Art Galleries in San Francisco serving Bernal Heights, Cow Hollow, Diamond Heights, Duboce Triangle, Eureka Valley, Fisherman's Wharf, Haight-Ashbury, Hayes Valley, Inner Sunset, Japantown, Laurel Heights, Marina District, Mission District, Nob Hill, Noe Valley, North Beach, Outer Sunset, Pacific Heights, Presidio, Rincon Hill, Russian Hill, San Francisco, Sea Cliff, Sunset District, Telegraph Hill, Treasure Island, Twin Peaks and Western Addition

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Find the Best Art Galleries, Art Dealers & Art Consultants in San Francisco, CA

San Francisco has a lively artistic community that produces a great range of first edition pieces, as well as print galleries and dealers who showcase the various artistic mediums. Enhance your empty walls with beautiful artwork by visiting one of these San Francisco galleries or art brokers. The following articles can help you tap into the local art climate and find a San Francisco art consultant or art dealer to provide the best artwork to suit your eye. more »

Find the Best Art Galleries, Art Dealers & Art Consultants in San Francisco, CA 

Developing an art collection is a journey that can take a large amount of time, energy, and money. Finding an art gallery that fits your tastes can take some time, as San Francisco galleries vary widely in the type of art they specialize in and the prices they ask. Art is subjective. One man's masterpiece is another's garage sale item. The Prime Buyer's Report can help you by suggesting a few things to consider when buying art from art galleries in San Francisco .

Art Galleries Can Procure any Desired Works
To find the best art gallery to match your preferences, be aware of the various certifications that art galleries may have for their pieces. In San Francisco art galleries offer many services including art education, artist studio visits, art literature consultation (catalogues, etc.), and curatorial advice. When expanding on or beginning to develop a collection, art galleries may have local art brokers or art dealers able to assist you in art consultation, private collections, corporate collections, and investment collections. If interested in representing a theme in your home or place of business, art galleries in San Francisco can consult on commissioned paintings, sculptures, framing, or murals. When you have that impressive piece that needs the finishing touch for presentation, art galleries often offer all sorts of framing consultation, custom framing, commission framing, and installation of artwork.

If you have a masterpiece that has some damage, many art dealers offer art restoration services including paint repair, canvas and pigment replacement, varnish removal, stretcher repair, canvas rejuvenation, frame repair, carving repair, recasting, gold leaf cleaning, gold leaf application, mold removal, stain removal, tear repair, hole repair, and encapsulation repair. Trained eyes can perform structural analysis and other evaluations with the human eye, x-rays, scanners, using microscopes, pigment cross-sections, and other methods. If moving your entire collection, or just your latest acquisition, San Francisco art consultants can also arrange art transportation or shipping. For the active art connoisseur, some art galleries offer art gallery rental for private parties, artist representation, art workshops, sketching workshops, painting, sculpture and craft workshops, resource rooms, family days, and guest speakers.

Art Galleries Have Broad Expertise
The art galleries and art dealers in San Francisco specialize in the many types of art, including fine art, contemporary art, digital art, and many others. Other types of painting, including vase paintings, portraits, etc. can be found at these galleries. The collections of art galleries and the experience of art dealers extend to drawings, prints, sculptures, photography, ceramics, and nearly any other medium imaginable. Art galleries and art dealers can also specialize in clay and glazed ceramics, portraits, marble or stone sculpture. The broad range of styles extends to contemporary art, abstract art, African tribal art, Australian Aboriginal art, modern art, postmodern art, fabric design, landscapes, nature or wilderness photography, seascapes, and oceanscapes.

There are Many Choices of Art Galleries
In order to simplify your search The Prime Buyer's Report lists the top 10 art galleries in San Francisco as The Canvas Gallery & Cafe, Minna Street Gallery, Galeria De La Raza, Bucheon Gallery, Shooting Gallery, Art Institutes-California, New Langton Arts, Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco Museum-Craft, Stephen Wirtz Gallery. Other respected local art galleries include Southern Exposure Gallery, Rena Bransten Gallery.

Art Galleries & Art Dealers in May be Good, But it Pays to Check
It is best to investigate art galleries and art consultants before calling. Go to agency Web sites that show art galleries that are considered to be authorities on your chosen medium as well as art companies that are less well known—popularity doesn't have to have a direct bearing on your artistic inclinations. For more information and a full list of associations and media, see "Key Resources for Art Galleries in San Francisco ".

 

 

Interview an Art Dealer and Visit Galleries Before Deciding 

Step 1: Find the Right Fit
Before the interview, be prepared with at least a rough idea of what you looking for. Galleries can be specialized, so make sure the dealer or gallery can offer something to fit your taste. Whether you want a piece to fill a wall space, need a sculpture for the corner of a room, or a few items to continue a theme, be thorough and consistent in the way that you present information. The extent of the dealer's specific artists and artwork in San Francisco can be narrow or broad, so make sure you are very exact in outlining your requirements. If you need assistance with repairing or refurbishing a piece, transporting artwork, or art consultation, outline your requirements and preferences in detail.

Step 2: Ask & Answer Questions (& Take Notes!)
Take notes, not just on the answers to questions, but also how you feel about the specific art dealer.

• What types of artwork do you specialize in?
• How much experience do you have selling art?
• How long have you been in the art trade in San Francisco ?
• What is your educational background?
• Which certifications do you hold?
• Do you offer art consultation?
• What other services do you offer?
• Do you sell art at auction or retail?
• Can you guarantee all work that I buy is original?
• Will you offer framing?
• How many artists are represented here?
• Are all pieces accompanied by a valid Certificate of Authenticity (COA)?
• Are you a member of a professional art dealer's organization?
• Will you provide a Transfer of Original Artwork if I choose to buy?
• Do you visit clients? (For placement advice.)
• Do you have references that I may contact?
• Do you have further suggestions for artwork I might be interested in?

You'll learn a lot by the how each art dealer responds and by the questions each art dealer or art consultant asks. Take note of what concerns each gallery owner, art dealer, or art consultant has about your prospective purchase. How detailed and thorough are the questions? Does it seem as if they want to merely unload a piece or are they genuinely concerned for your investment? You'll want your art gallery to be as invested in your purchase as you are.

Step 3: Buyer Beware
The sale of art has historically proven to be a very lucrative field. There are many things to consider before purchasing a piece and to avoid being misled. Estimates can be the product of wishful thinking by the artist, dealer, or seller. Review your notes and weigh the art galleries' abilities against your priorities. Which comes closest to a perfect match? Which do you personally feel the most comfortable dealing with? Which do you trust?

Step 4 : Making the Final Decision
Once you've found the perfect piece, it's time to close the deal with San Francisco art gallery. Call and ask any final questions and then ask for your representative to provide a written and signed contract for the sale, commission or consignment of the artwork.

 

 

Key Resources for Art Galleries Around San Francisco  

Associations & Licensing
Art Association (www.artassociation.org)
AAH Association for Art History (www.indiana.edu/~aah)
AAM American Association of Museums (www.aam-us.org)
AAMD Association of Art Museum Directors (www.aamd.org)
ACLA American Council of Learned Societies (www.acls.org)
ADAA Art Dealers Association of America (www.artdealers.org)
ARIAH Association of Research Institutes in Art History (www.ariah.info)
ARLIS Art Libraries Society (www.arlisna.org)
APA Art Publishers Association (http://apa.pmai.org)
BBB The Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org)
CAA College Art Association (www.collegeart.org)
CAC California Arts Council (www.cac.ca.gov)
CAEA California Art Education Association (www.caea-arteducation.org)
Diamond Certified (www.diamondcertified.org)
DCA California Department of Consumer Affairs (www.dca.ca.gov)
FAA Fine Arts Association (www.fineartsassociation.org)
FADA Fine Art Dealers Association (www.fada.org)
Metropolitan Museum of Art (www.metmuseum.org)
MOMA Museum of Modern Art (www.moma.org)
NAAO National Association of Artists Organizations (www.naao.net)
NGA National Gallery of Art (www.nga.gov)
LAPADA The Association of Art & Antique Dealers (www.lapada.org)
PADA The Private Art Dealers Association (www.pada.net)
SFADA San Francisco Art Dealers Association (www.sfada.com)

Media & Web Resources
www.absolutearts.com
www.art.net
www.artcnet.com
www.artcritiquegallery.com
www.artforum.com
www.artistresource.org
www.artnewsblog.com
www.artnewsonline.com
www.artphotogallery.org
www.galleryguru.com
www.galleryguide.org

Art Visionary Magazine
ArtisSprectrum Magazine
Artnet Magazine
Coagula Contemporary Art Magazine
Contemporary Art Gallery Magazine
Frieze Magazine
Gallery Guide Magazine
IT'S ART Magazine
Juxtapoz Art and Culture Magazine
Paint Magazine Quarterly

If you enjoy fine art The Prime Buyer's Report provides information for the top 10 art galleries and art dealers in San Francisco within the following zip codes.

94101, 94102, 94103, 94104, 94105, 94107, 94108, 94109, 94110, 94111, 94112, 94114, 94115, 94116, 94117, 94118, 94119, 94120, 94121, 94122, 94123, 94124, 94125, 94126, 94127, 94129, 94130, 94131, 94132, 94133, 94134, 94140, 94141, 94142, 94146, 94147, 94157, 94158, 94159, 94164, 94165, 94166, 94167, 94168, 94169, 94170, 94172 and 94188

The Prime Buyer's Report provides information for the top 10 art galleries and art dealers in San Francisco within the following cities.

Bernal Heights, Cow Hollow, Diamond Heights, Duboce Triangle, Eureka Valley, Fisherman's Wharf, Haight-Ashbury, Hayes Valley, Inner Sunset, Japantown, Laurel Heights, Marina District, Mission District, Nob Hill, Noe Valley, North Beach, Outer Sunset, Pacific Heights, Presidio, Rincon Hill, Russian Hill, San Francisco, Sea Cliff, Sunset District, Telegraph Hill, Treasure Island, Twin Peaks and Western Addition

 

 

Top 10 Tips for an Art Purchase in San Francisco 

Take Time Choosing Your Art Dealer.
Don't hire the first art dealer that you contact. If you take a little time up front to properly outline the job and hire San Francisco gallery that's right for you, you're less likely to be disappointed.

Understand the Art World.
Like any other purchase, the better you understand the industry from which the product comes, the better chance you have of making a wise purchase. You'll do better in assessing which are the best art dealers and art galleries in San Francisco if you understand the players in the industry and what to look for in a work of art. Authenticity, condition, quality, rarity, provenance, history, value, and investment wisdom are all criteria to consider. Also pertinent are the types of dealers: primary market, secondary market, public galleries, private dealers, art consultants, and artists all sell artwork. After doing some research, you can better judge which art dealer will fulfill your needs the best.

Have the Work Examined.
It can be exciting to find that piece that seems to be exactly what you're looking for. Remember that even with art, things can be too good to be true. Have a trusted dealer (other than the one you are purchasing from) or restoration expert examine the work to validate its authenticity and condition.

Know Your Art Dealer's Area of Expertise.
It seems that the number of artistic categories is endless. It is important to find San Francisco dealer or gallery experienced in the type of art you are interested in. While some dealers may be educated and experienced in more than one type of art, it may be more beneficial to purchase from an expert in a single field. Ask questions about each art dealer's educational background to see if he or she is right for you.

Ask if Your Art Dealer Will Bid at Auction.
Art consultants and art dealers in San Francisco can advise you on the appropriate value for a piece, but some are experienced auction-house experts that can deduce information from the atmosphere of the auction. This will ensure that your purchase is not only a smart move, but that the value is market-correct.

Seek out Certified Excellence.
Some art dealers have earned recognition for their exceptional attention to customer satisfaction. Art dealers that have earned Diamond Certified status or other impressive acclaim are much more likely to go above and beyond for each customer.

Maintain Constant Contact.
Working with an art gallery or an art dealer is a partnership, so communication is essential. When it comes to your collection, you must stay informed about every detail. Don't jump to conclusions and be sure to ask when you have even the simplest question about your artwork purchase. It's your money and you have a right to know.

Establish Trust.
Over time, your art dealer will gain intimate knowledge of your buying habits, financial situation, and other details. Don't entrust this information to just anyone. You can easily find yourself in a very vulnerable position, so make sure you hire someone you trust. Don't just ask around - perform background checks as well.

Know Your Rights.
Consumers have special rights depending on where they live. You're dealing with art professionals in San Francisco , so check out the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

Make Sure Your Art Dealer Has Your Best Interest in Mind.
If your art dealer seems disinterested or glosses over key issues, don't work with them! An art dealer should be as dedicated to your financial well-being as you are. If this is ever in question, the art dealer is not the one for you.