This collection consists of student publications–including student newspapers, newsletters, literary magazines, and other publications–that were produced at the San Francisco Art Institute (also known from 1916 through 1961 as the California School of Fine Arts.) Through articles, essays, original artwork, letters, interviews, news, fiction, poetry and more, these publications provide an in-depth look at the life of art students in San Francisco from many eras, as well as glimpses of the cultural, artistic, and literary history of Northern California. These holdings are particularly rich in their detailing of the Beat Era of San Francisco’s North Beach artistic and literary community in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the 1960s hippie scene, and the punk era of the 1970s and early 1980s.

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 as the California School of Fine Arts from 1916 through 1961, when it became the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI). Throughout its history, SFAI was known for its innovative and often experimental curriculum, and for its substantial influence on art and culture in the Bay Area and beyond. SFAI closed permanently in 2022.

3 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.