18th Street Arts Center

Before it was established as a nonprofit organization in 1988, 18th Street Arts Center served as a studio for feminist artists, including Judy Chicago, Susanna Bixby Dakin, Barbara T. Smith, and Linda Frye Burnham. As a hub for the West Coast branch of activist group ACT-UP, the organization was a pioneer in addressing the AIDS crisis.

Over the decades, 18th Street Arts Center has run a robust artist residency program, as well as other public arts programs and exhibitions. The residency program contains three programmatic tiers and is designed to promote intercultural dialogue, diplomacy through art, mentoring and networking opportunities, and the organization's longstanding commitment to social justice values. Since 1992, the program has hosted more than 500 artists from dozens of countries across the globe. Beyond the residency program and exhibitions, 18th Street Arts Center's Community Engagement Program collaborates with other organizations and leaders in Santa Monica to expose diverse audiences to the transformative powers of art.