My name is Niko Nada and I am creating this gofundme on behalf of Crisis Club, a DIY art gallery in Oakland, California, that centers marginalized identities but is open to everyone who has an eye and a heart for lowbrow art - or what we lovingly refer to as "freak art."

Some of you may remember our original fundraiser a few years ago to help offset building fees and construction costs. Since opening in 2020, we have hosted many rotating exhibits showcasing local artists, with a majority being group shows, stocked a shop with over three dozen artists at any given time, and have held countless free swaps and workshops for the neighborhood and beyond. We strive to be a resource for artists to have a space to unwind from the world around us and find community with each other, one weirdo art piece at a time.

With Crisis Club being the largest passion project I've ever taken on, it hasn't come without its hurdles. In the years since opening, I have sacrificed both personal time and space in order to prioritize the gallery and its ability to be there for the community. Paying out of pocket for the space has become increasingly difficult while I'm put in positions where I have to pass up personal art opportunities in order to work in the gallery and/or put all my earnings towards the space. Before the gallery, I was regularly traveling for zine fests, which I miss dearly. Being able to balance those two lives is the dream and the goal.

The building's rent is $1800/month, and my portion of that depends on how many artists share the space on a monthly basis, as well as how well our sales go during the month. As a business, I will never increase our cut of 25% of sales, because I want artists to make as much as possible from their creations, but I need to be more realistic with myself about just how much it takes to make a DIY space sustainable long-term. With the never ending fix-it problems we've experienced since opening, like plumbing explosions or cracked ceilings, this has been a constant labor of love from all angles. If the goal of this GoFundMe is met, it would guarantee multiple months of rent upfront, meaning I can focus more of my time on different opportunities to get back on my feet and continue putting my personal money towards other gallery expenses (like utilities and repairs) - and maybe even in a dream world, to have a retainer to pay people to cover the gallery on weekends that I'm unavailable, or for the rotating art supplies needed for our ongoing workshops and gatherings. I know that the world is a bleak place lately, which is why having this space for us to decompress safely is a top priority for me, and doing what I can to keep it open comes with practicing vulnerability in admitting that I could use the help.

Thank you to everyone who's ever put a dollar towards Crisis Club, who helped build it with their own hands, or who has just had a nice thought about us from afar. I promise to do my best to keep our freak doors open as long as possible!