Artists-in-Residence

Art taught by working artists.

Sculptor Ruth Asawa believed fiercely that art can only be taught by working artists. As the founder of the Alvarado School Art Workshop (the predecessor of the San Francisco Arts Education Project), she put that tenet into practice by becoming the organization’s inaugural resident artist teacher way back in 1968.

Today, with dozens of visual and performing artists mentoring children in more than twenty public schools under the auspices of SFArtsED, the artist-in-residency program remains the cornerstone of our organization.

Nationally recognized.

Our nationally recognized program is designed to enhance the San Francisco Unified School District’s own VAPA (Visual Arts and Performing Arts Learning) standards, and to support its noble mission to “revitalize the education of our young citizens by capturing the diverse cultural and artistic energy of a city that is internationally renowned for its love of the arts.”

Engaging and ever-evolving.

Our career artists are culled from a rich array of practices—painting, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, drumming, singing, acting, and more—and work closely with school educators to develop engaging and ever-evolving curricula that integrate language arts, social studies, critical thinking, and problem solving.

The result?

A more well-rounded student who feels comfortable and confident approaching complex information from multiple perspectives—and is thus better prepared for the particular opportunities and challenges of the 21st century.

How can you bring
art into your school?