This collection contains material covering graduation commencement ceremonies and Spring Show exhibitions at the San Francisco Art Institute (also known as the California School of Design from 1874-1916 and the California School of Fine Arts from 1916-1961) from the year 1915 up until the school’s closing in 2022. Early material consists mainly of photographs and documentation of the graduate exhibitions. Later materials also document the commencement ceremonies, and include programs, material related to honorary degree recipients, and invitations, as well as exhibition documentation and promotional materials.

The San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) was a private fine arts college dating back to 1874 when the San Francisco Art Association, an organization founded in 1871 to promote and exhibit local artists, first began offering art classes to the public. The school was known as the California School of Design from 1874 through 1916, and the California School of Fine Arts from 1916 through 1961, when it became the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI). SFAI closed permanently in 2022.

6 boxes, 77 folders, 2.5 linear feet

Contact the San Francisco Art Institute Legacy Foundation + Archive for questions or requests regarding use of these materials.

The collection is open for research use.