Arts for a Better Bay Area (ABBA) was launched in 2015 to focus attention on the support needed to sustain the Bay Area's fragile arts ecosystem.

Now and into the future: ABBA’s objective is to develop a network of artists, advocates, and supporters dedicated to building community-wide solidarity to increase support and equitable access to the arts. As a coalition of individuals and organizations we inform and mobilize the arts community through community-driven action.

Inception Years & Advocacy Successes

Concerns derived from a 2014's fractious and divisive budget season centered on a (San Francisco) City-wide battle for cultural equity to issues around the Bay Area's real estate market and its repercussion on affordable housing and creative spaces, founders Lex Leifheit, previous Executive Director of SOMArts and Ebony McKinney, formerly of Emerging Arts Professionals took action to help stitch the community back together. They conducted interviews with dozens of arts leaders and representatives and city departments. They discovered a critical interest and readiness for collaboration and action around issues facing the arts community. Holding their first ABBA meeting in January 2015, close to 100 attended to learn, participate and share information. With the timing right, this community gathering decided that ABBA would be the perfect collective to advocate for an arts-focused budget with City Hall as an action that could be acted on immediately.

Derived from the first ABBA meetings of early 2015, a volunteer group of arts and community representatives worked in collaboration between January-May 2015 developing and recommending funding increases to San Francisco’s arts and culture budget. The allocations included a recommended increase of $8M and funding in the areas of access to public and private space, artists and workforce, cultural equity, vibrant neighborhoods and public art, and youth opportunity. All funding recommendations were shared and informed through a community-based process guided by ABBA.

On May 29th, 2015 the Mayor’s Office announced a $7 million shared prosperity package to support the arts over two years. An additional $2 million was directed to the arts by Board of Supervisors add-backs. Funds were allocated to the San Francisco Arts Commission and Grants for the Arts programs. The 2015/16 budget increase for arts and culture was the first sign of increased allocations to the City’s budget in decades – an unprecedented amount of teamwork, cross-collaboration, and community-wide support made it a reality. More details can be found here, and here from a press release.

In early 2016, the ABBA founders and a selection of arts leaders and former Budget Coalition members met to reflect on the success of the previous year and to envision what an organization like ABBA could be and facilitate with the arts community. From the meeting, a number of individuals decided to volunteer as ABBA Stewards and develop a Committee structure focused on different areas of concern in the community. Committee lead topics concentrated around real estate/cultural space preservation for housing, organizations and art creation; building public will, grass-roots arts advocacy; arts budget (City budgeting); communications and branding; and, operations.

In mid-2016 many ABBA members and Stewards joined a coalition working to develop, petition and campaign for a proposition for November’s ballot. Its focus was to guarantee and increase resources to arts and culture and programs and organizations working to end family homelessness and help families. The message for the proposition (Proposition S) was simple. Stronger funding for these communities will aid in city health and vibrancy – and keep San Francisco, San Francisco. This unique cross-sector partnership and work of 2016 among San Francisco organizations and individuals was nearly successful. The proposition just missed the mark by only 3% but built a strong coalition of individuals and groups with a common purpose and values to consider future strategies.

ABBA officially endorsed the legislation and partnered with the coalition to help inform and educate the public about the details of the proposition through events, various communications, and support efforts. The Stewards continue to connect and stay abreast of the coalition’s efforts and plans.  

JOIN ARTS FOR A BETTER BAY AREA TODAY!

By becoming a member of Arts for a Better Bay Area, you are participating in an effort to advocate for and build public will for the arts as an essential, valued, and expected resource.

Your membership and support helps to sustain this young organization, its coalition building and work to engage and inform a broad network of arts and culture advocates -- which in turn, helps expand the reach of balanced and thoughtful information on arts policies, initiatives and investments.

Benefits to membership include but not limited, to:

• Trusted advocacy information and updates about policies and initiatives affecting arts and culture
• Invitations to civic engagement opportunities
• Recognition on ABBA website (name/logo) - for organizational memberships
• Social media recognition upon membership commitment - for those desiring online recognition

Individual Membership

Choose the amount that best fits your budget. >> SIGN UP AS AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER HERE

• Contributor Member - $2/mo.
• Supporter Member - $5/mo.
• Professional Member - $10/mo.

Organizational Membership

Choose the monthly amount that fits your organization's budget. You can make monthly contributions, too. >> SIGN UP AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBER HERE

• $3 million +: please contact us: [email protected]
• $2 million – 3 million: $75/mo. (or $900/yr)
• $1 million – 2 million: $50/mo. (or $600/yr)
• $750,000 - 1 million: $40/mo. (or $480/yr)
• $500,000 – 750,000: $30/mo. (or $360/yr)
• $250,000 - 500,000: $20/mo. (or $240/yr)
• $100,000 - 250,000: $15/mo. (or $180/yr)
• $0 - 100,000: please contact us: [email protected]

Not ready to become a contributing member? Sign up to receive network updates and info, here.

By joining ABBA as a member you agree to the membership terms and conditions.

Photos by: Lex Leifheit; Claire Stacy (Courtesy of SOMArts Cultural Center)

By becoming a founding member of Arts for a Better Bay Area, you are participating in an effort to build public will for the arts as an essential, valued and expected resource.

Your membership and support helps to sustain this young organization, and expands the reach of balanced, thoughtful information on arts policies and investments.

Cost: $5 per month or more (you can choose to contribute the amount you like)*

By becoming a founding member of Arts for a Better Bay Area, you are participating in an effort to build public will for the arts as an essential, valued and expected resource.

Your membership and support helps to sustain this young organization, and expands the reach of balanced, thoughtful information on arts policies and investments

Cost: $2 per month (you can choose to contribute the amount you like)*

Arts Advocacy day is a day to broadcast our 2016-17 Arts Budget & Policy Priorities and to SHOW our elected officials why the arts are integral to a healthy city, while giving them examples on HOW to support our priorities this year.

when - Monday May 16, 2016 @1pm | where - City Hall steps, Polk St. (1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, 94102)

Please join us in demonstrating that vibrant neighborhoods, healthy communities, and cultural equity make San Francisco a vibrant City.

Donation: $2 per month 

Benefits:
-”PULSE” monthly e-newsletter with legislative updates & arts advocacy news
-Action alerts -- as ABBA grows and our capacity increases, these will be tailored by district, city, state & region.
-sticker with ABBA logo
-Periodic contests and giveaways such as conference discounts and free tickets 

We appreciate all the work our elected officials and community have contributed to make possible an unprecedented $7 million increased investment to the arts in SF!