Community Arts Stabilization Trust

CAST is partnering with @culturalspaceagency in Seattle to support the agency’s next chapter of creating affordable, community-rooted cultural space 🌇 Since launching in 2020, CSA has been addressing the need for space for arts and cultural organizations. In just a few years, the agency has helped secure 30,000+ square feet of cultural space and raised more than $25 million for projects that center Seattle’s creative communities. CAST brings its national experience in community-centered cultural real estate to support CSA’s local leadership in building the organizational foundation needed to steward cultural spaces for the long term. The collaboration focuses on increasing transparency and strengthening operational systems and strategic capacity so CSA can continue advancing cultural space projects across Seattle. Building stable, affordable cultural space isn’t easy work, and it requires strong partnerships, shared expertise, and a long-term commitment to artists and communities. We’re excited to be working together towards a common goal: ensuring Seattle’s artists and cultural organizations have permanent places to thrive. ✨ Tap our link in bio to read the full press release 📰 Images: 1. King Street Station in Downtown Seattle, home to CSA's Station Space. 2. L:R: Consultant Anna Growcott, CSA Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor Matthew Richter, Grains of Salt Founders Prentice Onayemi and Jamie Haft, CAST CEO Ken Ikeda, October 2024. #CulturalSpaceAgency #CASTSF #Seattle #SeattleArts

We just hit a major milestone in our expansion to Colorado 🙌 CAST Colorado has received $1.9 million from The Colorado Health Foundation(@cohealthfdn ) to support the acquisition and long-term stewardship of the East Street School in Trinidad, CO! This marks our first live-work project and a significant milestone in our growth beyond California. This investment secures the East Street School as an affordable live-work space rooted in community voice, while sustaining partnerships that bring food access, art therapy, recovery support, and cultural gatherings into the building. We’re deeply grateful to The Colorado Health Foundation for recognizing the connection between housing stability, cultural vitality, and community health and for helping make this future possible. 👉 Click our link in bio to read the full press release and learn more. #CASTColorado #EastStreetSchool #TheColoradoHealthFoundation

Hot weather pending (we hope 🤞), group chats active, creative plans loading… summer in the Bay is almost here ☀️ Right now, artists and organizers are outside launching projects, hosting events, and making things happen before everyone disappears on vacation. If you’re looking to plug back in, this is your sign. Swipe ➡️ for what’s happening around the Bay and tap into the folks making it move. #CASTSF #BayAreaArtists #CommunityConnections #BayAreaArts #SupportTheArts

This week, CAST joined joined fellow community space operators, cultural organizations, and nonprofit leaders from across the Bay Area for the 2026 Community Space Convening 🤝 Spending time inside spaces like @epacenterarts , the @sobrato_org Center for Nonprofits' Redwood Shores Center, and the Chan Zuckerberg Community Space sparked conversations we keep returning to: What does it mean to build spaces that are truly responsive to community needs? How do we create places that support collaboration, experimentation, and long-term access? A recurring theme throughout the day was that community spaces are ecosystems. The strongest models weren’t just offering square footage, but investing in relationships, shared resources, cultural programming, and infrastructure that allows organizations and communities to grow together. We’re grateful to @communityvisionca , Chan Zuckerberg Community Space, @epacenterarts , @centerforcreativitysmc , and all the organizers and participants for creating space for these conversations at a moment when sustaining accessible community infrastructure feels more important than ever. #2026CommunitySpaceConvening #BayArea #BayAreaArts #CASTSF

Showing now! Don’t miss artist Desi Brown’s The Next Episode by @castsf at the @artstudentsleaguedenver Englewood branch this Second Saturday. Through her beautiful, bold sculptures, @desibrown2015 explores social class and shares stories from her experience as a mother and raising her children—making it a fitting stop for Mother’s Day weekend, too. The show runs through May, so catch it while you can! 901 Englewood Parkway, Unit 108 #EnglewoodEvents #SecondSaturday #DenverArtists

Our Kreative Growth artists @gellipascual and @manyhandscreative are in the building and planning for their upcoming duo exhibition: MAHAL at @castsf Opening Reception is May 28 6–9 PM at 447 Minna St in SOMA Free / Sliding Scale donations & open to all RSVP at the link in bio.

Mid-Market’s story isn’t finished, it’s being written in real time. This feature by @sfchronicle highlights the creatives helping shape a new chapter for the neighborhood with a bold vision for community cohesion, storytelling, and sustainability for the long term. In San Francisco's Mid-Market district today, we are part of a new kind of momentum—one where artists, small business owners, media and cultural organizations step into spaces others left behind. Together, we are transforming Mid-Market into an emerging arts and theater hub grounded in real people and telling San Francisco's story on our own terms. From @kalwpublicmedia 's and @castsf 's launch of @warfieldcommons which stewards affordable space for culture, to @holystitch 's activation of Mid-Market through a community-based sewing factory, the path forward is clear: invest in the people who make neighborhoods thrive. Read story in Warfield Commons' bio!

Nothing like a 125th birthday to remind us how much history lives in San Francisco’s spaces 🌇 On April 22, we spent the evening celebrating 125 years of the Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse. Hosted by @sfheritage , the night featured Woody LaBounty sharing the story of the site’s past, preservation, and future, now captured in his new book, “Geneva Car Barn: The Past and Future of San Francisco’s Geneva Office Building and Powerhouse.” From surviving the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to ongoing community-led efforts to reimagine the space, it stands as a powerful reminder: preservation means both protecting buildings and making room for what comes next. Today, that future is already taking shape. The Powerhouse has been reactivated as a family-centered arts and culture hub by @performingartsworkshop , which offers free classes and creative programming to thousands of young people each year. As steward and asset manager of the space since 2017, we are proud to be a part of this chapter of the building’s storied history. A historic space, still doing what it’s always done: serving the city. Check out @friendsofgobp to purchase your copy of “Geneva Car Barn: The Past and Future of San Francisco’s Geneva Office Building and Powerhouse” 📖 #GenevaCarBarn #SanFranciscoHeritage

These are just some of the ways creatives are already using our Creative Lab ⬇️ But it can be used for so much more when you become a Founding Resident. 🎥 Video shoots 📸 Photo shoots ✨ Event prep 👩🏽‍💻 Workshops 🤍 Experiences 🧠 Strategy sessions 🤝🏽 Client meetings 🎉 Launch parties 🥂 Celebrations Apply today and start creating with us! #eventspaces #creativestudios #sfevents #sanfranciscoevents #bayareacreatives

It’s almost May, and the Bay is in motion! Artists and organizers are making space to gather, share, and build together. As we head into a new month, there’s a lot taking shape and plenty to plug into. Swipe ➡️ to see what’s happening now and check the tagged accounts to connect with the folks making it all move. #CASTSF #BayAreaArtists #CommunityConnections #BayAreaArts #SupportTheArts

World Arts West is excited to finally share the full PAAC (Performing Arts Archive Cohort) Archiving Education Series on YouTube! The presenters in this series offer practical advice and real life experiences for those who are just beginning their archiving journey or well on their way. Full episodes available now, link in the bio 🔗 #ArtsArchiving #ArtsPreservation

Last Sunday, we hosted a small artist mixer at Sightline. It was our first dip in the water and a chance to start sharing what we’re building with the wider artist community. We featured local artwork throughout the space as a preview of what’s possible, bringing the vision to life and sparking ideas about how the space can evolve. People showed up with curiosity, asked thoughtful questions, and started imagining how they might create with us, be supported by this space, and help shape what Sightline becomes. This is the kind of engagement with artists that inspires us—building together to go further, and making something that reflects the communities it’s for. Want to join the next one? Sign up for our mailing list (🔗 in bio) to be the first to hear when the next mixer is announced. More info to come. #Sightline #Pier29 #Embarcadero #BayAreaArtists