The 2025 San Francisco Art Fair Elevated Creativity, Equity And Community Connection – Essence

From April 17–20, the 13th edition of the San Francisco Art Fair brought an electric pulse to the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, drawing over 22,000 attendees from across California and beyond. With 88 galleries and 45 partners participating, this year’s event celebrated the Bay Area’s creative spirit through dynamic exhibitions, inclusive programming, and a deepened commitment to community building.

Organized by Art Market Productions, a division of a21, the fair launched with a vibrant VIP preview attended by more than 4,500 guests. Collectors, curators, artists, and the like gathered to take in work that would define the weekend. Local favorites such as pt.2 Gallery, Jessica Silverman, and Micki Meng offered standout presentations, while first-time exhibitors including Anthony Meier and MADSEN made bold statements with programming that uplifted regional talent. Sales reports showed significant activity at all levels—from $500 locally-made paintings to a $45,000 Clare Rojas piece sold by Jessica Silverman Gallery—indicating both healthy collector engagement and alignment with trends highlighted in the 2025 Art Basel x UBS Art Market Report.

Beyond sales, the heartbeat of this year’s fair was in its programming. Panels, performances, and public art projects emphasized how art intersects with justice, identity, and local traditions. One of the most powerful moments came during Saturday’s “Art and Impact in the East Bay” panel, where artist and cultural strategist Favianna Rodriguez underscored the urgency of a purpose-driven practice.

“I really believe in the power of the arts,” Rodriguez said. “If we think about artists throughout history—Nina Simone, Frida Kahlo, James Baldwin—they helped change the way we think. At this moment, it’s important for artists to think about what you really care about. Whether it’s the environment or women’s reproductive rights, or it’s caring about LGBTQ, or your healthcare, we need artists to show us what’s possible.”

That forward-looking mindset continued into Sunday’s panel on Nexus SF/Bay Area Black Art Week, a rapidly growing platform organized by the Museum of the African Diaspora to highlight the work of Black artists across San Francisco and Oakland. With its second edition on the horizon, Nexus is gaining momentum as both a celebration and a call to action—aimed at deepening visibility for Black visionaries.

Moderated by Abram Jackson, the panel featured powerful voices including MoAD’s CEO Monetta White, artists Lava Thomas and George McCalman, and gallerist Jonathan Carver Moore. Together, they unpacked the dual need for representation and infrastructure, citing Nexus as a bridge—not only between artists, but between past and future. With the museum’s 20th anniversary on the horizon, and the forthcoming exhibition UNBOUND: Art, Blackness, & the Universe, the energy around Nexus felt expansive and affirming.

“This year at the San Francisco Art Fair, it was important for us at Art Market Productions to create real spaces for connection — especially for the Black creative community that’s such a vital part of the Bay Area’s art scene,” said Art Fair Director Kelly Freeman. “Through NEXUS and the Black Brunch Club, we were able to bring artists, collectors, and supporters together in a way that felt personal, meaningful, and celebratory. It’s gatherings like these that remind us why collaboration matters in the arts — and why it’s so important to keep amplifying the voices that shape the future of The Bay.”

The Black Brunch Club, held in the fair’s Collector’s Lounge, closed out SFAF 2025, but it was less a final act than it was a celebration. It served as a reminder that Black creativity isn’t just an aesthetic—it’s a lineage, a lifeline, and a lens for the future.

Other standout sessions during the fair included a block-printing workshop by the Museum of Craft and Design, Marc Horowitz’s satirical lecture on absurdist art history, and a moving panel on motherhood and artistic practice featuring Silverman and artists Rupy C. Tut and Libby Black. On Friday, a well-attended talk on “Investing in Black Art for the Home” addressed how collecting can be both an act of preservation and personal transformation. That same evening, a private reception was held at The Jay, Autograph Collection, where guests enjoyed music paired with wine from The Donum Estate. The gathering was organized to raise awareness for Further Triennial, a new platform launching in Spring 2027 that will celebrate visual art across Northern California.

Throughout the weekend, public projects like the one by San Francisco nonprofit Creativity Explored offered interactive entry points for newcomers and seasoned collectors alike. Meanwhile, organizations like the Berkeley Art Museum and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts emphasized institutional collaboration and cross-regional storytelling.

“This year’s fair affirmed what we’ve always known – that the Bay Area has a resilient and deeply engaged arts community,” Freeman said in a statement. “The enthusiasm in the Pavilion was electric – from the quality of the works presented to the meaningful conversations happening across booths and programming. We are proud to provide a platform that uplifts this creative ecosystem and invites important voices into the fold.”