Our History
From its beginnings in the coffeehouses of the 1960s, Intersection for the Arts has always been a space for artists to gather, create, and make change. Founded in 1965 as a coalition of three groups sponsored by the Glide Foundation, Intersection for the Arts was originally a space where conscientious objectors to the Vietnam War could find alternative service, using the arts to reach historically excluded youth in the Tenderloin.
Over the past five decades, Intersection for the Arts has stayed true to our original mission—providing people in arts and culture with resources to create and grow—while evolving to respond to our communities’ changing needs and concerns. We convene emerging and established artists, offering them support, space, and opportunities to experiment in poetry, music, theater, comedy, dance, and other artistic disciplines. In doing so, Intersection for the Arts has become a bedrock Bay Area arts nonprofit providing critical support to artists and small arts organizations and an essential element of the arts ecosystem. Today, Intersection for the Arts has grown to be a fiscal sponsor for 170+ Bay Area-based members.
Please read about our storied legacy below. Intersection for the Arts also boasts a stunning archive of ephemera from our readings, exhibitions, and events, which you can view here.
1965 - 2023
“Intersection” was founded in the Tenderloin by an interfaith coalition of three churches in a former bar at 150 Ellis Street.
Robert Johnson, Intersection Director, 1966-69:
Our Poetry Series
Ntozake Shange, playwright and poet:
Deborah Cullinan, Executive Director, 1996-2013:
Campo Santo forms!
Erika Shuch, choreographer and artistic director of the ESP Project, joined Intersection.
We shift our business model to focus on fiscal sponsorship
WE MOVE OUR ARCHIVE TO THE BANCROFT LIBRARY
We moved to 1446 Market Street…
Intersection adopts a shared leadership model.

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Intersection for the Arts respectfully acknowledges that we are based in Yelamu: the traditional, unceded lands of the Ohlone people. We pay our respects to elders both past and present.