The Artists Guild of San Francisco was founded in 1961 by a group of urban artists who wanted to exhibit their work independently in outdoor sites across the city of San Francisco.

In 1995, the Guild was incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit organization. In the forty years since its founding, the Artists Guild has developed into a venue that supports professional gallery-quality artists, allowing them to survive and thrive in San Francisco.

The Artists Guild has created an annual schedule of weekend gallery quality art exhibits in San Francisco city parks such as Washington Square in North Beach and the Marina Green. The Artists Guild’s exhibit sites also include Union Square, Maiden Lane, Yerba Buena Gardens, Huntington Park, and Golden Gate Park.

Exhibiting art in public parks allows the Guild artists to speak directly with the public about their artwork, explaining technical details, creative decisions, and many other aspects of producing a painting or a sculpture.

The Guild requires that the artist must be present when exhibiting and display only original paintings, sculpture and limited edition prints created and printed by the artist. The Guild does not allow photomechanical reproductions of art works or crafts.

Our mission is twofold. First, to bring art and artists into the community for public interaction and education. Second, to help artists develop the skills that will permit them to sustain themselves with art as their full-time career.