Nearly a decade ago, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation’s Arts program started with limited funding and a desire to engage with the people and organizations that comprise the vibrant Bay Area arts community. In those early years, we supported bold, new performances that pushed the boundaries of creative expression. Immersing ourselves in the local arts community, we listened to the needs of our grantees and expanded our grantmaking through innovative partnerships and initiatives designed to help arts organizations overcome structural and financial challenges. By 2016, our Arts program had solidified its reach, supporting inspirational artists in translating their vision into tangible expression. Working with our partners, local artists and arts organizations, we are helping to assure that the Bay Area continues to thrive as one of the most culturally dynamic communities in the world.

Very passionate and inspired people, artists are often impacted by cultural forces, such as economic pressures and the Bay Area real estate affordability crisis. Now, more than ever, we support the artistic community as it adapts to obstacles and overcomes daunting challenges. With novel investments, strategic partnerships, and inspired solutions, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation remains focused on and committed to supporting the Bay Area’s arts community. We are here to stay.

In December, we mourned 36 people who died in the Ghost Ship fire, a devastating loss for the Bay Area community. Just days after this tragedy, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation announced their financial support to implement sustainable, long-term solutions to create affordable, safe space for Oakland arts organizations. Though this work had been in development for many months, these funds were especially important in light of the tragic fire.

Our investment supported the expansion of the Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST)—a proven model for the community to stem displacement in the arts—into Oakland. In partnership with the real estate consulting experts from the Northern California Community Loan Fund, CAST launched Keeping Space – Oakland, a financial and technical assistance program to help arts organizations facing displacement. The initiative also seeded a capital fund enabling CAST to launch a real estate acquisition program for arts and cultural organizations, and funded a policy position within the City of Oakland that will focus on creating and preserving arts and cultural spaces.

Our relationship with CAST began in 2013 when the Foundation made a $5 million grant over five years to establish the organization. The Rainin Foundation is playing an important role in addressing arts displacement in San Francisco and now Oakland to protect our valued arts and cultural assets. We recognized this most pressing need and created the Rainin Arts Real Estate Strategy—a collaborative strategy connecting resources in the community to the real estate needs of arts and cultural organizations.

The Rainin Foundation is fortunate to work alongside partners who are willing to challenge the status quo, test new ideas, and share knowledge. Our first foray into public art was funding Light up Central Market, an original project that included an interactive bench and platform called “Block by Block.” We saw and understood the impact rapid change was having on San Francisco’s Central Market neighborhood, and we—and our partners—believed the community would benefit from art that brought people together. Collectively, we felt a public art installation was a risk worth taking.

“I love the way we responded when the public art project we supported didn’t go the way we hoped it would,” said Jennifer Rainin, PhD, Rainin Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer. “I’m proud of the way our team communicated to the field and the community what we learned and why we’re evolving as we are.” Read the series of conversations about art, class and race that emerged from “Block by Block,” and why this was an important moment for the Foundation.

The Rainin Foundation’s work is rooted in the belief that we can achieve greater impact when we partner with others. In 2016, we continued our partnership with SFFILM (formerly the San Francisco Film Society) to support a thriving Bay Area filmmaking ecosystem. Through our particular support, we’ve formed the largest granting body for independent narrative feature films in the United States. We focus on narrative films because they have the unique ability to explore contemporary issues and directly communicate personal and universal messages. They are a powerful and influential medium for social change given the exposure film can garner.

The Rainin Foundation is devoted to creating opportunities for independent artists and arts organizations who push the boundaries of creative expression. We provide support through focused grantmaking programs.

VENTURING INTO PUBLIC ART

The insights we gained from our first collaboration in public art informed our Open Spaces Program, launched in 2016. This program supports temporary public art in Oakland and San Francisco that engages communities, and will also build the capacity of Bay Area artists to create public art. One of the first projects of this program was a symposium that brought together artists working in the public space to share ideas and learn from each other. Twelve finalists were selected from letters of inquiry submissions.