San Francisco’s Galería de la Raza has been told by its landlord that it will not be given a long-term lease for the space it’s occupied in the Mission District for over 43 years, gallery representatives announced Thursday.
Galería’s Executive Director Ani Rivera sent a mass email to its supporters Thursday stating that after more than a year of talks, the owners of the gallery space on 24th street and Bryant have refused to change their current month-to-month arrangement.
“Given the demographic and economic changes happening in the city and in the Mission District, we felt that it was appropriate and pressing for us to begin a ‘place keeping’ process. Above all, we aimed to secure a home for Galería, preferably in the space where we’ve called home for the last 4+ decades,” Rivera wrote. “However, we regret to inform you that our landlord has turned down our request to enter into conversation to negotiate a long-term lease. They resolutely stated that they have no interest in our offer and have no intention of revisiting the matter in the near future. For now, the rental agreement will continue on a month-to-month basis.”
Founded in 1970 by a group of Chicano artists and community activists, Galería has been a cultural focal point in the Mission District ever since it began. But now as the identity of the neighborhood changes due to the influx of new, wealthier residents, Rivera says she’s concerned that it will become more difficult to keep around.
“Galeria for many in the community is a safe space, and it’s also at the verge of going under,” Rivera said in an earlier interview with KQED Arts. “So I am in a constant mourning, I am in a constant action, trying to figure out how to protect, how to sustain, and this incidents of violence that get inflict upon us. We constantly walk with a warrior shields.”
The gallery was in the news last year after its mural depicting three versions of LGBTQ “Cholo” culture was vandalized on multiple occasions. The defacing of the mural led to an outcry from the local community, who rallied in support of the gallery and its work.
Read Riveras letter below:
Dear Community Partners,
We want to personally thank you for your continued support of Galería de la Raza (Galería) as we pursued a long-term lease with our current landlord. This undertaking was a culmination of over a year and a half of planning conducted through advocacy and planning with various groups on this issue, including the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), the Northern California Community Loan Fund (NCCLF), and the Central Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST), among others.As many of you know, Galería has been operating out of its current location for the last 43 years without a long-term lease in place. Given the demographic and economic changes happening in the city and in the Mission District, we felt that it was appropriate and pressing for us to begin a “place keeping” process. Above all, we aimed to secure a home for Galería, preferably in the space where we’ve called home for the last 4+ decades.
However, we regret to inform you that our landlord has turned down our request to enter into conversation to negotiate a long-term lease. They resolutely stated that they have no interest in our offer and have no intention of revisiting the matter in the near future. For now, the rental agreement will continue on a month-to-month basis.
While this decision is disappointing, it has made us realize we need to look at developing other long-term sustainable options. With the support of our board, we will begin looking at other locations within the Mission district that can offer a more secure future for the Galería to continue its legacy.That being said, we want to reach out for your support and input on what could be next for Galería. In the coming weeks, we will be reaching out to you individually to set up meetings to discuss our next steps. We hope you are willing to join the conversation as we explore new opportunities and together find new ideas for the future!
Once again on behalf of Galería’s Board & Staff, I would like to sincerely thank you!
Best,
Ani Rivera