About Intersection for the Arts
Our Mission
Provide people in arts and culture with resources to grow.
About us
Intersection for the Arts is a bedrock Bay Area arts nonprofit that’s dedicated to helping artists grow. Through vital resources, including fiscal sponsorship, low-cost coworking and event space, and professional development programs, we empower people to continue creating, thinking big, and taking weird and wonderful risks.
We believe art and culture are necessary elements of wellbeing. That’s why we serve people working in the arts—from artists to educators to administrators to funders.
We take the stance that artists should be at the top of the systems that were originally created to support their work. Art institutions would not exist but for artists’ creativity, sweat, blood, tears, and enormously generous hearts. We support those who take matters into their own capable hands and make their own opportunities. We stand by artists every day in their efforts to make our communities better, healthier, more exciting and dynamic places to live our lives.
Our values
Community – Passion – Transparency – Professionalism – Diversity – Equity – Accessibility – Connection – Rigor – Humor
Our values in action
We strive to:
Serve our community of artists and cultural workers and their respective communities in turn;
Approach our work with passion, driven by the belief in the transformative, healing, and unifying power of arts;
Act with transparency and professionalism in all matters of our organization;
Reflect the diversity that makes the Bay Area arts sector so vibrant, compassionate, and innovative;
Ensure the equity, inclusivity, and accessibility of our services and programs;
Connect artists with resources and professional networks;
Provide programs that are known for their rigor and that propel and challenge the arts sector to grow; and
Find humor in every challenging situation.
OUR STAFF
Allison Snopek
Executive Co-Director of Programs & Grants Management
She/her
Allison’s job is to oversee Intersection’s programs including Fiscal Sponsorship, Professional Development, Space, and communications. She manages relationships with funders to process grants for Fiscally Sponsored Members and Intersection as an organization. Allison enjoys opportunities to connect directly with Intersection Members and to collaborate with the Intersection team. As a visual artist and arts administrator, Allison has worked for Bay Area nonprofits such as ArtSpan, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, SF Arts Ed, Leap Arts in Education, and Red Poppy Art House. In her free time, Allison can be found exploring the great outdoors, enjoying friends and family, painting, and/or cooking a creative feast.
Contact Allison for questions about Intersection’s programs and organizational partnerships:
allison [at] theintersection [dot] org
Scott Nielsen
Executive Co-Director of Finance & Operations
He/him
Scott’s job is to provide all Intersection members with the financial information they need to make informed decisions about their projects as well as helping to manage the audit process and banking relationships. His favorite part of the job is supporting Intersection’s amazing staff and helping find innovative ways to increase the capacity of the arts sector and arts service organizations. After beginning his career in the insurance industry, Scott went back to school for a graduate degree in Public Administration from SF State and shifted his focus to the nonprofit sector. Since then he has taken on senior finance roles at several nonprofits, most recently Stanford Jazz Workshop and Huckleberry Youth Programs. In his spare time he enjoys finding new coffee shops to check out as well as talking musical theater and local politics with friends.
Contact Scott about Intersection’s operations and finance:
scott [at] theintersection [dot] org
Jae Tioseco
Administrative Director
She/Her/They
Jae’s job is to support Intersection’s fiscally sponsored members and staff with Human Resources support and compliance. In addition to her professional experience in retail banking and administrative support, Jae has 10+ years as a Filipino folk dancer. Currently, serving as the Dance Director for Barangay Dance Company of San Francisco, Jae has been a dance consultant and choreographer to Skyline College and San Francisco State University for their annual Pilipinx Cultural Nights (PCN). Jae is also the co-founder of Haraya Dance Project, a dance collective that aims to create a safe space for movement rooted in Philippine dance for Trans, Non-binary, and Queer identifying Filipinx-Americans and Filipinx alike.
Contact Jae for general and administrative questions about Intersection for the Arts:
jae [at] theintersection [dot] org
Amy Kweskin
Director of Professional Development
She/her
Amy’s job is to design and implement professional development programs that help artists and arts managers build their business of art muscles. Amy specializes in strategic planning and offers consulting to arts organizations through Artsightful. She is a co-author of the Center for Cultural Innovation’s Business of Being an Artist. Additionally, Amy is an adjunct professor at Golden Gate University, St. Mary’s College of California, and The University of Oklahoma. Amy earned her Doctor of Business Administration from Golden Gate University. To bring somatic practice to her work Amy also teaches yoga.
Contact Amy for questions about professional development, coaches, and consultants:
amy [at] theintersection [dot] org
Claire Astrow
Engagement Manager
She/Her
Claire’s job is to build public awareness of Intersection for the Arts, facilitate community engagement, and involve people in Intersection’s programs as members, participants, community partners, supporters, and donors. Claire is a visual artist and arts administrator who is passionate about increasing access to the arts. She has worked for arts organizations such as The Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive and Bedford Gallery. In her free time, Claire enjoys seeing live music, exploring her neighborhood, and painting.
Contact Claire for press queries, promotional partnerships, or other outreach/marketing questions:
claire [at] theintersection [dot] org
Sloane Larsen
Space Program Manager
She/Her
Sloane’s job is to foster a sense of community, connection, and collaboration among Intersection’s members in her management of the Space Program. She oversees coworking, space rentals, and facilities management. Additionally, she works in collaboration with Intersection’s Director of Professional Development to bring about cohort-based arts incubator opportunities which are at the heart of Intersection’s mission: to provide people in arts and culture with the resources they need to grow. Sloane is a multidisciplinary artist whose creative work fuels her desire to ensure that art is something to be valued and supported.
Contact Sloane for questions about coworking, space rentals as well as current and upcoming incubator opportunities:
sloane [at] theintersection [dot] org
Liana Mier
Accounts Payable Manager
She/Her
Liana’s job is to support Intersection’s Fiscally Sponsored Members with their outgoing payment requests. Within her role, she also assists the finance and administrative team with their day-to-day activities. Liana hopes to be a bridge between the worlds of art and finance. Outside of work, Liana considers herself to be a jack of all trades, with interest in a variety of hobbies and art forms. Her BA in Theater Arts from San Francisco State University has helped expand her love for the arts by allowing her to be a part of music, dance, acting, technical theater, and production management.
Contact Liana for questions about RFPs, ROFs, Intersection’s weekly payment disbursement schedule, or any other general finance questions:
liana [at] theintersection [dot] org
Jamie Walsh
Membership Manager
She/Her
Jamie’s job is to provide support services to new and current fiscally sponsored members. She received her MS in Arts Management from the University of Oregon and has worked for the past 14 years in the nonprofit art world as a champion for artists with disabilities and facilitating community arts events. Jamie has worked for arts organizations such as the OSLP Arts & Culture Center in Eugene and the arts fiscal sponsor Shunpike in Seattle. She facilitates her own fiscally sponsored project called Quickest Flip, which publishes a contemporary art magazine featuring artwork by artists both with and without disabilities. In her free time, Jamie enjoys exploring new places to walk around, catching up with friends, binging true crime shows, and spending time with her cat Franny.
Contact Jamie for questions about fiscal sponsorship, financial reports, grants management, and any other general inquiries:
jamie [at] theintersection [dot] org
Willie Caldwell
Finance Associate
He/Him
Willie’s job is to support the finance team in executing the day-to-day financial operations of our fiscally sponsored members. He was born in the Bay Area, refuses to leave, and is dedicated to bringing theater to unusual places. When he’s not on stage or behind a computer you can find him in Oakland staying up late and talking to interesting people. He holds a BA in Theater Arts from San Francisco State University.
Contact Willie for questions about our finance process:
willie [at] theintersection [dot] org
Sarah Chou
Finance Support Assistant
She/Her
Sarah’s job is to support the day-to-day activities of the finance team, specifically related to payment requests from Intersection’s members. She graduated Cum Laude from Wellesley College with a B.A. in History and a minor in Economics. Sarah was inspired by the transformative power of art from a young age. Her work in nonprofit arts integrates her passion for creativity, beauty, networking, and equity. In her free timeSarah is a freelance dancer in San Francisco and has performed with SFDanceworks and ODC/Dance Company.
Contact Sarah for questions regarding RFPs:
sarah [at] theintersection [dot] org
Krista Smith
Grant Specialist
She/Her
Krista’s job is to help our members present competitive grant applications. Krista leads our grant review process and teaches our grant writing workshops. Krista brings 22 years of experience as an artist, grant writer, administrator, and arts advocate to the San Francisco Bay Area’s arts and culture landscape. Krista has worked as the Development Director of Frameline and the Queer Cultural Center and served as a panelist for the California Arts Council and MAP Fund. In addition to grant writing, Krista has also led strategic planning processes for Foglifter Press, NAKA Dance Theater, Queer Cultural Center, Queer Rebels Productions, and Still Here Productions and serves as a speaker, workshop facilitator, and coach with a focus on grant writing, arts fundraising, and racial and cultural equity.
Fiscally Sponsored Members can contact Krista through the Grant Review Portal.
ADJUNCT STAFF
Amro Radwan
IT Lead
Thank you to intersection's community of funders
