Root Division is a visual arts nonprofit that connects creativity and community through a dynamic ecosystem of arts education, exhibitions, and studios. The organization's mission is to empower artists, promote community service, inspire youth, and enrich the Bay Area through engagement in the visual arts. Founded in 2002 by three MFA graduates, over the years Root Division has offered subsidized studio space for more than 130 emerging artists, more than 4,000 hours of free art classes for neighborhood youth, training for artist-teachers, onsite adult art classes for 1,500 students, exhibitions of work by more than 1,700 artists, and has partnered with public schools, community centers, and more than 150 local businesses.