SOMArts Cultural Center

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SOMArts Cultural Center

SOMArts is a multidisciplinary, multicultural arts organization that offers events, exhibitions and classes in San Francisco. https://linktr.ee/somarts

Founded in 1979, SOMArts embraces the entire spectrum of arts practice and cultural identity, and it is beloved in San Francisco as a truly multicultural, community-built space where cutting-edge events and counterculture commingle with traditional art forms.

06/08/2026

Call for Proposals 🕯 In Their Name: Día de Los Mu***os 2026
Curated by Bridgett Rex and Rio Yañez

Submit by June 29, 11:59 PM PST: https://somarts.org/opportunity/dod2026/

From communities and movements, house and drag mothers, birth and chosen families, mothering is a collective and reciprocal process of liberation, and this year’s exhibition honors those who mother as an act of care and revolution and in turn, dismantle cycles of patriarchal harm.

"In Their Name: Dia de Los Mu***os 2026" cherishes the ancestral memory, love, and devotion carried and embodied by mother figures across generations. We are seeking proposals that explore this year’s theme through traditional and contemporary altars, art installations, and murals. In honoring the historic roots of this exhibition, proposals for altars honoring loved ones are always welcome.

Exhibition Dedication
This year’s exhibition is lovingly dedicated to Tosha Stimage whose practice was deeply rooted in care, connection, and tenderness. As her beloved friend Bloodstone has written, Tosha’s art practice has offered us a way to hold love as both inheritance and responsibility, and that care may be one of the most radical acts we have left. We welcome altars and installation proposals that honor her life and light.

Submit your artist proposal by Monday, June 29, 11:59 PM PST
Apply by visiting: https://somarts.org/opportunity/dod2026/

Artwork credit: Monique Lopez, Amor Eterno, 2025
Photo courtesy of Claire S. Burke

06/01/2026

SOMArts Is…Devon Nandagiri

SOMArts’ former Director of Events and Bay Area artist, cultural producer, and co-founder/co-producer of the acclaimed dance partyHard French, Devon Nandagiri aka Devon Devine shares how art fuels revolutions.

Devon- Thank you for sharing why we must always continue to dream big and lean on each other to survive.

“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!

05/28/2026

needs your help now!

In San Francisco, the Arts Commission is planning to roll out policies that will be detrimental to its grantees. Please sign before 3pm TODAY, 5/28/26; it literally takes one minute: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKpNseA1qF69SPo_3XjUTLIXAP1gi1pr_XeS7MjaddP11f-Q/viewform

➡️ Read the full newsletter below:
https://mailchi.mp/913bda9635f4/pledge-13903794?e=f510a4118d

05/22/2026

As we move and groove into spring season, your support helps SOMArts continue to bloom 🌸 Make a one time or recurring donation today: https://somarts.org/somarts-is/

Since launching our “SOMArts Is…” campaign last fall, SOMArts has continued to meet this moment with creativity, resilience and purpose.

Even after a $90,000 reduction in our annual operations grant, we have remained steadfast in our mission: producing transformative exhibitions, public programs and community gatherings that celebrate the Bay Area’s creative brilliance and bring artists, cultural workers and advocates together to imagine a stronger future for arts and culture.

A gift of $9, $90, $900 or any amount meaningful to you directly sustains the artists, curators, cultural partners and community programs that make SOMArts an essential home for bold creative expression in San Francisco.

Your one-time or recurring donation helps ensure that SOMArts remains a space where artists are supported, culture is protected and community can flourish.

📸 TNT Traysikel photo courtesy of Claire S. Burke

04/27/2026

SOMArts is…Katie Gilmartin 🦋✨

Founder of Chrysalis Print Studio and steward of the Q***r Ancestors Project, a printmaking project devoted to forging relationships between young Q***r 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, Kate, 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!

04/25/2026

"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 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

04/21/2026

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 🌟

04/20/2026

SOMArts is... a sanctuary
Thank you, Dania Cabello, for putting it into words so powerfully!

➡️ Donate today: somarts.org/somarts-is

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.

04/17/2026

The second "Artists Live Here: Community Convening" is happening today from 5–8 PM! 🌟From open tables and poster-making to 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

Address

934 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA
94103

Telephone

+14158631414

Website

http://www.somarts.org/

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