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Keep Happy House Alive for SF Artists
0% complete
$7,213 raised of
74 donations
To friends of Happy House,
The time has come to ask for your help. We have been pushing back on this moment for a long time but we simply can’t do this without help from the collective. San Francisco's art and culture ecosystem is so incredibly special and important, but as we all know, it is so incredibly difficult to stay afloat. With so many unique artists here in SF, we must help each other to exist in this moment. For many social, economic, and political reasons, the odds are against us. We are in danger of becoming one of the many special places (that could truly only exist here) which might not make it.
Over three years ago, we founded Happy House with a simple but urgent mission: to create a physical space where local artists could thrive by showing and selling their work directly to the community. We wanted to make San Francisco's creative spirit visible and accessible to longtime residents and curious visitors alike. As more spaces like ours disappear every month, that mission has never been more critical.
We are so proud of the real and tangible accomplishments we have had over the past three years:
- We've activated our local community in North Beach, bringing life back to a historic bohemian neighborhood through events and programming that didn't exist before us.
- We've built a gallery with a unique point of view, one that celebrates the outsider, the strange, and the marginalized. We've opened our doors to first-time curators and artists showing their work publicly for the very first time, as well as seasoned artists with extensive history.
- Through our consignment program and gallery shows, we've showcased the work of over 100 (!!!!!!) local artists. Bringing artist’s creations directly to audiences, bringing money directly to our community.
- We've used our platform to speak on the issues we care about, from fighting for a livable San Francisco for working people, to standing in solidarity with a free Palestine.
- We’ve worked with so many creative friends to put on two incredible (and big!) parties featuring live music from some incredible bands, raffles with prizes from some of the most talented local artists, as well as our favorite local businesses, and even an old-school psychedelic liquid light show!!! We have held countless pop-ups, from our beginnings at The Ferry Building to our HH x Wacky Wednesday markets held at Vesuvio.
And to be transparent, we have poured everything into these last 3.5 years without any monetary gain.
Our goal was to be part of the solution. To build something uniquely San Franciscan - programming and art you simply cannot find anywhere else. We are endlessly grateful to everyone who has supported us by shopping, showing up, spreading the word, or volunteering your time. Without your enthusiasm, energy, and encouragement, we would not exist in the first place. But we are struggling.
We are still carrying start-up debt that is severely limiting our ability to bring in new work, keep our space filled and reach new people. This debt is affecting our ability to exist, especially as foot traffic and tourism in our neighbourhood is slow to grow. North Beach nightlife and culture is on the rise, and we feel lucky to have been a part of that, but retail in the area still lags.
We don’t know what the future holds for us now, but we hope by leaning on our community, we will at least be able to catch up, stay afloat and make the changes we need for our business to grow and thrive. Every dollar keeps this space alive, keeps artists on our walls, and preserves a little more of the real San Francisco.
Organizer
