African-American Art & Culture Complex
San Francisco and the greater Bay Area has a lot of high-profile art museums and galleries, which feature permanent and rotating exhibits by famous artists but some of the best places to appreciate art and watch it being made are located in the city’s neighborhoods. One such place is the African-American Art & Culture Complex on Fulton Street in San Francisco’s Alamo Square neighborhood. In 1989, two longstanding African-American cultural organizations, the Wajumbe Cultural Institution, Inc., and the San Francisco African American Historical Society, joined forces to create a unique and very important resource for residents and visitors alike. Shortly thereafter, the AAA&CC was born and continues to serve as a cultural hub for the community to this day.
Today, the AAA&CC is an important part of San Francisco’s culture and diversity, offering a full slate of exhibitions, performances, after-school programs, summer programs, private and group lessons in a variety of artistic disciplines and much more. The 34,000 square feet of the Complex features:
- An art gallery featuring important works from established and up-and-coming artists.
- Three exhibition spaces featuring a wide range of different types of art.
- A 203-seat theater for live performances from local, national and international artists.
- A recording studio, which helps document the work from the artists, introduces them to the recording process and allows them to experience their performances the way that audiences do.
- A library and archives of African-American history, where artists at all levels of accomplishment can explore the history of their craft and use this information to inform and inspire their own creative processes.
- Two dance studios where students can learn and develop their talents at their own pace.
- Other multi-purpose spaces, which serve many different organizations in the community.
The AAA&CC is also the home for many of the Bay Area’s most accomplished and respected performing arts organizations, such as the African American Shakespeare Company and Cultural Odyssey and the AfroSolo Theatre Company, as well as several arts organizations, which promote the arts locally and around the world.
As you might guess, the Complex has a very full performance calendar every week of the year, with a wide range of different presentations. For more information about upcoming exhibitions, performances, classes, programs and other events at the Complex, visit their website at http://www.aaacc.org/. They are located at 762 Fulton Street, between Webster and Laguna Streets, just two blocks east of Alamo Square. They are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.