With support from the California Arts Council, JOAN will pay a substantial portion of our annual staff salaries and rent, and subsidize artist fees and production costs for upcoming exhibitions and programs. This will allow us to more fully carry out our mission to provide a space for experimentation and for art that probes social and cultural norms. Since our founding in 2015 in the tradition of feminist alternative spaces, we’ve been producing programming that amplifies historically marginalized voices, and in the years since, have only strengthened our commitment to centering QTBIPOC communities in our work. JOAN occupies an essential role in the arts ecosystem of Southern California, and with the CAC’s support, will continue to uphold a high standard of programming, operations, and audience engagement.
While centered on a robust, rotating schedule of exhibitions, JOAN is proudly multidisciplinary in its programming, presenting an active calendar of performances, screenings, and discursive events. Many of our programs take the form of commissioned solo projects, enabling us to work closely with individual artists, engage deeply with their practices, and support the development and realization of new work. We are particularly committed to supporting early- to mid-career artists, often collaborating with them on ambitious projects at pivotal moments in their creative trajectories. In addition to championing the Los Angeles arts community, JOAN draws on an international network and global perspective to bring relevant and challenging work to the city—expanding local dialogue and enriching the cultural landscape.

