The San Francisco Open Studios is a four weekend citywide event with hundreds of artists opening their studios to the public. When I was down the coast from San Francisco, I made it up for the tour several times, but only went to those at Hunter's Point. That's because I'm a first-class wimp when it comes to navigating the City by the Bay. It's a one-way town and I get dizzy when I go around in circles.
I have no regrets, though, because the open studios at Hunter's Point are a worthy destination in and of themselves. There are several multifloor buildings full of artists working in every medium, style, and mindset you can (or cannot) imagine, and you only have to park your car one time to see them all. Just be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes and allow a full day to cover the territory.
Fort Mason is another park-once visit-many site. And this venue offers beautiful views of the Bay and surrounding areas. There are clusters of studios all over the city and a person who knows the town will have no trouble working out a plan to visit some of them and take in lunch in one of San Francisco's many nice neighborhood cafes. Note that this entire tour is free of charge. Published Tour Guides are distributed widely throughout the city and in the Wednesday editions of the San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper.
Here's the lineup:
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October 11 & 12: Buena Vista, Diamond Heights, Fort Mason, Haight, Hayes Valley, Marina, Mount Davidson, Pacific Heights, Richmond, Sunset, Twin Peaks, West Portal
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October 18 & 19: Bernal Heights, Castro, Duboce, Eureka Valley, Glen Park, Mission, Noe Valley, Portola
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October 25 & 26: Financial District, North Beach, Potrero Hill, Russian Hill, SOMA, Tenderloin, Bayview, Excelsior
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November 1 & 2: Hunters Point Shipyard
Hunter's Point info and directions
Fort Mason info and directions
