Artistically, YBCA is decidedly “cutting edge,” presenting and exhibiting work by artists who are pushing the boundaries of their art in form and/or content. With fierce determination, YBCA supports artists’ adventuring, recognizing the risk involved in such an approach. There are only a few multi-disciplinary contemporary arts centers like YBCA anywhere in the United States. Within that cohort, with whom YBCA regularly collaborates, YBCA is a leader for its organizational stability as well as its programmatic adventurousness. This combination makes YBCA an important player in the national arts scene.
With a budget just under $10 million, YBCA is a “mid-size” organization. We view this as a strength that allows us to collaborate with and learn from organizations both larger and smaller. A program or project piloted at YBCA can serve as a model for other organizations, regardless of size. In the last few years, YBCA has assumed a stronger leadership role in the Bay Area arts community by convening groups of artists, arts administrators, arts workers, and arts lovers around issues of importance to the community.