Your Impact

Please consider a generous, tax-deductible donation to Art Works Downtown 

We invite you to join the AWD Leadership Circle

Dear Friend of Art Works Downtown, 

As Art Works Downtown (AWD) celebrates our 25th anniversary this year, we want to thank you for your role in making sure the visual arts remain at the heart of our community. 

Our community-backed plan to restore a historic building to create a forever home for a public art center –– including storefront galleries, affordable artist studios and housing, community arts programming and most recently a virtual public program –– was truly visionary in 1996. Few communities can boast of such a transformative story, but San Rafael can. That’s because it’s filled with people like you who believe that art is powerful.

Art Works Downtown’s mission is to provide an environment where visual arts thrive for the well-being of our community. Your support makes this mission a reality every day. More than a historic building, AWD creates a setting that fosters unity, belonging, collaboration, and creativity –– all elements of a thriving and healthy arts community –– OUR community. 

These past 18 months have been challenging, for arts organizations especially. Yet, AWD seized this opportunity to nurture our souls with visual arts, not just surviving these times but resiliently thriving: 

• AWD celebrated the greatly anticipated in-real-life 2nd Friday Art Walk return in October with a gallery reception and a re-opening of the artist studios. 
• AWD provided affordable housing for up to 20 residents and below-market workspace for 35 artists during an unprecedentedly unstable time.
• AWD invested in a multi-year $600K electrical upgrade, window repair, and cosmetic gallery upgrade in our 1878 historic building. 
• AWD finalized a 5-year strategic plan to rebuild and strengthen our nonprofit for the future.

Please consider a generous, tax-deductible donation to Art Works Downtown to help rebuild our staff, expand both live and virtual programming, and ensure AWD’s art programs remain impactful to everyone in our visual arts-centered community. We also invite you to join the AWD Leadership Circle with a donation of $1,000 or more if you are able. 

Every donation is valued and appreciated!

With Gratitude, 

Elisabeth Setten
Executive Director, Art Works Downtown 

P.S. We have may ways to donate HERE or you can simply make a credit card donation below.  Thank you for your support.