Who We Are
INTRODUCTION
Serving Our Community since 1989
Located in the historic Fillmore/Western Addition neighborhood, the African American Art & Culture Complex is one of the premier Black arts and cultural institutions in the San Francisco/Bay Area. We are one of seven cultural centers in the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Neighborhood Arts Program.
Our Mission
Our mission is to advance, celebrate, and preserve the art, culture, heritage, history, Through community programs, educational initiatives, and cultural events, we bring artists, youth, families, seniors, and communities together to create, learn, connect, and thrive.
Our Vision
Our vision is a permanently rooted home for the Black Diaspora in the Fillmore and Western Addition, where Black people and communities are connected, resourced, and thriving culturally, economically, creatively, and across generations.
Our Values
We seek collaborations with individuals and organizations (members and/or partners) who align with our mission and core values:
- Accountability – We commit to open, honest, and clear communication with staff, artists, partners, and the community. Accountability strengthens trust, accountability, and deepen connection across all levels of the organization.
- Achievement – Achievement at AAACC means consistently delivering extraordinary art and cultural experiences that uplift and inspire our community. We strive for this through thoughtful curation, unwavering commitment, and a shared belief in the transformative power of art and culture.
- Appreciation – Appreciation means treating everyone with dignity, listening to one another and communicating with care and understanding.
- Community Care – Community care is providing space, resources, focused support and understanding to who we identify as the community we serve.
- Creative Expression – Creative Expression at AAACC is the courageous act of bringing ideas to life – whether through traditional art forms or innovative explorations. We celebrate the journey of creation, recognizing that both successes and failures are essential to growth and the evolution of art. It is how we show love, support, rage, solidarity, compassion, and understanding beyond words
HOW ARE OUR VALUES REFLECTED THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS?
ACCOUNTABILITY
WITH OUR PARTNERS
Partnerships are built through open collaboration, clear communication, timely follow-through, and shared accountability rooted in trust.
WITH COMMUNITY
Community members feel informed, heard, and connected through accessible communication, opportunities for conversation, and meaningful engagement with the organization.
WITH OUR TEAM MEMBERS
Staff feeling informed and included in decisions and processes. Honest communication, even when conversations are difficult. Clear expectations, accountability, and opportunities for dialogue.
ACHIEVEMENT
WITH OUR PARTNERS
Achievement means sharing compelling artwork and performances that spark dialogue, challenge perspectives, and celebrate the rich diversity of the Black Diaspora. It also includes representing AAACC’s values with professionalism, engaging the community respectfully, and embracing our collaborative spirit.
WITH COMMUNITY
Achievement means creating an accessible and inclusive space where everyone feels welcome, inspired, and empowered. We are committed to listening to and understanding the evolving needs of our community, offering relevant programs and resources, and sharing information so everyone can experience all that AAACC has to offer.
WITH OUR TEAM MEMBERS
Achievement means embracing continuous learning and innovation to provide exceptional support for artists and a welcoming experience for our community. This includes proactively seeking ways to improve our processes, utilizing new technologies, and fostering a collaborative environment that prioritizes both artistic integrity and operational efficiency.
APPRECIATION
WITH OUR PARTNERS
Partnerships are built on mutual respect, honest communication, collaboration, and honoring the time, knowledge, and contributions of others.
WITH COMMUNITY
Community members feel welcomed, heard, valued, and treated with dignity and compassion. Space is made for different perspectives, lived experiences, and meaningful connection.
WITH OUR TEAM MEMBERS
Staff are encouraged to listen to one another with care and understanding, value each person’s contributions and perspectives, and give one another grace during challenges or disagreements.
COMMUNITY CARE
WITH OUR PARTNERS
Community care for our partners is a trust that we put in them to uphold our values of support and understanding to the communities we serve. This is a trust to also not do harm or contradict our values while partnering with us.
WITH COMMUNITY
Community care for our community is about providing a safe, welcoming, and accessible space with programming/ activities that provides resources, understanding, visibility, and/or solidarity.
WITH OUR TEAM MEMBERS
Community care for our staff means that we recognize in each other that we are also members of AAACC’s community and deserve the same care and understanding we seek to provide to the public we serve. Community care feels like an accountability to our values to ourselves and everyone else.
CREATIVE EXPRESSION
WITH OUR PARTNERS
Creative Expression means fearlessly exploring your artistic vision, experimenting with new forms, and pushing the boundaries of your craft. We encourage you to share your authentic voice – whether it sparks conversation, challenges perspectives, or simply inspires joy – knowing that vulnerability and innovation are at the heart of true art. For our partners it is commitment to sharing and supporting their vision.
WITH COMMUNITY
Creative Expression means feeling empowered to share your unique perspective and contribute to the vibrant cultural landscape of AAACC. We welcome your ideas for new programs and events, understanding that diverse voices and artistic forms enrich our community and fuel our collective creativity.
WITH OUR TEAM MEMBERS
Creative Expression means embracing experimentation and providing a supportive environment for artists and community members to explore new mediums, techniques, and ideas. This includes actively seeking and incorporating community input, even if it ventures beyond our established artistic offerings, and understanding that failure is a valuable learning opportunity.
Our Impact
There are Six Spheres of Impact within which the AAACC’s support could be attributed. They are: Relational Impact, Material Impact, Social Impact, Aspirational Impact, Organizational Impact, and Place Impact. Each Sphere of Impact has parameters that define it, stories that articulate the shape of its impact, and maps that provide guideposts for future planning, iterative design, and culture tending.
Together, the Six Spheres of Impact tell complex, intersecting, and intersectional stories of how the AAACC makes an impact in the lives and careers of Black Artists, Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Community Members.
THE SIX SPHERES OF IMPACT
Relational Impact examines how AAACC’s deep roots in the Black Diaspora bridge, span, and move across generations. Relationships form the foundation for all other forms of impact.
Material Impact examines how AAACC’s economic investments help stabilize the lives and careers of Black Artists, Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Community Members. Money unlocks opportunities.
Social Impact examines how AAACC’s support strengthens social bonds through co-producing annual Black cultural celebrations and traditions, hosting governmental and community meetings, and collaborating with community organizations to meet the needs of the neighborhood. AAACC creates room for ALL.
Aspirational Impact examines how AAACC’s curatorial and production practices facilitate Black Artists, Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Community Members in taking creative risks that open up what they believe is even possible. AAACC is Black Dreams.
Organizational Impact examines how AAACC’s praxis cultivates an ecosystem that puts Black Artists, Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Community Members at the center of the development and implementation of infrastructure. Collectively equipping each other for mutual success.
Place Impact examines how AAACC’s physical and geographic presence within its building plays a significant role in repairing the damages done by the former San Francisco Redevelopment Office, which was housed in that same building, and how amidst ongoing gentrification and displacement, AAACC should not be moved.