Originally named Gallery Paule Anglim after its eponymous founder, this gallery has a long history in San Francisco. Paule founded the space in 1976 and became known for representing the California Beat artists and the Bay Area Conceptualists. The gallery is particularly strong in the work of female artists, including Clare Rojas, Catherine Wagner, Judith Linhares, and Lynn Hershman Leeson.
San Francisco has plenty of world-class art museums, from SFMOMA to the de Young, where visitors can take in masterpieces covering all disciplines, styles, and centuries. But the city is also bustling with smaller art galleries you can take in paintings and other works of art.
A decade ago, Bay Area art buyers would flock to Union Square, where exclusive galleries mingled with high-end boutiques. Not anymore. As gallerists have fled rising rents downtown, the resulting dispersal sparked an art resurgence in the Dogpatch, Potrero Flats, SoMA, and beyond. From international standbys to intriguing up-and-comers, and classical painters to cutting-edge video artists, the best art galleries in San Francisco run the gamut. If you're interested in checking out a more boutique art gallery experience and supporting a local business, here's where to start.
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