A Sanctuary in the Tenderloin: Inside Hospitality House’s Community Arts Program

“You can be going through something hard, or you can just need a place to breathe. Art is the bridge that brings people back to themselves.”
– Haley Summerfield, program manager of Hospitality House’s Community Arts Program

Walking into Hospitality House’s Community Arts Program (CAP) studio was like stepping into a sanctuary. Soft voices and easy laughter filled the room as two people discussed a half-formed papier-mâché figure. The creative energy was palpable, but beneath it was a quiet calm — a stark contrast to the Tenderloin outside.

“The artists built this space themselves, organically within the program. Some of them have been creating here for decades; longer than most galleries have existed in the city. They’ve watched the neighborhood change around them,” says Samson Manalo, the program’s director of development.

I noticed several large paintings on the wall above us. “This wall is all WORxD’s work,” says Summerfield. “He was a core artist here for decades, known for his layered cityscapes with figures and faces. We keep his work up to honor him and his spirit. People say you can feel WORxD’s spirit here. When he passed, we decided to keep this wall for him.” As they talked about WORxD, their reverence was a reminder that the space is as much about belonging and connection as it is about art.

Founded in 1969, CAP is one of six programs run by Hospitality House and a cornerstone of the organization. It’s one of San Francisco’s oldest free art studios and among the first to welcome unhoused, formerly incarcerated, and low-income artists.

Created two years after Hospitality House emerged from the city’s civil-rights heyday, the program was founded by activists from the LGBTQ+ Vanguard Club as a refuge for young gay and transgender people, carrying that same spirit of dignity and inclusion into the arts.

Today, CAP remains a creative community where anyone can walk in and make art without judgment or expectation. Free workshops and materials offer new skills and connection for all.

“The spirit of this place hasn’t changed,” Summerfield says. “People come here to be seen, to make something, to matter. It’s calm, safe, and no one is turned away.”

More than 3,500 artists a year find refuge in the studio, where they have the space and tools to create, exhibit, store, and sell their art. I’m fortunate to have met four of them.

At a table near the back of the studio, Monteque Pope-Le Beau bent over an intricate black-and-white drawing, his pen tracing quiet, deliberate lines. “I’ve been an artist since I was six years old,” they said. After returning home to San Francisco, they searched for a studio but found rents daunting. “A colleague told me about this place in the Tenderloin,” he recalled. “The first day I stopped by, I started creating — and every day since.”

Now a fixture in the studio, Monteque shares their experience with others. “When someone new comes in with questions, I try to help them find answers,” they said. They once led a workshop showing artists how to price and protect their work. Looking down at their drawing, they added, “This one’s about the emotional journey we all must go on.”

At the printmaking table, Sushma greeted me with a radiant smile, her hands still dusted with ink. She divides her time between Mumbai and San Francisco but says this studio feels like home.

“Whenever I visit my children here, I’m in the studio the next day,” she laughs, showing me her layered linoleum and etching prints. “I made my first lino cut here. Before, I was into oil painting and traditional work. Now I am a printmaker.”

Haley smiled beside her. “It’s kind of rare to do these layered prints at such a big scale like the ones she’s making.” Sushma grinned. “Yes, it’s my new passion. I just want to explore more.”

As we talked, she told me about her upcoming open studio at Arc Gallery for ArtSpan’s SF Open Studios. “The staff here are helping me prepare everything,” she says. She gestured to her colorful prints: single-color experiments, multicolor Yosemite landscapes, a vivid print inspired by her yogi daughter. “It’s community,” she says softly. “But even more than that, it’s family. You can be open here. Nobody judges you.”

Stormy stood at a table toward the front of the studio. They spent two years on the street creating a tarot deck from the faces and memories of people they knew.

“Every card is someone I know, someone I lived with,” they said. “I take photos, collage them, rework them in an app,” they explained, fingers moving fast across the screen. “I just save, swipe, zoom, and add another layer. I make fifty to a hundred different pieces from one image.”

“Stormi’s really pioneered this digital style here,” Haley said. ”Their tarot deck was the first project funded through our Flex Fund.” Stormi nodded. “We made thirty-five decks. I designed everything, and Hospitality House helped with money.” I picked up a card — the Eight of Wands. “That’s my drag mom,” they said. “I didn’t know lavender was her favorite color until she saw it. It’s like the art knew.”

Basher has been coming to Hospitality House since 2017. “A friend told me about the place,” he said. “I was drawing stuff in notebooks and they said, ‘You should check out this studio.’”

He showed me his work: brightly colored drawings made with chalk and pastels, sealed with hairspray and alcohol. “I started drawing to quiet the noise,” he said. “I have concussion-related issues that distort my senses. If it’s too bright, I start hearing things. If it’s too loud, I start seeing faces. Drawing helps me make sense of it.”

He pointed out a sculpture made from scraps: a shoe sole, wire, popsicle sticks, and a tea box lid. “I noticed how much the inside of my shoe looked like a boat,” he said. “So I built one.” Haley noted that Basher’s work has sold for thousands at auction, but he only shrugged. “My last name’s Basher. I’ve got a unique style. I’m a little bit nuts, so all I have to do is concentrate on my art.”

The program also brokers art sales but doesn’t take a commission. “We handle the logistics, but the artists keep one hundred percent of what they earn,” Manalo says. “When someone sells a piece, it’s not just income, it’s recognition. It tells them their work matters.”

CAP hosts regular exhibitions at its on-site gallery, located at 1009 Market Street at 6th Street, as well as at other locations, including Cushion Works, Parts Peculiar, the Drawing Room, 6M Community Arts, and Moth Belly.

After decades of renting, Hospitality House recently purchased its building, securing a permanent home for the Community Arts Program and the people it serves. “It’s huge,” Manalo says. “We’ve been here through so much change. To know we’ll stay, that we can keep this space safe — that means everything.”

The building’s ownership marks a new chapter in the organization’s 55-year history. For a program that has been serving artists who’ve often known displacement, stability is paramount.

Five CAP artists: Corey Curtis, Sushma Kothari, Charles Blackwell, Anthony Morrison, and Lewis Basher are featured in the KQED show Holding Ground. 2601 Mariposa Street, until October 16.

Sushma Kothari’s open studio show: Arc Gallery, Friday, October 10, 6–9 p.m., and October 11–12, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. 1246 Folsom Street.

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony: CAP plans to celebrate their recebt building purchase recent purchasemilestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1009 Market Street on Wednesday, October 15, from 12-3 p.m., honoring both the space and the community that built it. RSVP here.

Market Magic: November 6, 5–7 p.m. at the Community Arts Program gallery, 1009 Market St. All artwork featured in the show will be priced under $100, and artists receive 100% of the sales.