Intersection for the Arts

Non-profit art space in San Francisco, U.S.

Intersection for the Arts

Established| 1965
Location| 1446 Market St, San Francisco, California U.S.
Director| Allison Snopek and Scott Nielsen
Website| www.theintersection.org

Intersection for the Arts, established in 1965, is the oldest alternative non-profit art space in San Francisco, California. Intersection's reading series is the longest continuous reading series outside of an academic institution in the state of California.

Intersection produces and presents new and experimental work in the fields of literature, theater, music, and the visual arts. Intersection's artists regularly provide classes and workshops to the local community. Intersection also maintains an incubation program for emerging literary, visual and performing arts groups.

Intersection is located in the SoMa district of San Francisco, on 925 Mission Street, between 5th and 6th Streets.

## History

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Intersection was founded in the Tenderloin in 1965 by an interfaith coalition of three churches. It was originally called "Intersection: Center for Religion and the Arts".[1][2][3] The organization began as a merger of several faith-based experiments that were using art to reach disenfranchised neighborhood youth while also providing artists who were conscientious objectors with an alternative to serving in the Vietnam War. The founding Director was Laird Sutton and full-time staff members were poetry director Adrian Ravarour, Tom Dobson, Paul Donetti, and Juan Elorreaga. By 1967, it moved to 756 Union Street[4] and remained in North Beach for 20 years. Robin Williams, Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello), Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Coyote, Bill Irwin and Country Joe McDonald performed there. Gregory Corso, William S. Burroughs, Gary Snyder, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Ishmael Reed and Margaret Atwood read there.[5]

In 1985 it lost its North Beach space and a year later, relocated to 766 Valencia Street in the Mission District, moving again in 1989, to a former furniture store on Valencia Street.[6] Campo Santo Theatre Company, Joe Goode and Erika Chong Shuch, Elbows Akimbo,[7] and Marcus Shelby performed there. Denis Johnson and Dave Eggers read there.

Then it relocated to 925 Mission Street, Suite 109, a 5M space in The Chronicle building at Fifth Street and Mission Street.

Over the years, Intersection has evolved into a more diverse organization with a more prominent profile, but maintains strong ties with the local community.

Intersection has worked with a range of artists including Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Ondaatje, David Henry Hwang, Carolyn Forché, and Ishmael Reed. Recently, it has developed and presented work with Jessica Hagedorn, Alice Walker, bell hooks, John Trudell, Denis Johnson, Lebbeus Woods, Mike Davis, Dave Eggers, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Stefon Harris, Naomi Iizuka, Claudia Bernardi, Joe Goode, and Gary Snyder, as well as thousands of emerging artists.

## Intersection today

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Intersection for the Arts produces anywhere from 6-11 theatrical and dance productions, 10-12 literary readings, 12-16 concerts, and 4-6 art exhibits or installations in a given year, as well as workshops in each discipline taught by the resident artists. Intersection's building also hosts a variety of community, social, and artistic events for other San Francisco artistic organizations throughout the year, including the Litquake Festival, the Jackson Award, and the Phelan Award.

Intersection for the Arts's resident artists include the theater company Campo Santo (Margo Hall, Sean San Jose, Luis Saguar, Michael Torres - Founders. Denis Johnson \- Resident Playwright), Erika Chong Shuch and her dance-theater company the Erika Shuch Performance (ESP) Project, the jazz musician Howard Wiley, Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Youth Speak's theater program The Living Word Project, and photographer Scott Chernis.

## Literary series

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Main article: Intersection for the Arts Literary Series

Outside of academic institutions, Intersection for the Arts' literary series is the longest continual reading series in the state of California. The longevity of the series has attracted an increasing number of high-profile writers, but the series continues to regularly showcase the work of emerging, local writers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In recent years, Intersection has complemented their literary series with the Independent Press Spotlight series, hosting talks with members of San Francisco independent publishers and literary magazines scene while authors perform readings from recent issues. Participants in this series include AK Press, The Believer, City Lights Publishers, ColorLines Magazine, Fourteen Hills, Heyday Books, LiP Magazine, Manic D Press, McSweeney’s, Mercury House, New American Writing, Switchback, Tachyon Publications, University of California Press, Zoetrope: All-Story, and ZYZZYVA as well as newer magazines, journals, and publishers.

## Intersection incubator

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In addition to producing its own work, Intersection for the Arts provides members of its incubation program assistance in funding, developing, and promoting their artists' work. Through fiscal sponsorship, the program has encouraged funding agencies and contributors to take risks in funding new projects and emerging artists by ensuring that the funds will be well managed and spent according to the funder's guidelines.

Currently the Intersection Incubator provides support to more than 120 art projects and organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area across numerous disciplines and levels of experience. Several organizations that have been in the incubation program have gone on to have lasting impact in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Youth Speaks, Flyaway Productions, The Traveling Jewish Theater, and Galería de la Raza.

## References

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1. ^ "Intersection for the Arts at 766 Valencia Street - 1988 - Max Kirkeberg Collection".
2. ^ Bernadicou, August. "Adrian Ravarour". August Nation. The LGBTQ History Project. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
3. ^ http://sfgfta.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/annual-report-12_13.pdf [bare URL PDF]
4. ^ "Bay Area Stand-Up Comedy -- A webinar/Q&A with authors and comedians Nina G and OJ Patterson". YouTube. 9 March 2022.
5. ^ Hurwitt, Robert (June 9, 2014), "Intersection for the Arts at a fiscal crossroads: S.F. group formed in 1965 calls business model unsustainable, looks at options to stay afloat", San Francisco Chronicle
6. ^ "Intersection for the Arts - for purchase of the property known as 777 Valencia Street in San Francisco, California".
7. ^ Hurwitt, Robert (1990-07-12). "Elbows' 'Carne Vale'". San Francisco Examiner. p. 37. Retrieved 2025-03-03.

## External links

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* Intersection for the Arts

* Intersection for the Arts - History.

* San Francisco Chronicle's 40 year History of Intersection for the Arts

* Hamlin, Jesse (June 13, 2005), "Life Met Art Here", San Francisco Chronicle, pp. D–1
* Benson, Heidi (June 14, 2005), "Art in a Time for Peace", San Francisco Chronicle, pp. D–7
* Winn, Steve (June 15, 2005), "The Art of Relocating", San Francisco Chronicle, pp. E–1
* Ganahl, Jane (June 16, 2005), "Staying Alive", San Francisco Chronicle, pp. E–1
* Wiegand, David (June 17, 2005), "The Future", San Francisco Chronicle, pp. E–3

* v
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San Francisco Bay Area arts organizations

Non-profit art spaces|

| San Francisco County|

* AAWAA
* Acción Latina
* Artists' Television Access
* Chinese Culture Center
* CounterPulse
* Creativity Explored
* Graphic Arts Workshop
* Gray Area Foundation for the Arts
* Intersection for the Arts
* Kadist
* The LAB
* The Laundry SF
* Luggage Store Gallery
* Metal Arts Guild
* Minnesota Street Project
* Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts
* Pro Arts Gallery
* Root Division
* San Francisco Arts Commission
* SF Camerawork
* SOMArts Cultural Center
* Southern Exposure
* Saint Joseph's Arts Society

|

Alameda County|

* Berkeley Art Center
* Creative Growth Art Center
* Firehouse Arts Center
* Kala Art Institute

San Mateo County|

* Pacifica Center for the Arts
* Sanchez Art Center

Santa Clara County|

* Institute of Contemporary Art San José
* Montalvo Arts Center
* Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana
* Pacific Art League
* WORKS San José

Contra Costa County|

* Richmond Art Center
* NIAD Art Center

Marin County|

* Gallery Route One
* Golden Gate Marin Artists
* Headlands Center for the Arts
* ICB Artists Association
* Marin Art and Garden Center
* Marin County Watercolor Society
* Marin Jewelers Guild
* Marin Society of Artists
* O’Hanlon Center for the Arts
* Sausalito Artists

Solano County|

* Arts Benicia

Non-profit art spaces for disabilities|

* Creativity Explored
* Creative Growth Art Center
* NIAD Art Center

Art museums|

* Asian Art Museum
* Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
* Bolinas Museum
* Cantor Center for Visual Arts
* Cartoon Art Museum
* De Saisset Museum
* Euphrat Museum of Art
* ICA SF
* Legion of Honor
* Contemporary Jewish Museum
* de Young Museum
* Marin Museum of the American Indian
* Marin Museum of Contemporary Art
* MACLA
* Mexican Museum
* Mills College Art Museum
* Museo ItaloAmericano
* Museum of the African Diaspora
* Museum of Craft and Design
* Museum of International Propaganda
* New Museum Los Gatos
* Oakland Museum
* Peninsula Museum of Art
* Pier 24 Photography
* Randall Museum
* San Jose Museum of Art
* San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles
* SFMOMA
* Triton Museum of Art
* Walt Disney Family Museum
* Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts
* Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Artist-in-residence programs|

* The Box Shop SF
* Capp Street Project
* CounterPulse
* de Young Museum Artist Studio
* Djerassi Artists Residency
* Gray Area Foundation for the Arts
* Headlands Center for the Arts
* Kadist
* Kala Art Institute
* Local Language
* Montalvo Arts Center
* Palo Alto Art Center
* Recology Artist in Residence
* Saint Joseph's Arts Society

Public and site-specific|

* Clarion Alley Mural Project
* Precita Eyes

Defunct|

* Femina Potens
* Galería de la Raza
* La Mamelle, Inc./Art Com
* Museum of Craft and Folk Art
* New Langton Arts
* The Rainbow Sign
* Savernack Street
* Walter and McBean Galleries

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

Other|

* Yale LUX

37°45′57″N 122°25′20″W﻿ / ﻿37.765769°N 122.422119°W﻿ / 37.765769; -122.422119
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