18th Street Arts Center
Fund: $25,000
18th Street Arts Center’s (18SAC) mission is to provoke public dialogue through contemporary art making. They believe that art making is an essential component of a vibrant, just and healthy society; creative action is a vital part of individual wellbeing; and humanity benefits when artists are valued. Their community of artists are engaged in ongoing work to foster social transformation via their cultural exchange residencies, artist commissions, and sustained community relationships. Over its 33-year history, 18SAC has grown into the largest artist residency center in California, supporting 100 artists annually: 60 with live/work or day studios, 30 international visiting artists, and 10+ commissioned artists. Their signature Artist Lab series is their strategy for commissioning and exhibiting work by artists based on an annual theme of forward-looking social challenges. In the past 12 years, they have commissioned and mounted 100+ artist solo shows, awarded $500,000 in commission fees, and published 11 catalogs with scholarly essays. These commissions include multiple community partners, including a teen center, parent groups, public library, affordable housing provider and local universities.