In 2012, we asked ourselves and our community a simple question: if we had a space, what could we do with it? Armed with a mission to support and build the community of new music to encourage its efficiency, growth, integration, and excellence, we set about creating a welcoming space that values inclusivity.
Five years later, we have much to celebrate. Our programs and 700+ events have brought in participants from all corners of our new music community, forming a more cohesive artistic niche in the San Francisco Bay Area. This spirit of togetherness has helped bring the longstanding scene of contemporary, creative, new, experimental artists in SF to a higher level of achievement, and brought stronger recognition from international artists, large arts institutions near and far, SF city officials, major grantmakers, and local businesses.
As we look forward to the next five years and beyond, our top priority is to ensure that the Center for New Music will have a home in San Francisco for the long term. This requires us to face the real estate situation in the Bay Area head on, and continually find ways to improve our facility to better fit the needs of our artists. We’ll continue to improve and strengthen our current programs and services, such as the Ensemble in Residence program, fiscal sponsorship, and artist development workshops. We’ll also support new ideas by forging partnerships and special projects, creating learning cohorts and collaborations, developing artist toolkits, and devising better ways to share information and connect with each other.
In our first five years, we have established the Center for New Music as the leading support organization for the new music community in San Francisco. We’ve mobilized hundreds of artists, collaborated with dozens of organizations large and small, and engaged volunteers and supporters to establish a true home and hub for new music.
Some founders are lauded for their vision; ours was always just a question. We thank everyone who has helped to answer that question, and hope others will feel welcome and inspired to help us continue the co-creation of the Center for New Music.
Adam Fong & Brent Miller
This letter was included in the Center’s 5-Year Report. Read the full report and check out other community learnings>>