Statement from the San Francisco Latino Democratic Club (SFLDC)
The San Francisco Latino Democratic Club is deeply concerned by reports that the San Francisco Arts Commission is moving to end the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts’ current funding arrangement and issue an RFP for outside management of the Center. The Mission Cultural Center is not just a building-: it is one of the epicentres and anchor institutions for Latino arts, community education, and political artivism in San Francisco.
Historically, The City and County of San Francisco has a troubling pattern of destabilizing cultural institutions rooted in communities of color, while failing to provide the real, sustained capacity-building support that would allow them to thrive. The prolonged crisis surrounding The Mexican Museum’s stalled relocation and public funding jeopardy is one visible example of how quickly cultural legacy can be put at risk when governance, resourcing, and accountability break down.
At the same time, City contracting and reimbursement practices have created serious structural harm across the arts ecosystem - especially for smaller and BIPOC-led nonprofits that cannot front months of costs while waiting to be paid. The Mission Cultural Center has also faced repeated uncertainty around relocation and construction timelines tied to seismic and facility work - timelines that have shifted over multiple years, undermining planning, fundraising, staffing, and program stability.
We call for:
- A community-led governance and selection process through new board members that guarantee the Mission Cultural Center’s autonomy as an independent institution - not reduced to a program housed inside another agency. Fiscal sponsorship is welcomed and required as support, but the Mission Cultural Center must remain as its own agency.
- Stabilization funding and on-time payments (including timely advances, clear cashflow commitments, and bridge support) so the Center can operate during any transition.
- A binding “right to return” framework with transparent schedules and resources that match the real costs of moving, storage, and continuity of programming.
- Immediate accountability for cultural patrimony: all artworks, archives, and artifacts associated with the Mission Cultural Center must be safeguarded and returned to the Center as part of any transition, with proper handling and community oversight.
The Mission deserves a process that strengthens - not fragments - Latino cultural institutions.