About

18th Street Arts Center is one of the top artist residency programs in the US, and the largest in Southern California. Conceived as a radical think tank in the shape of an artist community, 18th Street supports artists from around the globe to imagine, research, and develop significant, meaningful new artworks and share them with the public. We strive to provide artists the space and time to take risks, to foster the ideal environment for artists and the public to directly engage, and to create experiences and partnerships that foster positive social change.

Areas of Expertise

Our mission is to provoke public dialogue through contemporary art-making. We believe that:

Art making is an essential component of a vibrant, just and healthy society
Creative action is a vital part of individual wellbeing
Humanity benefits when artists are valued

Professional Affiliations

Founded as a non-profit in 1988, 18th Street Arts Center has a long history as a space for artists. It originally served as studio space for a group of feminist artists in the 1970s – 80s, and as a hub for the West Coast arm of ACT-UP. With performance art, activism, social justice, feminism, and the gay rights movements in its DNA since the beginning, 18th Street has continued to foster and support the work of many of Los Angeles’ most engaging and diverse artists.