18th Street Arts Center is one of the top 20 artist residency programs in the US. 18th Street encourages contemporary artists from around the globe to create new work within a supportive environment. We provide artists the space and time to take risks in ways that further the development of their practice. Our mission is to provoke public dialogue through contemporary art-making. We believe that the creative process is just as important as the outcome. Through our artist residencies we are a contemporary art hub that fosters inter-cultural collaboration and dialogue. 18th Street’s residencies, exhibitions, public events, talks, and publications encourage, showcase and support the creation of cutting-edge contemporary art, and foster collaboration and interaction between artists locally, nationally, and internationally.

Founded in 1988, 18th Street Arts Center has fostered and supported the work of many of Los Angeles’ most engaging and diverse artists, and has built bridges to artist communities around the globe. 18th Street provides a hub for contemporary art through two program areas that reflect its mission: 1) A three-tiered Residency Program that fosters inter-cultural collaboration and dialogue and 2) A Public Events and Exhibition Program that focuses on engaging the public and revealing the art-making process through exhibitions, events, talks, publications and other opportunities. Our Residency Program has three strategies to support artists: long-term residencies for mentoring artists and ‘anchor’ organizations, who have helped to define the character and scope of the organization; mid-term residencies of 3 years to advance California artists’ careers; and short-term residencies, for national and international visiting artists and curators who live at 18th Street for 1-3 months. The Public Events and Exhibition Program encompasses our signature Artist Labs series, the new Curator in Residence Program, presentations of emerging artists in our Atrium Gallery, and a lecture series featuring artists, curators, and scholars whose presentations relate to exhibition content and thematics explored in our residencies.