CounterPulse is building a movement of risk-taking art that shatters assumptions and builds community. They provide space and resources for emerging artists and cultural innovators, serving as an incubator for the creation of socially relevant, community-based art and culture. CounterPulse acts as a catalyst for art and action; creating a forum for the open exchange of art and ideas, sparking transformation within San Francisco communities and in our society. CounterPulse thrived for ten years at their SoMa location, launching their flagship Artist Residency and Commissioning (ARC) program as a springboard for emerging and/or experimental artists and exploring creative placemaking activities in senior and family housing complexes on their SoMa block to increase social engagement among residents through the arts. In 2016, they opened their new space in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District with backing by the Community Arts Stabilization Trust’s (CAST) program, a unique lease-purchase program for arts organizations.