Planning Your Visit to Headlands

Trail to Headlands' Buildings 944 and 945 When should I visit? Visitors are welcome to explore Headlands' main building, Building 944, Monday - Friday, 10AM - 5PM, and Noon - 5PM on Sundays. We are closed on Saturdays. During our AIR season -- March through November -- there is an artist program with either dinner or café-style food for sale at least once a month. See the Upcoming Programs page for details. What will I see? Headlands' campus is home to historic artist-renovated military buildings and commissioned renovations by world-reknown artists such as Ann Hamilton and David Ireland. Many visitors come just to visit these renovated spaces for their architectural, artistic, and historical significance. If you'd like to to see a working artist's studio, visit during our AIR season to check out the Project Space studio on the 3rd floor of Building 944. Be sure to bring your camera -- depending on the season, you might also run into deer, a coyote, wild turkeys, or hawks. Is there a gallery at Headlands? Although there is no permanent gallery, Headlands hosts two exhibitions during the year. Front + Center (January - February) is an annual curated exhibition of 20-30 Bay Area artists selected from the applicant pool for Headlands residencies. The exhibition, largely comprised of local AIR program finalists, seeks to expand Headlands’ support of and call critical attention to noteworthy California artists. The Graduate Fellow Exhibition (May - June) is a showcase of work by Headlands' Graduate Fellows, a group of nominated artists who are recent graduates from Bay Area MFA programs, and who receive studio space at Headlands for one year. How can I see work that's made by Headlands artists? Do the AIRs have a final show? The studios of our AIRs, Affiliate Artists, and Graduate Fellows are closed to the public except during Open House, which happens three times a year. Open House dates for 2010 are April 18, July 11, and October 17. Open House is the best way to visit with our artists, and learn about the different ways that art can be created. Headlands values the development of new, innovative work and ideas of our artists. By not requiring our artists to showcase their work at the end of their residency, Headlands' AIRs are given the freedom to take risks and try new directions. In this way, Headlands reaffirms its commitment to supporting the artistic process. What is Headlands' connection to the National Park Service? Headlands Center for the Arts is inextricably linked to the National Park Service, both in its location, history, and current function. Incorporation took place in 1982 following an extensive planning process to transfer former military property to the National Park Service. Headlands is a Golden Gate National Recreation Area Park Partner, and is among a group of other nonprofits within the park responsible for fulfilling a mission within the community, and for the stewardship, maintenance, and preservation of the park’s historic buildings and their surrounding environment. What's the deal with dinners? Can I come to dinner any night I want? During our AIR season, Headlands has a full-time Chef on staff who cooks dinners for our artists 5 nights a week. These dinners are closed to the public. However, the public is invited to join us for dinner as part of certain Artist Programs. Opportunities to join for dinner can be found on the Upcoming Programs page. Is there a café at Headlands? During Open House and on Sunday program days, we open a Mess Hall Café from Noon - 4:30PM. Starting in August, this will be the 3rd Sunday of every month. All food is handmade by our Chef. I don't have a car. Can I get to Headlands by bus? Headlands is reachable by bus from San Francisco on Sundays, when the MUNI 76 operates in the Marin Headlands. If you have a bicycle, you can either take the beautiful scenic ride all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge, or take your bike on the Sausalito Ferry or on the bus using Golden Gate Transit. I'd like to bring a group to Headlands for a visit and tour. How can I arrange this? Group visits and tours are offered only by special arrangement. Contact info@headlands.org for details.