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Museum of Craft and Design: What to Expect When You Visit this Art Museum in San Francisco
by Jill Loeffler •
Updated: January 17, 2023
The San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design is a non-collective in the historic Dogpatch neighborhood. This SF attraction originally opened in 2004 in the Union Square district.
From the spring of 2010 until the spring of 2013, it offered only pop-up exhibits. Now, they have a permanent home for their traveling displays. They are located in the American Industrial Center.
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The Museum of Craft and Design is the only museum dedicated to both craft and design. Their space is small, but houses two to four temporary exhibits at all times. As a non-collective, they do not offer a permanent collection.
They work closely with local artists and other organizations to offer the public an amazing array of interesting exhibits featuring craft and design.
The pieces shown here are modern and often use a variety of materials. They use items that range from wood to wire. Each piece is unique and unlike anything you will see in other art museums in San Francisco.
Here are a few pictures from my last visit.
Both of these pictures display the works from Michael Cooper, a local Bay Area artist. They are part of his 'A Sculptural Odyssey' exhibit. This display showcases his life's work. He created them over the last four decades.
This is another interesting exhibit that was on display during my last visit.
Both of the pictures above are from an exhibit called Creatures From The Deep by Arline Fisch. She is a renowned jewelry artist that used crocheted cooper wire to create this colorful display.
Other Previous Exhibits and Artists
The Museum of Craft and Design does an amazing job of attracting top artists. Some of their previous exhibits include:
- Marianne Lettieri: Reflections
- Wendy Maruyama: The Wildlife Project
- Felt Decoded | Wool: Nature's Technology
Gift Shop
In addition to the museum space, there is also a large gift shop near the entrance. Several unique items from small, local artists are for sale here.
You will also find several books and other craft-related materials on sale.
Visiting The Museum
A visit to the Museum of Craft and Design will take about an hour or two, depending on the exhibits on display during your visit. Even though the space is small, you can spend quite a bit of time soaking in the intricate details of each piece on display.
Hours
- Wednesday - Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
- Sunday: 12 pm - 5 pm
- Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Also closed on Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.
Ticketing Information for the Museum of Craft and Design
You can purchase tickets either in person or online (up to 60 days in advance) for the Museum of Craft and Design. Here are their current prices:
- $10 for General Admission
- $8 for Students with ID
- $8 for Seniors (65 and older)
- Free for children 12 and under
- Free for all active duty military, first responders, and their families
- Every Wednesday is Pay What You Can Wednesday. You can pay anything you can afford on this day.
- As part of SF Museums for All programs, visitors who are part of Medi-Cal or Cal Fresh programs can get 4 free passes each visit.
They are a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (also known as NARM or ROAM). Show your card when you arrive for free admission to the museum.
If you aren't familiar with this program and love museums, you might want to check it out. You purchase one membership to receive admission to almost 1,000 arts, history, children's, and other institutions around the world. Most are located in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
In addition, the Museum of Craft and Design is also a Blue Star Member. This means all active duty military and their families will receive free admission between Memorial and Labor Day Weekends. Just show your military ID upon arrival for free admission.
How to Get Here
The museum is at 2569 Third Street. Here is a map showing its location in relation to Union Square.
From Union Square
The easiest way to get here from Union Square is to take the light rail train. The K & T trains both drop off right in front of the building.
You can pick them both up at the underground station at Powell and 5th Streets. Take the inbound train to the 22nd Street station.
From Fisherman's Wharf
If you are coming from Fisherman's Wharf, you will need to take the F Streetcar to the stop at Market and Drumm. From here, head to the underground MUNI station to catch the inbound K or T train. Take this train to the 22nd Street station.
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Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
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