CCA’s numerous campus galleries present audiences with work by students, faculty, and acclaimed artists visiting from around the globe.

Overview

Contemporary art shows in the Bay Area

Connecting pedagogy and community

CCA’s galleries support an incredible range of events and exhibitions that highlight work by students, faculty, staff, and visiting artists. They serve as a living laboratory where students can expand their practice and bring ideas to life. We host exhibition openings, book signings, town hall–style discussions, lectures, and more. Come experience art, design, architecture, and writing happening at CCA; engage in contemporary art discussions; and witness the dynamic work of influential visiting artists, including Wattis Institute’s Capp Street Project artist in residence.

Exterior view of front of Campus Gallery

CCA Campus Gallery in Blattner Hall.

Campus Gallery in Blattner Hall

Visit our versatile new gallery to experience the latest in contemporary art and ideas, right in the heart of San Francisco’s design district. Located on the ground floor of Blattner Hall, the Campus Gallery invites visitors and the surrounding community to delight in and explore cutting-edge, interdisciplinary work.

Location details

Address

1480 17th Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

Hours and admission

Free and open to the public.

Hours: Wednesday 11am–7 pm, Thursday–Friday 11 am–4 pm, and by appointment.

Parking

Limited parking with a four-hour time limit is available along streets adjacent to the gallery.

Accessibility

The CCA Campus Gallery is wheelchair accessible. Please email accessibility questions to [email protected].

Contact

The Exhibitions and Public Programs offices are located in the CCA Campus Gallery at 17th Street.

Opportunities

For information regarding proposals, responsibilities, floorplans, installation guidelines, and more at the CCA Campus Gallery, view the exhibitions opportunities page.

PLAySPACE

Graduate student–run programming

A student tapes up a light-blue background against a concrete wall in front of a colorful assemblage installation.

CURP students and artists installing the plaYplaYplaY exhibition.

Oriented toward the academic community

PLAySPACE, an acronym for the Paulette Long and Shepard Pollack Art Community Experiment, is an interdisciplinary space of exhibitions-related experimentation and practical learning for CCA graduate students. Student artists and curators have the freedom and opportunity to conceptualize and produce experimental programming while gaining professional development experience.

Location details

Address

1111 Eighth Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

The PLAySPACE Gallery is located within CCA’s Main Building at 1111 Eighth Street. The gallery is down the end of the Nave adjacent to the Hooper Public Safety Desk.

Hours and admission

CCA’s campus is open Monday through Friday, 6 am–midnight, and Saturday and Sunday, 8 am–10 pm.

Parking

Limited parking with a four-hour time limit is available along streets adjacent to the CCA campus.

Accessibility

PLAySPACE Gallery is wheelchair accessible. Please email accessibility questions to [email protected].

Contact

Opportunities

In spring 2024, PLAySPACE Gallery will host up to four two-week-long pop-up exhibitions, each directed by chosen applicants from the entire CCA student population (graduate and undergraduate). Selected applicants will receive up to $200 in material support for their project, and gain access to tools, equipment and mentorship from CCA Exhibitions. With hands-on assistance from CCA Exhibitions, selected applicants will be in charge of scheduling the workflow for their exhibition period, leading the installation and deinstallation of their exhibition, setting up for events or activations, as well as promoting their exhibition and events.

We are looking for collaborations or projects that include works by more than one student. Examples include group exhibitions, presentations of work by studios or student clubs, collaborative large-scale installations, performative activations, series of readings, presentations or performances, series of micro exhibitions, experimental work, and more. Multidisciplinary teams that include students from more than one program are highly encouraged to apply. Contact [email protected] with specific questions. Apply by December 4, 2023.

CCA Wattis Institute

A nonprofit exhibition venue and research institute

Exterior street view of Wattis Institute.

The CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art at 360 Kansas Street.

Discover art discourses of today

CCA established the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts in 1998 as a forum for the discussion and presentation of leading-edge art and culture. The Wattis Institute works with artists in two distinct ways: as an exhibition space and a research institute. It also collaborates with students and faculty members in multidisciplinary programs at CCA, including the Fine Arts and Visual and Critical Studies graduate programs.

Location details

Address

360 Kansas Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Hours and admission

The Wattis Institute is open to the public Wednesday–Saturday, 12–6 pm

Please be advised that you will be required to show your vaccination card (or QR code) or a negative Covid test from the past three days to enter the galleries. Masks are encouraged.

Parking and public transportation

Street parking is available, and a parking garage is across the street from the gallery. The following public transportation routes are available:

  • Bus 22 (to 16th and Kansas)
  • Bus 19 or 10 (to 16th and Rhode Island)
  • BART (to 16th and Mission, then transfer to Bus 22 toward Potrero Hill)

Accessibility

The Wattis is accessible to all visitors.

Contact

Campus Map

Easy access to contemporary art

Find your way

Our galleries cover the breadth of our campus and are all within walking distance. Located in Blattner Hall, the Campus Gallery faces Jackson Park on 17th Street. Just a few blocks to the northwest, visitors will find the Wattis Institute. PLAySPACE is located in the heart of campus at 1111 Eighth Street.

Find what’s next in our calendar of exhibitions and events

View schedule