Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is a multidisciplinary contemporary arts center in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena neighborhood that presents visual art, performance, film and community programs. The center is part of the city’s cultural institutions serving contemporary artists and public programs.

Galleries host rotating visual-art exhibitions while performance and event spaces are used for theater, dance, music and film programming; public talks and community projects are also part of the calendar. The center works with local and international artists and organizations to stage exhibitions and performances.

The center was established as part of the Yerba Buena redevelopment and opened to provide a civic arts venue for contemporary practices; it has expanded programming over subsequent decades. It operates year-round with a published schedule of exhibitions, screenings and live events.

The center sits downtown adjacent to Yerba Buena Gardens and the Moscone convention complex, within walking distance of Market Street and other central San Francisco transit hubs.

• Admission and booking: Admission policies vary by program; visual-art galleries sometimes offer free entry while performances typically require tickets purchased in advance.

What to See #

• Galleries: Exhibition galleries - Rotating contemporary visual-art exhibitions occupy gallery spaces used for solo and group shows by regional and international artists.
• Performance spaces: Performance and event spaces - The center programs theater, dance, film and community events that are scheduled seasonally; check the center's calendar for ticketing and times.