SOMArts Cultural Center

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SOMArts Cultural Center

SOMArts is a multidisciplinary, multicultural arts organization that offers events, exhibitions and classes in San Francisco. https://linktr.ee/somarts

Founded in 1979, SOMArts embraces the entire spectrum of arts practice and cultural identity, and it is beloved in San Francisco as a truly multicultural, community-built space where cutting-edge events and counterculture commingle with traditional art forms.

09/01/2026

Thank you to the SF Examiner and writer Max Blue for including our upcoming Murphy & Cadogan exhibition in this Fall exhibition guide!

The 2026 Murphy & Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition opens with an all ages reception on Friday, October 16, 7-9 PM and will be on view October 17-November 15 ⭐️ Presented in partnership with San Francisco Foundation and curated by Kevin B.Chen

📸 Photo courtesy of Claire S. Burke (Claire S Burke)

08/29/2026

Luminesce Lounge is happening TOMORROW, San Francisco Black Pride’s all ages after party
Doors open, 6:00 PM 🌟 Workshops, 6:30 PM 🌟 Dance Party 8:30–1:00 PM

🗓 Saturday, August 29, 6:00 PM–1:00 AM
🫶 In partnership with OAKLAND TO ALL (OTA Oakland) EST. 2021
🎟 $10–$20 sliding scale, tap link in bio to purchase in advance!
📍 SOMArts, 934 Brannan St, SF, CA 94103

📢 CALLING TO THE RUNWAY 📢
Team Karma St. Laurent vs. Team Jaye 007
Battling it out for a cash prize!

Workshops led by Averaii Chanel (Averaii) and Karma St. Laurent (Karma Telfar St Laurent)
Performances by LBXX of SF Black Pride and Mojo Carter
With battle commentator Legendary Spiider (Spiider Ebony) and music by DJ AALIGN (A l g i n • DJ AALIGN)

➡️ Tickets are available online by tapping the link in bio ✨AND✨ at the door!

08/26/2026

Join Oakland To All and SOMArts for Luminesce Lounge 🌟 SF Black Pride's all ages after party🌟 happening in 3️⃣ days!

🗓 Saturday, August 29, Doors open at 6
🎟 $10–$20 sliding scale: https://somarts.org/event/luminescelounge/
Flyer designed by .paper.scissor

Event features:
6:30 PM–Runway workshop followed by a Hand Performance workshop
8:30 PM– Dance party featuring live performances and an exhibition Vogue battle 🏆 Two teams of elite Bay Area voguers will battle it out for a cash prize!

✨Meet your Luminesce Lounge DJ and Commentator✨
AALIGN (he/they) is a visionary and multidisciplinary artist weaving the mediums of music, dance & film. Co-founder of SEEN Collective blending global, genre-blurring sounds and cosmic grooves layered with percussion-heavy rhythms that move both body and spirit. A Fillmore native whose journey brought them around the world and back to the Bay, every set is an intentional invitation into release and resonance. 📸 courtesy of the artist

DJ Spiider is a legendary Ballroom DJ and producer from Oakland, California, known for his signature sound and impact on Ballroom culture. Deemed Legendary by Jack Mizrahi in 2026, Spiider has brought the energy of Bay Area Ballroom to international stages, establishing himself as a respected force in the global Ballroom community. 📸 courtesy of

08/24/2026

Come to Luminesce Lounge hungry!
Happening this Saturday, August 29
📍 SOMArts, 934 Brannan St

The Lumpia Ladies will be posted up at Luminesce Lounge selling delicious Filipino food, including veggie and vegan options😋

Get your tickets for SF Black Pride's all ages after party, "Luminesce Lounge: A Ballroom Function–Dance Party, Hand Performance & Runway Workshop, Live Performances & Exhibition Battle"

🤲🏼 In collaboration with Oakland to All
🗓 Doors open 6 PM, Workshops @ 6:30 PM, Dance Party @ 8:30 PM
🎟 $10–$20 sliding scale, tickets available at the door or online: https://somarts.org/event/luminescelounge/

📸 Photo courtesy of Claire S. Burke

08/20/2026

And just like that, we just wrapped our 2026 Día de Los Mu***os artist orientation!

Save the date for the exhibition unveiling and opening reception ➡️ Friday, October 23, 6-9 PM PST

Stay tuned for more "In Their Name: Día de Los Mu***os 2026" exhibition announcements 📸 Photo courtesy of Jesus Rodriguez ()

08/19/2026

Join Oakland to All and SOMArts for ✨Luminesce Lounge: A Ballroom Function – Dance Party, Hand Performance & Runway Workshop, Live Performances & Exhibition Battle✨ SF Black Pride all ages after party!

🗓 Saturday, August 29, doors open at 6:00 PM
🎟 $10–$20 sliding scale, get your tickets: https://somarts.org/luminescelounge
📍 SOMArts, 934 Brannan St, SF, CA 94103

✨Runway Workshop with Averaii Chanel, 6:30–7:30 PM✨
Inspired by the artistry, confidence, and individuality of ballroom runway, Averaii Chanel’s class is a space to sharpen your walk, develop your performance, and discover your own runway identity. We’ll work on runway technique, presentation, poses, transitions, attitude, musicality, and floor presence while exploring the different energies and styles.

✨Hand Performance Workshop with Karma St. Laurent, 7:30–8:30 PM✨
Hand Performance is one of the five foundational elements of Vogue Femme, alongside Catwalk, Duckwalk, Floor Performance, and Spins & Dips. But Hand Performance is an art form all its own, made up of five key elements: Taps, Circles, Waves, Figure Eights, and Lines & Shapes.

In this workshop, students will explore the art of storytelling through the hands, learning how to connect movements, create imagery, and develop their own unique style.

➡️ Tickets are available online and at the door, we encourage that guests purchase their tickets in advance: https://somarts.org/luminescelounge

Photos courtesy of Randy Lucina

08/10/2026

Welcome to the SOMArts' board, jawno okhiulu 🎉 Allow him to introduce himself:

"I'm jawno, a Bay Area grantmaker, singer-songwriter, and community builder devoted to weaving stronger community fabric. At Waverley Street Foundation, I help move resources, build smart organizational systems, and shape strategies that support community-driven climate solutions — spanning food systems, joy, health, and community leadership. I'm also the founder of Each Artist Cultural Hub (Each Artist), an artist-led hub in the Bay Area built on the thesis that a connected cultural sector is public health infrastructure. Each Artist connects local artists and cultural workers to shared spaces, resources, and each other because when artists are rooted and connected, communities are healthier.

I come from a long line of preachers, teachers, farmers, and storytellers across the Black Atlantic. I hold degrees in Human Biology and African & African American Studies from Stanford University, where I focused on the intersections of community health and culture.

When I'm not working, you can find me in a garden, at a kitchen table in conversation, singing, or lost in a good piece of speculative fiction, dreaming of the worlds we're building together."

Photo courtesy of jawno.

08/07/2026

✨40 years of the Murphy & Cadogan scholarships✨
Presented in partnership with San Francisco Foundation and curated by Kevin B. Chen

For four decades, the Murphy & Cadogan scholarships have supported hundreds of MFA students and emerging artists as they nurture their creative practices and transform the landscape of contemporary art.

Meet this year’s awardees at the 2026 Murphy & Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition Opening Reception & Awards Ceremony on Friday, October 16, 6–9 PM!

Murphy Award
Mingqi Ma, California College of the Arts

Cadogan Award
Alyssa Aviles, Stanford University
eva birhanu, California College of the Arts
Anna Isabelle Bruey Sedano, San Francisco State University
mark thomas duffy, University of California, Berkeley
Alex Ehmer, California College of the Arts
Samantha Maria Espinoza, San Francisco State University
Minh Lê, San José State University
Kamyar Mohsenin, California College of the Arts
Lian Yung, California College of the Arts
Khadijah Morley, California College of the Arts
Ariella Robinson, University of California, Berkeley
Leyla Jamil Rzayeva, San Francisco State University
Bhavani Srinivas, University of California, Berkeley
Chukwudubem Ukaigwe, Stanford University

06/30/2026

SOMArts is…Stella Lochman

As we hear more about the need for third spaces, board member Stella Lochman recounts how attending SOMArts’ ceramic classes helped her find community. We’re deeply honored to be a space that nurtures connection between artists, creatives, arts advocates, and community members–thanks so much for sharing your story, Stella!

With the continuous momentum around the “SOMArts Is…” campaign, we’re extending our fundraising efforts into the new fiscal year! Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared, and engaged with our posts and videos ❤️🫂

➡️To make a one time or recurring donation of any amount, please tap the link in bio!

🎥 Video edited by Jesus Rodriguez (Jesus)

06/23/2026

Join Arts for a Better Bay Area at City Hall and SPEAK UP FOR THE ARTS!

🗓Wednesday, June 24, 10:00 AM
📍 Room 250, San Francisco City Hall

For public comment instructions, meeting agenda, key talking points and advocacy resources, visit: https://www.betterbayarea.org/show_up_for_the_arts_comment-on_city_budget

This special meeting of the Board of Supervisors Budget & Appropriations Committee is the final opportunity to provide public comment on next year’s City budget. Let’s show City Hall that the arts are organized, mobilized, paying attention, and holding our elected leaders accountable.

To stay up to date with upcoming arts advocacy actions, follow across social media platforms!

Address

934 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA
94103

Telephone

+14158631414

Website

http://www.somarts.org/

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