The Must-Visit Art Galleries in San Francisco

A staple of the downtown San Francisco art and nightlife scene since 1993, 111 Minna is a 4,000-square-foot space that not only hosts exhibits by top local and international artists, but also turns into a bar and venue at night. Ultra-hip and often on the cutting edge of breaking trends, but also devoted to making the art scene more social and accessible, 111 Minna is a fun and friendly place to visit in the day or to grab a cocktail in the evening. It's walking distance from most downtown hotels.

Promoting up-and-coming West Coast talent is the name of the game at Art Attack, a vibrant Castro art gallery that has helped launch the career of several Bay Area artists and is always worth checking out. Art Attack is community oriented and hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including pop-up art exhibits all over town. Get there on the historic street car from downtown.

Showcasing the artistic creations of individuals with developmental disabilities, Creativity Explored operates two separate galleries in the city. Besides providing a gallery space where these artists can display and sell their work, Creativity Explored also runs several studio training programs where up-and-coming artists can hone their skills. 

The community arts program of this innovative non-profit centers on providing high-quality arts training and other arts programs to thousands of homeless residents of San Francisco. Their Central Market gallery brings you face to face with creations made by the most vulnerable among us, providing a truly touching experience. Proceeds from the sale of art at the Hospitality House go to the respective artists.

Tucked into San Francisco's Chinatown, Jessica Silverman Gallery is internationally renowned for curating enthralling exhibitions and supporting artists who are particularly relevant to contemporary culture. Works from Jessica Silverman Gallery have been acquired by prestigious museums all over the world, including Centre Pompidou (Paris), Tate (London), and Reina Sofia (Madrid). Pieces from the gallery have also been shown in local legends, including SFMOMA, the de Young and Berkley Art Museums.

Get a feel for the bohemian art scene of San Francisco's North Beach at Live Worms, an art gallery and event space where local painters, photographers and other artists take turns exhibiting their works. This gallery is supremely visitor-friendly and fun to check out. It's walking distance from downtown or a short ride on the Powell-Mason cable car.

Home to unique works by some the world’s best-known names in contemporary art, Martin Lawrence Galleries is a large 9,000-square-foot space located in Union Square. You don’t have to be a serious art collector to step inside. The gallery is open to the public and visitor-friendly. It's a great place to check out museum-quality art in a stylish and comfortable setting.

The Midway Gallery is a large creative complex that features music, performing arts, technologies and the culinary arts, all under one roof. Much like The Midway itself, the Gallery creates a stage for emerging to mid-career artists to showcase their talents and to exhibit their work to San Francisco's arts community.

Specializing in fine glass artwork by some of the top artists in the field, the Montague Gallery is a great place to pop into when you are in Union Square. Bright, airy and easy to navigate, the gallery also displays selected paintings and jewelry, as well as ceramics.

A non-profit powerhouse that has been deeply influential in the San Francisco arts scene since it formed in 2004, Root Division runs arts education classes and workshops for both emerging artists and young people across the Bay Area. Swing by their SoMa gallery to find out more about this “arts ecosystem” and its future projects. Root Division is walking distance from most downtown hotels.