SOMArts Historical Timeline

Amid anti-war protests and struggles to establish civil rights in the 1960s, the Neighborhood Arts Program (NAP) was created by the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) to promote community by providing funding for the arts that reaches beyond the city’s established arts institutions. Under the direction of Martin Snipper, the city purchased the 26,000-square-foot Brannan Street building that became home to Support Services for the Arts. This program eventually provides the city with four artistic services: The Mural Resource Center: helps to coordinate and supervise 4-5 annual mural projects throughout the city and is funded solely by the Mayor’s Office of Community Development. MRC supported artist Mike Rios’ mural that became a Carlos Santana album cover. The Costume Bank: home to over 3,000 costumes and accessories, which are available to rent for community performances. Commissioned costumes are also created. Graphic Services: provides artists with colored flyers for promotion, the assistance of a professional publicist, and access to a media handbook. Technical Services: Assist in the construction of stages of installations and design of sound and lighting systems for local performances [...]

$2.5 million is allocated by the city with intentions to form ten neighborhood cultural centers. The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), which trained and hired unemployed workers, provides federally funded staff for these emerging organizations and more than 100 working artists to enrich them, one of whom is San Francisco Art Institute alumnus Bernice Bing, a later Director of SOMArts.

Proposition 13 is passed by CA State voters resulting in a 75% budget cut for CETA-funded employees. With the loss of so many workers, the organization is forced to restructure the four service programs into a more unified organization and private funding is sought for the South of Market Cultural Center through the establishment of Friends of Support Services for the Arts. FSSA became an independent 501(c)3 organization in August 1979.

Bernice Bing, who co-founded Scrounger Center for Reusable Arts Parts (SCRAP) in 1975, is appointed as Director of “South of Market Cultural Center,” one of the four cultural centers that were created with the 1975 endowment. During her four years of service, Bing is successful in expanding programming. She introduces the exhibitions program with 19 artists who are graduates of the San Francisco Art Institute. The newly minted exhibitions program consists of an array of shows, workshops, and presentations—including Public Image Ltd led by former Sex Pistol frontman John Lydon and Keith Levene, founding member of The Clash.

Friends of Support Services for the Arts and The San Francisco Arts Commission sign a Memorandum of Understanding that is designed to work towards reinvigorating the partnership. FSSA takes on the fiscal responsibilities, while SFAC focuses on maintaining the facilities and raising funds to support their preservation. The work of these two organizations helps to improve and expand resources and stabilizes the cultural center’s business model. In 1984 Bing resigned, citing the tensions of the position and a desire to return to art making. A new executive director is hired.

SOMArts enters a period of financial difficulty and administrative instability that includes a leadership transition.

Following a time of organizational deterioration, the Memorandum of Understanding between FSSA and SFAC was renewed to ensure continued support from both parties. An interim Board of Directors, which consists of both staff and outside experts, is established to reformulate financial and administrative policies. Jack Davis, a long-time champion of neighborhood arts and former director of Intersection for the Arts, steps up to lead this transition Following an organizational assessment, the Costume Bank and Graphic Services are discontinued, and as the dot-com era booms the organization’s focus shifts to providing affordable space, staging and production assistance and collaborating on artistic programming. These collaborations became increasingly critical during the dot-com boom. Around this time, FSSA becomes SOMAR. Because another company uses the name SOMAR, this is later changed to SOMArts (South of Market Arts, Resources, Technology, and Services).

Davis is appointed executive director. SOMArts programming expands to include local events like the National Queer Arts Festival, the United States of Asian America Festival, DadaFest, the SF Electronic Music Festival, and SF Indie Fest. Working collaboratively with staff and community members, Davis provides technical assistance and input for Day of the Dead events and San Francisco street festivals—extending the efforts of Technical Services.

The first large-scale Burning Man art installations take place at SOMArts, which introduced the festival’s annual art themes. With the help of Pepe Ozan and Larry Harvey, an immense Burning Man was installed in the vaulted gallery, and later exhibits expanded throughout the facility.

SOMAR officially changes its name to SOMArts

On September 23, 2007, SOMArts lost their vibrant director, Jack Davis, due to injuries sustained in an auto accident. This loss was devastating not just emotionally, but for the functioning of the organization as well. Technical Services Director Ernest Rivera acts as Interim Executive Director and the Board of Directors enlists the aid of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services to assist in the hiring of a new director.

Following a national search and extensive interview process, SOMArts appoints Lex Leifheit as the new Executive Director. Leifheit began in late October 2008.

SOMArts begins a series of strategic organizational partnerships to repair and renovate the lobby, theater, classrooms, and garden. In-kind support from Philanthropy by Design, Rebuilding Together, Perkins+Will, and more than 150 volunteers allowed SOMArts to invest in new ADA-compliant risers for the theater as well as lighting and sound equipment, and to install the new RAMP Gallery space in the reception area.

SOMArts launches the Commons Curatorial Residency program and secures critical funding support to expand its artistic programming and support of art made with, by, and for cultural communities. This renaissance period is marked by collaboration and an ever-growing list of program partners. The vibrancy of SOMArts is recognized by numerous articles in the media and online reviews.

Lex Leifheit transitioned from her role in 2015 to join the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Economic & Workforce Development and Jess Young became the Interim Executive Director. Arts for A Better Bay Area (ABBA) officially becomes a Fiscally Sponsored Program.

SOMArts announced Maria Jenson as the organization’s new Executive Director. With her demonstrated history of bridging communities through inclusive, vibrant, and accessible arts programming and advocacy, Jenson has expanded SOMArts’ programming, championed diverse voices, broken down hierarchical structures, and created clear pathways for Bay Area artists to cultivate new ideas and grow their careers. Curators Melorra Green and Karen Seneferu open The Black Woman is God at SOMArts, an intergenerational, multidisciplinary exhibition and movement-building platform that explores the intersections of race and gender, dismantling racist and patriarchal notions that devalue Black women’s contributions to the world. Earlier iterations of the exhibition were held at the African American Arts and Culture Complex and the San Francisco Public Library. The exhibition became part of SOMArts annual season between 2016–2022: Reprogramming the God Code, July 7–August 17, 2016 Divine Revolution, July 20–August 26, 2017 Assembly of Gods, August 30–October 2, 2018 Reclaim, Reconfigure, Re-remember, November 7–December 12, 2020 The Blueprint: If the Universe Can Be Imagined, It Exists, December 12, 2021–February 6, 2022

After three years of coalition building between SOMArts and other San Francisco arts organizations artists, arts workers, and leaders, Proposition E was passed in November 2018, restoring the historic Hotel Tax allocation for arts and cultural programming. As tax revenue grew, city funding for the arts also increased.

On May 29, 2018, René Yañez passed away at the age of 76 after a long bout of bone and prostate cancer. Known for his artistry, mentorship, and advocacy of contemporary Latino art and artists, René was essential in initiating the first Dia De Los Muertos celebrations and popularizing Frida Kahlo’s legacy in the United States. Through Jack Davis, René brought the annual Día de Los Muertos exhibition to SOMArts and curated the exhibition alongside his son, Rio for 19 years. SOMArts held a celebration of life on July 8 for friends, family, artists, and the community who were greatly impacted by René.

2019 marked 40 years of the organization and the anniversary programming kicked off with RUBY: A Cabaret and Dance Party Extravaganza celebrating 40 Years of SOMArts. Following RUBY was 4Waves: 40 Performances in the Hole, an abbreviated version of Justin Hoover’s/Collective Action Studio’s 100 Performances for the Hole: A Marathon of Artistic Moments, and Rebooting the Future: Multimedia and Performance Festival that brought together Bay Area artists who leverage technology and new media to access the imagination, futurity, and the divine. In the Main Gallery, Kevin B. Chen and Rio Yañez curated Building the Building. This multidisciplinary exhibition contemplated SOMArts as a microcosm of the Bay Area, whose identity is greatly shaped by the region’s artists, collectives, movements, and rebellions.

2020–In response to the COVID–19 pandemic and the shelter-in-place ordinance issued on March 17, 2020, SOMArts closed its building to the public and pivoted to virtual programming and streaming.. SOMArts initially launched Please Stand By, a donation campaign that culminated with a live-streaming event. The campaign was a response to the projected $45,000 loss in the organization's annual budget caused by the COVID-19-related cancellation of the Spring fundraiser and demonstrated that Bay Area artists and arts advocates can stand together even as we must shelter apart, by leveraging digital opportunities for connection and disruption. However, in response to the killing of George Floyd and the Movement for Black Lives, SOMArts immediately shifted the goals of Please Stand By, and, with the consent of our donors, evenly reallocated the funds raised to the following nonprofit organizations: Black Lives Matter Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project For the 2020–2021 public programs, SOMArts activated platforms such as Twitch and Zoom to host virtual drag shows, Murphy & Cadogan awardee presentations, and an online artist series called LUSH, which drew its inspiration from Solarpunk, [...]

At the beginning of 2021, SOMArts was approved to receive an American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic. SOMArts Cultural Center was recommended to receive $100,000 touse this funding to save jobs and to fund operations and facilities, health and safety supplies, and marketing and promotional efforts to encourage attendance and participation. By Spring, Jenson and the Facilities team established health and safety procedures per the City’s guidelines to reopen to the public. The building was accessible to guests and community members on a reservation system through late 2022.

SOMArts hosted HERE 4 U: Pre Pride Happening, the first public event since the shelter in place ordinance. The Main Gallery held its first solo exhibition in nearly 10 years, As I Live and Breathe: Angela Hennessy Solo Exhibition, marking an important expansion in-season programming. SOMArts has long been recognized for its group exhibitions, but solo shows allowed for more hands-on mentorship and partnership with a local emerging artist. Following As I Live and Breathe, SOMArts exhibited HORIZON/ you hold my shape by yétúndé olágbaju and In This House We Are All Ruins by Paola de la Calle in 2023.

SOMArts, in collaboration with Board Member George McCalman and his design studio, McCalman Co., embarked on a two-year process to develop a new brand identity and website for the organization. This effort involved gathering input from key community and organizational stakeholders who have been instrumental in shaping SOMArts over the years.

The updated website and brand identity were unveiled to the public. The new logo, characterized by a multicolor gradient and bold, contemporary typeface, befits our rich legacy while celebrating a vibrant future. Each element of the design connects back to SOMArts’ mission of using art as a tool for liberation. For example, the new branding features Bayard, a sans serif typeface named after Civil Rights activist and advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin. This typeface is inspired by signs from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.