Save up to $1,322 on our trips! Limited spots. Book Now.

The Best Spots To Buy Affordable Art In San Francisco

Cover Photo: Unsplash
Cover Photo: Unsplash | © Pixabay

Have you been in search of some really fun art that you can buy in San Francisco without spending a ton of money? Well, then you will be quite happy with this Culture Trip List. Ranging from paintings and graphic design T-shirts to creative art that you can hang around your house, all the way to free literature that comes with a warm cup of coffee, you are guaranteed to find something that you like on this list!

Sunday Market at the Ferry Building

Building, Market

Interior of the Ferry Building Marketplace on the Embarcadero, San Francisco, California, USA, North America. Image shot 09/2019. Exact date unknown.
© Frank Fell / Alamy Stock Photo

Come on down to the Ferry Building on any Sunday morning and not only will you find a market with delicious food that you can buy, but you will also find booths set up where vendors sell their artistic crafts, and at affordable prices as well. The art that you will find here ranges from wood carvings with cool quotes on them to handmade necklaces and jewelry, to paintings and sculptures. Located right by the Farmers Market, it’s also in a great location to grab a bite to eat – or even take a nice Sunday trip to Sausalito afterward.

Art by the Beach

If you ever happen to be taking a stroll down the cement pathway near Lands End Beach in the Outer Richmond on the weekend, you will find little vendors set up and selling really cheap art that you can hang in your home, as well as handcrafted jewelry that you can wear. Ranging between five to ten dollars, it’s a deal you can’t beat. Plus, it’s a really great excuse to take the day off and go enjoy the beach or soak up some rays on a nice walk around Lands End.

Lands End, 680 Point Lobos Ave, San Francisco, CA, USA

Sutro Baths

Bread & Butter Café

Not only does Bread & Butter Café offer a nice, quiet spot to lounge and get some coffee and a bite to eat, but it also has a huge bookshelf full of really great literature and the best part is that they are all free! The owner of the store even lets anyone who likes a book take it home with them until they are finished reading it. It’s a café that meets a library, except with a fun atmosphere and great food, too! Located on the corner of Hayes and Ashbury, Bread & Butter Café is definitely worth checking out!

Bread & Butter Café, 1901 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA, USA

Free Books

Wonderland SF Gallery & Boutique

Art Gallery

Located in the Mission off of Valencia Street, Wonderland SF Gallery & Boutique is a perfect place if you are looking for some affordable art – especially if you are a tourist visiting San Francisco. Mostly just because the store has a lot of really interesting and artistic souvenirs that you can take home with you to remember the city of San Francisco by. It’s also a great a shop if you are looking for a simple gift for someone, considering that not only do they have souvenirs but they also have graphic designed clothing and art for sale as well.

Lost Art Salon

Art Gallery

Based in San Francisco, the Lost Art Salon is a place that focuses on featuring historically significant artists. They also curate collections of fine art that reflect the major styles and movements during the modern era. Located on Van Ness Avenue, this gallery features over 5,000 pieces of art that range from paintings and drawings to photographs and prints, from the 19th and 20th centuries, making it a unique and interesting experience over all.

Justin Barreras Art & Design

If you have been looking for some really authentic and beautiful art at a great price, then you will love Justin Barreras Art & Design. Located purely online, this San Francisco artist sells his art in the form of prints and t-shirts like the one in the photograph below. And not only that, but artist Justin Barreras has also been involved in a lot of great things already like the Liquid Agency Art Show in San Francisco in 2014 as well as a wall mural painting on the Berlin Wall – pretty cool!

Creativity Explored

Art Gallery

The stunning MaestraPeace mural on the exterior of The Womens Building in the Mission District of San Francisco, California.
© Felix Choo / Alamy Stock Photo
Not only does Creativity Explored offer affordable art, it is also entirely dedicated to artists with developmental disabilities who create, exhibit, and sell their art in their studios and galleries, as well as all around the world. Located at 16th Street and Guerrero, Creativity Explored offers a great chance for artists with developmental disabilities, as well as a great opportunity for anyone who is looking to get involved as a volunteer. And if you want to see any of the art that they currently sell, all you have to do is go to their online store!

Secrets of our City

Although Secrets of our City isn’t a physical store that you can go to, it is still a place where you can get really affordable art as well as the chance to get your work published as an artist. Created and run by someone in San Francisco, Secrets of our City started by featuring artists work from San Francisco and is now a registered publishing company that offers artists the option selling their artwork on their site, as well as the chance to have their art published in the magazine. And the art they have is very diverse, ranging from graphic art such as the Now You’re Cool store where you can buy paintings and graphic clothing all the way to Pacifica Gallery photography by Bay Area artist Bradley Wittke!

Rooftop Adventures
close-ad