Artists with a vision for downtown San Francisco may have the chance to bring their projects to life when the Svane Family Foundation opens applications for a new grant early next year.
On Thursday, the foundation, headed by former Zendesk CEO Mikkel Svane, announced its new initiative called Culture Forward, which will award a total of $5 million for an unspecified number of creative projects. Applications open in January 2025, and funding will be given out every quarter from March 2025 to the fall of 2027.
In an email to KQED, a foundation spokesperson said that the structure of the grant will be revealed closer to the application launch date, and that artists, creatives and organizations in and outside of the Bay Area are welcome to apply. The Svane Family Foundation has previously supported Bay Area artists with $10,000 grants during the pandemic, as well as a million-dollar gift to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to acquire 42 works by Bay Area artists from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
Culture Forward, which Mayor London Breed endorsed in a statement, arrives at a time when the city and private foundations turn their focus towards revitalizing downtown San Francisco. In March, Breed set a goal to bring 30,000 new residents and students to the downtown area by 2030.
Over the summer, Breed announced the creation of new “entertainment zones” where business can sell alcoholic drinks to go during special events. San Francisco’s first entertainment zone on Front Street celebrated its first event, Oktoberfest, in September, and has a Halloween party called Nightmare on Front Street planned for Oct. 31. Breed recently proposed legislation for four new entertainment zones that could take effect in December if passed.
