Artists Live Here: Community Convening

San Francisco’s arts ecosystem is at a breaking point. With the recent announcement that the California College of the Arts will shutter in 2027 and the indefinite closure of the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts,  cultural spaces are disappearing and the infrastructure that sustains creative life is eroding faster than policy and philanthropy can respond.

Like many organizations, we are feeling the impact directly. At SOMArts, we are facing the loss of approximately $90,000 due to an SFAC funding reduction, with the potential for more cuts heading our way. These cuts pose real consequences for our staff, operations, and ability to hold space for artists.

We are convening an urgent public gathering to name this reality out loud and bring artists, organizers, funders, board members, and decision-makers into the same room—while there is still something left to save. We are opening our doors as a civic space to channel urgency into visibility, collective pressure, and tangible next steps.

If we don’t have this conversation now, we may not get another chance. We are inviting you to join us, share this invitation widely, and help bring others into the room who care about the future of arts and culture in this city. If you’re able, supporting this work—by showing up, spreading the word, or contributing what you can—helps keep the doors open for moments like this.