With support from the California Arts Council, Root Division will provide free, high-quality visual arts education to over 1,000 San Francisco youth. We will recruit, train, and place 20 Studio Artists and Fellows to teach at 8 after-school partner sites, reaching low-income, BIPOC, immigrant, and English-Language Learner students in the Mission, SOMA, and Tenderloin neighborhoods. These artist-educators will deliver culturally responsive, hands-on art classes that foster creative expression, build confidence, and strengthen community connection.
Root Division’s ecosystem includes 4 interconnected programs: In our unique incubator Studios Program we offer discounted space to artists who each volunteer 8 hours of service per month. Artists spend this time teaching free art classes in the Youth Education Program, instructing courses in the Adult Education Program, and/or supporting the Exhibitions & Events Program. We link various interests & audiences in a mutually beneficial relationship making art, artists & arts education more accessible while cultivating artists who give back.
Since 2002, Root Division has provided 290+ artists with studios; empowered 480 artists to teach; provided 8,000+ hours of free art classes for neighborhood youth; hosted adult art classes for 4,400 students; exhibited 4,700+ artists; been a gathering place for 75,000 visitors to meet artists & see artwork; sold over $1.27M of emerging artwork; & developed partnerships with two-dozen public schools/ community centers & 180 local businesses.

