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San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) was a private college of contemporary art in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1871, SFAI was one of the oldest art schools in the United States and the oldest west of the Mississippi River. Approximately 220 undergraduates and 112 graduate students were enrolled in 2021.
Perched atop the storied hills of San Francisco, the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) commands a view that inspires as much as it nurtures. With a campus overlooking the dynamic cityscape and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, SFAI serves as a beacon of artistic enlightenment.
The home of the SFAI Legacy Foundation and Archive, an independent 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to preserving and promoting the incredible 150-year legacy of the San Francisco Art Institute.
Officially pushing boundaries since 1871, SFAI is one of the nation’s most prestigious contemporary art schools.
See photographs of artists who studied or taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, a cultural hub for over 140 years. Explore the art movements and contexts that shaped the Bay Area and beyond.
Learn about the history and impact of the San Francisco Art Institute, the first fine arts college west of the Mississippi, through videos and stories of its alumni and faculty. Explore how SFAI shaped artists such as Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, Joan Brown, and more.
Learn about the 150-year history of SFAI, a pioneering art school that hosted Diego Rivera, Mark Rothko, and the Beat poets. Find out how the school is coping with financial and cultural changes in the Bay Area.
