SOMArts Cultural Center

SOMArts Is…San Francisco ➡️ Read the full letter and donate by tapping the link 🔗 in bio We’re launching “SOMArts Is…”, a vibrant, year-long video fundraising campaign hoping to raise $90,000 due to a funding reduction in our annual operations grant. By amplifying the voices of the artists, curators, community members, and board leaders impacted by the organization’s mission, they tell the story of why SOMArts matters–now more than ever. When the pandemic hit, we used every reserve dollar to keep staff working and support local families, and with a recent 10% cut to our SFAC operations grant, we are working tirelessly to keep our doors open. For over 40 years, our work, creative vision, and commitment to fostering free to low-cost arts access turned an undisclosed SOMA warehouse beneath the freeway into a cultural oasis: a place where new worlds are dreamed into being, intergenerational bridges are built, and where more just futures become possible. SOMArts has come to mean many things to many people–an incubator, a gallery, a stage, a launching pad, a gathering space. Today, as financial challenges and uncertainties mount, we, like many arts nonprofit organizations, are struggling in a climate that seeks to diminish the transformative power of the arts. By donating $9, $90, or $900, your generosity ensures that SOMArts continues to be a place where culture flourishes, and its legacy endures. #SupportSOMArts #SOMArtsIs

We are currently seeking a Board Chair to steward one of the City’s most beloved organizations and partner closely with SOMArts' Creative & Executive Director and Board of Directors to provide governance, leadership, and strategic support. Tap the 🔗 link in bio to learn more about this exciting opportunity! 📸Photo courtesy of Claire S. Burke (@burkesclaire )

SOMArts is…Katie Gilmartin 🦋✨ Founder of Chrysalis Print Studio and steward of the Queer Ancestors Project, a printmaking project devoted to forging relationships between young Queer and Trans artists and their ancestors, Katie Gilmartin is a beloved artist and community member committed to creative resistance, intergenerational learning, and collaboration. Thank you, Katie, for sharing the profound impact of a coworker’s generosity. “SOMArts Is…” is a bold, joy-powered video fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $90,000. ➡️Tap the link in bio to make a one-time or recurring donation—every contribution brings us closer to our goal! #SupportSOMArts #SOMArtsIs 🎥 Video edited by Jesus Rodriguez (@mrcreambb )

"Lineages of Organizing: The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center at 30" will be on view in SOMArts' Main Gallery through May 24, and be sure to follow @apicc_sf on Instagram for upcoming exhibition programs! Gallery Hours: Tuesday, 3–7 PM Friday, 12–7 PM Saturday/Sunday, 12–5 PM This exhibition and its related programs are produced by the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center. To learn more, visit apicc.org Artwork details: Bob Hsiang, Kearny Street Workshop PINOTOH (People in Need of Their Own Housing), 1975

REMINDER: 2026 Murphy Award & Cadogan Scholarships applications are due tonight, April 21 @ 11:59 PM PST! 🌟 To work on your application, tap the link in bio or visit somarts.org/murphycadogan 🌟

SOMArts is... a sanctuary Thank you, Dania Cabello, for putting it into words so powerfully! For nearly five decades, SOMArts has been a home for stories–ones that inspire, connect, and humanize. With our “SOMArts Is…” fundraising campaign, we’re working to ensure that this space continues to thrive for years to come. “SOMArts Is…” is a bold, joy-powered campaign with a goal of raising $90,000 due to a reduction in our annual operations grant. By amplifying the voices of artists, curators, community members, and board leaders impacted by the organization’s mission, they tell the story of why SOMArts matters–now more than ever. ➡️ Make a donation today by tapping the link in bio! #SupportSOMArts #SOMArtsIs

Meet some of the folks who make magic happen at SOMArts!

Ring in 30 years of the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center with their annual exhibition at SOMArts! 🎊🎉 Curated by Colin Choy Kimzey, "Lineages of Organizing: The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center at 30" marks the celebration of three decades of cultural resilience and community organizing by APICC, showcasing the rich heritage and contributions of the Asian Pacific Islander community. Join @apicc_sf for the exhibition opening on Thursday, April 23, 6–9 PM, and be sure to follow their socials to learn more about upcoming "Lineages of Organizing" programs and this year's USAAF Festival 🌟 This exhibition and events are produced by the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center.

The second "Artists Live Here: Community Convening" is happening today from 5–8 PM! 🌟From poster-making, advocacy resources and collective action, "Artists Live Here" is where ideas turn into impact: ARTS FOR A BETTER BAY AREA Learn about the 4/21 Rally for Arts Advocacy Day in SF; sign up for ABBA newsletters on the latest news in arts legislation and City Hall cultural affairs; get information on Charter Reform's impact on the arts sector, and the three arts entity merger. Become an arts advocate! OPEN TABLES This space is yours. Bring your organization, your project, or your community into the room. ARTIST SPACE TRUST 300 Homes in 10 years. AST is building a network of low-income housing opportunities in the Bay Area through bequests, planned giving, and down payment assistance. Currently offering up to $200k in CalHome down payment assistance to qualified first-time homebuyers CCA UNION CCA is a Community not a Commodity! The college is shutting down in 2027 and the campus is being taken over by Vanderbilt. Come sign the new petition to support workers and students at CCA and find out how to stay connected! EACH ARTIST CULTURAL HUB EACH is by and for Bay Area artists. We're building peer support pathways and resources toward a more cohesive, connected creative community. We each have a part to play! MCCLA & Calle 24 Join us in saving this beloved and important cultural center by attending our next community meeting on May 12 and supporting through donations or by spreading the word about our GoFundMe. MOBILIZING WITH VIN SEAMAN Engage in dialogue about the upcoming Thursday, May 7 protest and how we can show up collectively. PROPELSF Collecting oral history video interviews in the “Muni Raised Me” art bus. POSTER MAKING Create posters for upcoming actions. WRITING STATION Don’t just write to the Mayor. We have a researched list of other folks to share your opinion with. Tell them what’s at stake for artists and cultural spaces in San Francisco. Templates and addresses provided–just add your voice. 📸 Photo courtesy of Beth Laberge

The @muniraisedme Art Bus returns to SOMArts for the second iteration of "Artists Live Here: Community Convening" this Friday, April 17, 5–8 PM! Hop onboard from 5–6:30 PM to participate in @sf.propel 's oral history interview project or hangout on the bus to chat and connect with other attendees. We're 2 days away from "Artists Live Here" 🔗 Tap the link in bio to RSVP! Participating Organizations: @artsabetterbayarea @artistspacetrust @calle24_sf @diamondwavearts @cca_staff_union @cca_adjunctunion @cca_student_union @eachartistbayarea @mcclasf @muniraisedme @sf.propel ➡️ If your organization or collective would like to participate in the upcoming Artists Live Here convening, please email Stella Lochman, [email protected] 📸 Photography courtesy of Rich Lomibao (@rich.lomi )

ARTISTS LIVE HERE 🌟 Show up for our artist community this Friday, April 17, 5–8 PM 📍SOMArts, 934 Brannan St. 🔗 Tap the link in bio to RSVP This free, drop-in event is designed to empower local creatives through collective action, resource sharing, and civic engagement at a critical moment in the City’s arts ecosystem. Swipe left for the evening schedule! ➡️ On Tuesday, April 21st, @artsabetterbayarea is organizing an Arts Advocacy Day rally on the City Hall steps, this is your chance to help plan the collective action and get ready to make your voice heard 📣 Participating Organizations: @artsabetterbayarea @artistspacetrust @calle24_sf @diamondwavearts @cca_staff_union @cca_adjunctunion @cca_student_union @eachartistbayarea @mcclasf @muniraisedme @sf.propel ➡️ If your organization or collective would like to participate in the upcoming Artists Live Here convening, please email Stella Lochman, [email protected]

Thank you to everyone who supported, amplified, participated, and experienced Cece Carpio's first ever solo exhibition, "Tabi Tabi Po: Come Out with the Spirits! You Are Welcome Here" and immense gratitude to the performers and vendors who came out to celebrate the closing reception 🦋✨ "Tabi Tabi Po" can continue to be viewed online through the virtual gallery. Visit somarts.org/tabitabipo and scroll to the bottom of the exhibition page to explore! 📸 Photos courtesy of Claire S. Burke (@burkesclaire )