Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Yerba Buena Center for the Arts presents contemporary art, performances, film, and more. Open Thu-Su from 11a–5p, and Wed 11a–8p with free admission.

Situated in the center of downtown San Francisco, YBCA functions as a dynamic platform to generate ideas and nurture the talents of emerging and established artists. Centering artists as essential to social and cultural movement, YBCA is reimagining the role an arts institution can play in the community it serves.

This Fri. 9/25 from 6–9pm, be the first to see our highly anticipated fall exhibitions “Dread Scott: The Body Politic” a...
09/21/2026

This Fri. 9/25 from 6–9pm, be the first to see our highly anticipated fall exhibitions “Dread Scott: The Body Politic” and “Rael San Fratello: Prototypes and Provocations,” during the free opening night celebration.

The exhibitions show how artists challenge the structures that shape American life—as well as how artists offer new paths forward.

Join us to celebrate the work, to meet the artists and curator, and to enjoy drinks along with a set from DJ afsoos. → https://bit.ly/4xuhsjy

Photos and videos by Robbie Sweeny, DJ afsoos, and Brittney Valdez.

In the exhibition “Dread Scott: The Body Politic,” Scott presents a series of ghostly, evocative body prints. To make th...
09/17/2026

In the exhibition “Dread Scott: The Body Politic,” Scott presents a series of ghostly, evocative body prints.

To make the prints, Scott instructs participants to lie flat as oil is applied to their bodies, with paper then carefully draped and pressed over them to capture an impression of the body. Powdered pigment is applied to the paper, adhering to the oil residue, while excess pigment is removed. This technique results in an image simultaneously detailed and abstract.

Reflecting on his body print projects (which build on techniques employed by artist David Hammons), Dread Scott says: “Some of the prints are experiments to better learn the medium. The image I make is indexical—directly tied to (the) body. In some of the prints, I paint into the image, augmenting what is revealed by the impression of (the) figure. Others are more expressive and respond to a world on fire resting on mountains of oppression.”

Witness these prints along with other powerful works by Dread Scott, at the exhibition’s opening night on Fri. 9/25 from 6–9pm. → https://bit.ly/4xuhsjy

Body printing photos by Jenny Gorman.

Opening Sep 25: explore the fascinating work of Rael San Fratello, where cutting-edge technology meets traditional build...
09/15/2026

Opening Sep 25: explore the fascinating work of Rael San Fratello, where cutting-edge technology meets traditional building techniques.

A centerpiece of “Rael San Fratello: Prototypes and Provocations” is “Sanctuary,” a new large-scale commission 3D-printed onsite in our gallery using soil and water. The cylindrical structure offers a quiet space for reflection while demonstrating the studio’s innovative approach to ecologically-sound building.

“Sanctuary” expands on techniques developed in the 2019 project “Mud Frontiers.” Bringing together ancestral adobe construction techniques rooted in Puebloan and Indo-Hispano traditions with large-scale 3D printing, Rael San Fratello created structures from locally sourced sand, silt, clay, straw, and water—essentially printing architecture directly from the landscape.

These practices are being explored further with “Sanctuary.” Be among the first to see the completed work on opening night Fri. 9/25 from 6–9pm. → https://bit.ly/4xuhsjy

Rael San Fratello, “Mud Frontiers," 2019. Photos courtesy of the artists.

For National Arts in Education Week, we’re celebrating the teaching artists, students, educators, and communities who ma...
09/13/2026

For National Arts in Education Week, we’re celebrating the teaching artists, students, educators, and communities who make arts education possible at YBCA. This year’s theme, “Every Student, Every Community,” reminds us that arts education is a way for everyone to create, explore, and express themselves.

As YBCA Teaching Assistants share:

"I really enjoy seeing familiar faces from the community. We all smile big when we see each other, we see how people's work has changed and evolved, especially the kids." –Brandi Ynocencio

"I love the team and the moments we share. Everyone is just amazing. I see a lot of people going out of their comfort zones and just being playful with art." –Kerra Hendrickson

Thank you to Senior Manager of Educational Programs Rea Lynn de Guzman, Brandi, Kerra, Hitoshi Sh*tega, Joyce Nojima, Gabby Severson, Flavia Mora, ChiChai Mateo, and Erina Alejo for helping students of all ages imagine new possibilities.

Photos by Fiona Duong and Rea Lynn de Guzman.

We’re excited to be part of Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week! Check out events happening at YBCA and across the neighbo...
09/10/2026

We’re excited to be part of Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week! Check out events happening at YBCA and across the neighborhood:

🎉 Thu. 10/1 from 8–11:30pm: Dance, connect, and celebrate with us during The Nexus Party, hosted at YBCA and featuring DJ Kream & DJ Jahari! Presented by MoAD and YBCA.

🎨 Sat. 10/3 at 1pm: Join Dread Scott, Emory Douglas, and Orlando Smith at SFMOMA for a discussion on the ways art can be a form of resistance. Co-presented by SFMOMA and YBCA.

📽️ Sun. 10/4 from 1–4pm: Head to the YBCA screening room for an afternoon of indie films and conversation about filmmaking and technology, presented by the San Francisco Black Film Festival and YBCA.

Visit nexus-sfbay.com to explore what else is happening and to RSVP. We’ll see you there!

Image credits:
Nexus (MoAD) Global Groove Remix 2025 photo by Chloe Jackman Photography, courtesy of MoAD.
Photo of Dread Scott by Stephan Brigidi.
“The Lake Merritt Monster,” 2023” (still). Directed by Sara Anders and Written/Directed by Benjamin Mulholland.

At Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: The quiet power of GaHee Park’s surrealist paintings invites a closer look.Cats, coc...
09/08/2026

At Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: The quiet power of GaHee Park’s surrealist paintings invites a closer look.

Cats, cocktails, and floating fish populate Park’s fantastical scenes, where familiar moments become strange and unexpected. Subverting the viewer’s gaze while also troubling the traditional notion of subject, Park takes us to peek behind the curtain and consider: Who is looking at who?

Step inside her world in “GaHee Park: Behind the Curtain,” on view through January 3. → https://bit.ly/4eTEFpd

Photos by Charlie Villyard.

Artworks courtesy of Perrotin and Jessica Silverman.

As part of Free Wednesdays at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, we're presenting a series of intimate in-gallery performa...
08/27/2026

As part of Free Wednesdays at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, we're presenting a series of intimate in-gallery performances—live music from Bay Area bands, offering a sonic juxtaposition to the art on display.

🎵 Coming up on Sep 2, Cindy will perform surrounded by GaHee Park's surreal paintings of ambiguous introspection.
🎵 On Oct 7, DVT (Damani Rhodes, VADIA, and Tongo Eisen-Martin) will meld jazz, poetry, and soul, along with our upcoming exhibition of Dread Scott’s artwork.
🎵 On Nov 4, Ryli will bring their melodic yet melancholic sound to the work of GaHee Park.

Music begins each night promptly at 7. Seating limited, RSVP recommended. → https://bit.ly/4bHPQiJ

And be sure to stop by the Creativity Explored residency in YBCA’s Front Door Gallery for hands-on artmaking before each show.

Photos by Phillip Huante, Cinque Mubarak, Bobby Martinez, and Fiona Duong.

On view at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts beginning September 25: “Rael San Fratello: Prototypes and Provocations” is t...
08/26/2026

On view at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts beginning September 25: “Rael San Fratello: Prototypes and Provocations” is the most comprehensive presentation to date of the renowned Bay Area design studio. Working at the edge of experimental architecture and design, Rael San Fratello is known for disrupting the conventions of architecture by tackling topics such as homelessness and immigration, while also incorporating Indigenous craft techniques and sustainable practices.

Founded by Virginia San Fratello and Ronald Rael in 2002, this mid-career survey traces the evolution of their practice—from early experiments merging clothing and construction, to a series of bold projects centered on the U.S.-Mexico border, to their trailblazing work fusing 3D printing with traditional earthen materials.

Playful, restless, and provocative, the studio challenges us to imagine more equitable, adaptive, and humane ways of inhabiting the world.

“Rael San Fratello: Prototypes and Provocations” is organized by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and curated by René Morales.

Explore Rael San Fratello’s innovative designs → https://bit.ly/45OHlyA

Image credits:
Rael San Fratello, “Mud Frontiers," 2019. Courtesy of the artists.
Rael San Fratello, “Cochineal,” 2010. Courtesy of the artists and Emerging Objects.
Rael San Fratello, “Pink Teeter Totter,” 2019. Courtesy of the artists.
Rael San Fratello, R13 Puffer Jacket,” 2004. Courtesy of the artists.

Dread Scott’s work insists on the inseparability of art and radical social transformation. Opening September 25, “Dread ...
08/24/2026

Dread Scott’s work insists on the inseparability of art and radical social transformation.

Opening September 25, “Dread Scott: The Body Politic” is the most significant exhibition of his work to date, bringing together newly commissioned and existing works that explore the structures of power and examine American patriotism.

The exhibition presents recent work including epic body prints, a provocative performance piece, and a series of modified photographs of governmental seats of power. Drawing on the urgency of the present moment, Scott invites viewers to consider their own positions within the systems that his work lays bare.

Learn more about the show and plan your visit → https://bit.ly/4zyfZu2

“Dread Scott: The Body Politic” is organized by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and curated by René Morales.

Image credits:
Dread Scott, “Fight the Power,” 2023. Courtesy of the artist and Cristin Tierney Gallery.
Body printing photos by Jenny Gorman.
Dread Scott, “Obliterated Power (Supreme Court),” 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Cristin Tierney Gallery.
Photo of Dread Scott by Daniele Molajoli.

Sunday, August 23 is the final day for both “Diedrick Brackens: gather tender night” and “Conjuring Power: Roots & Futur...
08/21/2026

Sunday, August 23 is the final day for both “Diedrick Brackens: gather tender night” and “Conjuring Power: Roots & Futures of Q***r & Trans Movements.” Don’t miss your chance to see these visually stunning exhibitions!

Stop by this weekend: galleries open Fri–Sun 11a–5p → https://bit.ly/4m1waKf

Photos by Fiona Duong and Corey Marsau.

Address

701 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA
94103

Opening Hours

Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

+14159782700

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