Dave Eggers is doing something pretty cool for the local arts scene. The beloved Bay Area writer is opening Art + Water, a sprawling 100,000-square-foot arts and community space at Pier 29 this fall, and it’s designed with one major goal in mind: keeping artists in San Francisco.

Working alongside esteemed Bay Area artist and educator JD Beltran, Eggers is building what amounts to a working studio-school hybrid centered around a tuition-free apprenticeship model. The space will host 30 local artists at a time, 10 established artists and 20 emerging ones selected through an application process, who will get free studio space for a year, daily instruction from practicing artists, and access to shared workspaces that encourage real mentorship and collaboration. It’s basically the opposite of those art schools charging over $100,000 a year in tuition.

“Economically accessible, demystifying, and welcoming, like, ‘Here, this is how we do this. You can do it, too,’” Eggers said about the project. The setup emphasizes hands-on learning and basic technique over theory, drawing on Eggers’ own experience as a painter.

Beyond the studios, Art + Water will feature a massive exhibition hall curated by René de Guzman, with the first show centered on filmmaker and musician Boots Riley. There will also be regular talks, classes, family programming, and retail pop-ups. Local artists like Paul Madonna and Taraneh Hemani are already involved.

But here’s where it gets even better: the space will also include a cafe overseen by local Yemeni coffee pioneer Mokhtar Alkhanshali. He’s envisioning an 18th or 19th-century aesthetic reminiscent of revolutionary coffee hubs in places like Sana’a and Cairo. Alkhanshali plans to host events and exhibitions there too, plus launch a new luxury coffee brand. The menu will include food and drink pairings similar to high tea or omakase-style service.

The timing for this project is honestly perfect. San Francisco’s traditional art education pipeline has basically collapsed. The San Francisco Art Institute closed in 2022, and California College of the Arts is shutting down next year with its campus being taken over by Vanderbilt University. Eggers is stepping in to fill a real gap.

Eggers first spotted the vacant Pier 29 warehouse while biking along the Embarcadero in 2022. Originally built around 1915, the structure was damaged in a 2012 fire, rebuilt for the America’s Cup, and has mostly sat empty since. Now it’s getting a second life.

The project is leasing the space through Community Arts Stabilization Trust at roughly 10 cents per square foot, way below the typical industrial rate of about $2. While organizers haven’t yet secured all the seven-figure funding needed, commitments are reportedly in place. The Port of San Francisco connected the groups as part of its push to activate underused waterfront space, and the project aligns with Mayor Daniel Lurie’s revitalization efforts.

This is the kind of community-focused project that actually addresses real problems facing Bay Area artists today.