a Miro, a Dali, or a Picasso?" and be delightfully surprised to find that they are all represented here - the gallery is positively brimming with their works. Many of the paintings are on consignment from their owners, while others are owned by the gallery. The staff is more than friendly, and they're willing to share their in-depth knowledge of these elation-invoking pieces of art. Check the website for further details.

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts was established in San Francisco in 1977 with an aim of preserving, promoting and developing Latino cultural arts. It presents the rich cultural tradition of the Chicano, Mexican, Central and South American and Caribbean people. The center also contributes much for the growth and development of art by providing more than forty classes. Interested people are given knowledge about arts, craft, dance, music, printing etc. The center also houses a theater and a performing and visual arts studio.

Stunning paintings beautify the plain white walls of the Christopher-Clark Fine Art, located in Union Square. The gallery proudly exhibits paintings, sculptures and etchings of high standard and great skill. Artists such as Marc Chagall, Albrecht Durer, Royo and Mary Cassatt have paintings exhibited here. The gallery is replete with enthralling varieties including Barbizon, Belle Epoque, Landscapes and contemporary art in several mediums.

Mark Wolfe Contemporary Art is located in the 49 Geary building and was formerly called Urbis Artium Gallery. The old 1912 building was once the Western Union headquarters. The gallery showcases a vast range of national and international art from well known and emerging artists. They nurture new artists and look for talent in and around San Francisco as well as internationally. They have a diverse collection of artists working in different media from painting to video art.

Founded in 1978 by Marian Parmenter and Sally Lilienthal, this airy space currently represents the works of more than 1300 Northern Californian artists. It offers artists a public space to display their work, while providing an opportunity for art collectors and the general community to enjoy up-and-coming creations. There are solo, group, and themed exhibitions and sometimes even a retrospective, showcasing an established artist's life work. You will find a broad range of genres here, allowing you to enjoy anything from a classic still life to an avant-garde piece.

Southern Exposure is an artist-run gallery that supports a wide range of risk-taking, challenging work and serves as a forum and resource center for Bay Area arts and education communities. Enjoy such fund-raising events as DJ classes in a real party setting or quiet contemplation of the latest works to emerge from San Francisco's always dynamic art scene. The space is well laid out and the staff extremely knowledgeable about the local art culture.

An intriguing member of the buzzing arts community of the Mission District, Ratio 3 is a functionally furnished art gallery on Stevenson Street, between Duboce Avenue and 14th Street. Step inside and you will not find the swanky interiors or the redundant, randomly placed sculptures or paintings that define a more uptown gallery. Instead, you will find a relatively bare space, with wooden floors sans furniture, and white walls adorned with works of the artist on exhibit. From nationally and internationally known artists, to local budding talent, one will find Ratio 3 an ideal to do some art discovery in the Mission District.

City Art Cooperative Gallery is an art gallery that is owned and operated by local artists. Almost 200 artists are part of this gallery, which makes their artwork accessible and increases the sales percentage to buyers every week. They showcase a vast range of styles, mediums and works from the new to the well known artists. They sell over 30 pieces of art every month, far more than any other gallery and offer artists complete PR and marketing support. They also hold workshops and the artists also get a first hand knowledge on how to run a gallery and to network. This gallery has won the SF Bay Guardian's Best of the Bay for the years 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007.

The Haines Gallery is a visual feast. Open for over a decade, this gallery elevates your perception of reality without taking you to another planet of iconography. Instead, pass the time slowly in front of an oil painting, say by Tome Leaver. His atmospheric tree paintings with swampy greens and quiet gold skies feel like Monet after a nap. The color harmony is subtle, while the gesture of nature looms high. In addition to paintings, find photography and new media works.