San Francisco Art Dealers Assn

What San Francisco Art Dealers Assn does

The San Francisco Art Dealers Association (SFADA) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1972 to promote connoisseurship, scholarship, and ethical practice among exhibiting art galleries in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization represents over 50 member galleries across full, associate emeritus, and associate emerging membership tiers, with membership granted by invitation only. SFADA is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Grace Lloyd (Anthony Meier) and executed operationally by Executive Director Steve Zavattero; the founder was Ruth Braunstein, a prominent San Francisco art dealer.

SFADA's core offerings consist of organizational and informational services rather than technology products. These include professional development panels, curator-led museum tours, private receptions for incoming directors of SFMOMA, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and YBCA, an online exhibition calendar, a member gallery directory on sfada.com, and a resource portal with appraisal, insurance, grant, and art fair referrals. Marketing channels are limited to the website, an Instagram account (@sfartdealers), and a quarterly email newsletter.

Revenue is generated through recurring membership dues from exhibiting galleries, the only disclosed revenue stream. The association does not publish financial statements, employs between 1 and 10 people, and currently lists the firstthursdayart.com domain for sale as a supplementary fundraising measure. Strategic partners include San Francisco Travel (sponsor) and member-gallery collaborations such as Traywick Contemporary's project with Point Reyes National Seashore Association.

Name

San Francisco Art Dealers Assn

Legal name

San Francisco Art Dealers Association

Website

https://sfada.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SFADA is a non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1972, serving over 50 Bay Area art galleries with membership-based professional development, curator networking, exhibition listings, and member resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: SFADA operates as a business-to-business trade association funded through membership dues from exhibiting art galleries in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SFADA is a non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association that delivers membership services to exhibiting art galleries in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its core offerings include access to a professional network of gallery owners, curator introductions via private receptions and museum tours, educational panels on best business practices, an online member gallery directory, and exhibition and event listings promoted through the sfada.com website and a quarterly newsletter.

Product overview

SFADA (San Francisco Art Dealers Association) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) business-to-business trade association founded in 1972, serving member art galleries in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization offers membership services including professional development, curator networking opportunities, gallery tours, and educational panels. It maintains an online exhibition calendar featuring member gallery exhibitions and manages resources including art appraisal referrals, insurance contacts, grant information, and art fair listings. SFADA is currently selling the firstthursdayart.com domain. The association does not operate a technology product platform; its offerings are organizational and informational services for the art gallery community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SFADA Membership Services Business-to-business trade association membership providing professional development, curator connections, gallery networking, and member-only resources for San Francisco Bay Area art galleries.
• Exhibition & Event Listings Online exhibition calendar and event listings showcasing member gallery exhibitions and art walks across the Bay Area.
• Art Professional Resources Resource portal providing art appraisal referrals, insurance contacts, grant information, MFA program listings, and art fair information for members.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• San Francisco TravelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSan Francisco Travel is listed as a sponsor on SFADA's resources page. SFADA encourages members and visitors to use San Francisco Travel for other art events, itineraries, maps and promotions.
• Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaboration between artists Marchand & Sobsey at Traywick Contemporary and PRNSA extends the 'This Earthen Door' exhibition to California, where a new piece is planned using native and invasive plants to draw attention to conservation efforts.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• National Association of Women Artists (NAWA): NAWA is a national membership organization for women artists offering exhibitions and professional development. Shares the non-profit art membership model with SFADA but serves individual artists rather than galleries, and is national rather than regional in scope.
• Seattle Art Dealers Association (SADA): SADA is a regional trade association for art galleries in the Pacific Northwest, providing member listings and exhibition programming. Functions as a direct regional peer in the broader West Coast art market ecosystem alongside SFADA.
• Dallas Art Dealers Association (DADA): DADA is a regional trade association for art galleries in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, operating a similar member-directory and exhibition-listing model to SFADA but in a different geographic market. Comparable as a regional association peer.

Emerging players

• ArtTable: ArtTable is a national non-profit organization advancing leadership in the visual arts, with member programming for art professionals. Overlaps with SFADA's professional-development mission and shares a non-profit association model, though focused on individual professionals rather than galleries.

Others

• Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD): AAMD is a membership organization for art museum directors globally, focused on standards and professional practice. Adjacent to SFADA's curator-engagement programming and shares the non-profit trade-association model, though its members are museums rather than galleries.

Direct peers

• Chicago Art Dealers Association (CADA): CADA is a regional trade association for art galleries in Chicago with a similar structure: membership directory, exhibition listings, and networking programs. Operates as a regional peer with near-identical mission and member services to SFADA.
• Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA): The ADAA is the national umbrella trade association for art dealers in the U.S., offering the same core value proposition (membership services, professional development, fair programming, and advocacy) that SFADA provides at the regional level. Most comparable as a like-for-like association model.
• Boston Art Dealers Association (BADA): BADA is another U.S. regional art dealers trade association offering member galleries, exhibitions listings, and educational programming. Closely mirrors SFADA's regional association model with comparable member-services portfolio.
• New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA): NADA is a non-profit membership organization of art professionals focused on contemporary art, running art fairs and member programming. Comparable to SFADA as a membership-based association serving galleries with fair and exhibition programming.
• Los Angeles Art Dealers Association (LADA): LADA serves as the regional trade association for art galleries in Los Angeles, providing member directories, exhibitions, and professional development. Functions as a regional peer in a larger art market than SF, providing a comparable institutional framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sfartdealers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-art-dealers-assn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Art Dealers Assn