Filipino Art Spaces in the Bay Area
The Bay Area hosts one of the most unique, thriving, and interconnected arts communities in the nation with a storied history of BIPOC activists and artists.
From the 60's formation of Intersection for the Arts, the Black Panther Party to the protests of the 70's International Hotel and the building of San Francisco's Women's Center to present-day movements like Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate, the convergence of arts and activism have lead to the Bay Area Arts scene as we know it today.
Throughout history, Filipino-American and Asian-American artists and arts activists have played a crucial role in paving the way for organizations and space-makers to make arts and arts programs more accessible than ever. And as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to join together in art spaces and process and heal as a community.
Here are a few spaces and organizations that are providing opportunities for artists to work on their craft and highlight their work to their local communities! This is by no means a complete and comprehensive list— let us know about more spaces that we might have missed!
The Epicenter of Filipino American Performing Arts
Originally opened in 1989, Bindlestiff Studio became the only permanent, community-based performing arts venue in the nation dedicated to showcasing emerging Filipino American and Pilipino artists.
Bindlestiff Studio provides the often under-served Filipino American community access to diverse offerings in theatrical productions, music and film festivals, workshops in directing, production, acting, stand-up comedy, and writing, as well as a children and youth theater program.
Bindlestiff Studio cultivates artists who reflect and celebrate the diverse values, traditions, and histories of Pilipino and Filipino American cultures through bold artistic expression and community engagement.
BALAY KREATIVE STUDIOS
CREATING SPACE FOR FILIPINX CREATIVES & MAKERS
Balay Kreative Studios is a Filipino-American arts hub in SoMa Pilipinas, San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural District. Located right across San Francisco’s Westfield Mall, Balay Kreative Studios aims to create an accessible space for Filipinx creatives and makers.
Balay Kreative offers both an Artist Grant supporting the traditional and contemporary arts, and a Program Grant for event-based Kreatives— having invested $100,000 of our budget to building programming that reflects the rich culture and history of Filipinx Diaspora in SoMa and the Bay Area.
The studio windows are adored with beautiful graphics of Filipino heroes/sheros by Mel Vera Cruz.
For Artists:
Balay Kreative invites artists & creators of all disciplines to use their studio space to create new pieces of art & content to be presented in the cultural district.
They also offer a FREE TO USE streaming hub— complete with A high speed internet connection, an over head camera setup, and more.
Artist Programs:
Balay Kreative also offers artists opportunities for public art activations, personal and professional development, and an artist re-granting program! In line with their mission to empower artists in economically sustainable practice, Balay Kreative continuously re-invests in new artists and provides them with opportunities to be involved within their local community.
KEARNY STREET WORKSHOP AT ARCHLIGHT
The longest standing multidisciplinary Asian Pacific American arts organization
Founded in 1972, during the height of the Asian American cultural movement, Kearny Street Workshop (KSW) is the oldest Asian Pacific American multidisciplinary arts organization in the country. Through collaborations with other arts organizations and cultural communities, both locally and nationally, KSW provides a forum for Asian American artists of different media to reach a wide, diverse audience
For Artists:
KSW offers classes and workshops, salons, and student presentations, as well as professionally curated and produced exhibitions, performances, readings, and screenings.
Kearny Street Workshop aims to make artists out of community members and community members out of artists.
ARTIST Programs:
APAture is Kearny Street Workshop’s annual multidisciplinary arts festival that presents and promotes a range of art by local, emerging artists of Asian and/or Pacific Islander descent.
For eighteen seasons, the festival has sparked dialogue around the most pressing questions and central concerns of our day, particularly those impacting the Asian and/or Pacific Islander communities. APAture has also spurred collaboration between artists and the Bay Area community at large.
Interdisciplinary Writers Lab (IWL) is a 3-month, multi-genre master class for local BIPOC writers. In this unique program emerging writers will be challenged to explore and develop their writing skills and styles across multiple genres.
KAPWA GARDENS
A Healing Space For The Community
Kapwa Gardens was a city-owned parking lot turned art & wellness pop-up and healing space for the community. The first public space in San Francisco designed with COVID-19 in mind to create a healing space for people to be outdoors and gather safely, the space has hosted multiple arts events from a kulintang party, Ilokano weaving workshops, Filipino-Punk Rock shows, and more! Filled with swaying bamboo, trees, living walls, and plants native to the San Bruno Mountains—Kapwa Gardens is secret hideaway in the urban jungle.
For Artists:
Kapwa Gardens hosts a flexible outdoor event space that has the capability to host a number of events and programming, like workout classes, live performances, special events, and more!
Artist Programs:
Kapwa Gardens hosted a mural residency program, where selected artists get to adorn Kapwa Garden’s walls their work— such as Vivian Capulong’s Rendition of Madonna and Child.
The International Hotel was a low-income residential hotel that became the most dramatic housing-rights battleground in San Francisco history. Filipino-American youth from San Francisco State University and UC Berkeley and artists and community activists found their ‘roots’ in the stories and lives of the ‘Manongs’ (respected immigrant elders).
The I-Hotel is now a memorial to Filipino-American history and stands as a multipurpose community gathering space for creative expressions relevant to today’s community.
Programs:
The Manilatown Heritage Foundation produces a variety of affordable family-friendly programming at the International Hotel Manilatown Center.
“Kommunity Kultura” is a traditional Philippine music, movement, and cultural education program taking place at San Francisco’s International Hotel Manilatown Center once a month on Saturday afternoons. This program emphasizes hands-on instruction on the pre-colonial Philippine cultural traditions.
“Club Mandalay” on Saturdays are free, family-friendly, live jazz shows brought to you by local jazz-band favorites, like Manilaton and The Autonomous Region!
KULARTS
The Premier presenter of contemporary and tribal Pilipino arts in the United States.
Through three decades of service, Kularts has grown into a leading elder arts organization, uniting generations of artists and community activists in a common effort to build a collective space and sense of belonging within San Francisco, specifically its SOMA Pilipinas: Filipino Cultural Heritage District.
FOR ARTISTS:
KULARTS in partnership with Filipino American Development Foundation and Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center is developing a multidisciplinary art space in San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District with Strada Investment Group.
Kularts supports and works with over 100 artists annually, actively working to amplify diverse voices within our diasporic community.