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San Francisco galleries are exploring alternative operating models amid rising living costs and the closure of local arts organizations. Cushion Works, founded by Jordan Stein in 2018, acquired nonprofit status last year and began a membership program; Stein says the space is focused on local history and art rather than a conventional gallery business model.
San Francisco galleries are trying alternative ways to stay open as rising living costs and the closure of local arts organizations add pressure to the city’s art scene, according to a report by Hyperallergic. One example is Cushion Works, a Mission District space that acquired nonprofit status last year and launched a membership program to help fund its operations.
Cushion Works was founded by Jordan Stein in 2018. The nonprofit conversion and membership program represent a shift in how the space supports itself, though the source report does not provide membership figures, revenue totals or a detailed account of the organization’s finances. Stein told Hyperallergic that he did not open the space with a conventional gallery business plan.
The program brings together artists with varied backgrounds, including Bay Area figures R. Crumb and Dewey Crumpler, artists described in the report as outsiders, Betty Bailey and BJ Newton, and artists who have exhibited at the Whitney, Grace Rosario Perkins and Dionne Lee. A photograph accompanying the report shows Stein, artist Kevin Cohya Valor and Valor’s family at Cushion Works in 2026; the report also includes an exhibition walkthrough for “Heavy Batter.”
The report describes other galleries exploring different approaches, including nonprofit status and retail businesses, to sustain their work and foster community. It does not identify every space using those models or provide comparable financial details, so Cushion Works is the clearest specific case in the available source material.
How Galleries Are Reworking Their Models
The development matters because it shows how some art spaces are responding to pressure without relying solely on conventional gallery sales. A membership program can invite community support, while nonprofit status can change an organization’s structure and funding possibilities. The source, however, does not establish how much either measure contributes to Cushion Works’ budget or whether the approach can be replicated elsewhere.
For artists and audiences, the stakes go beyond whether a single venue remains open. Galleries can provide space to exhibit work and bring people together around local art. The report frames Cushion Works’ program as a way to support both its operations and its community, but it offers no data measuring the program’s reach or long-term effect.
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Pressure on San Francisco’s Art Scene
Hyperallergic describes the city’s recent art landscape as demoralized, citing a cost-of-living crisis, a collector base it characterizes as seemingly absent, and the closure of local art schools. The report says these conditions have contributed to an exodus of artists and galleries, although it does not quantify that movement or name all the organizations that have closed.
Against that backdrop, the spaces that remain are looking for different ways to operate and sustain local connections. Stein’s account suggests Cushion Works was not built around a standard commercial gallery model from the outset: he described its purpose in terms of learning from the people who have lived in the area and the work made there.
““I don’t think of it like a gallery, and I’ve never had a business model.””
— Jordan Stein, founder of Cushion Works, speaking to Hyperallergic
The Financial Picture Is Still Missing
The available report does not say how many members Cushion Works has, how much income the program generates, or whether nonprofit status has brought in grants or donations. It also does not specify the costs of operating the space or how long the current model is expected to sustain it.
More broadly, the report offers examples of alternative approaches but no citywide figures on gallery closures, artist departures or the number of spaces adopting these models. The causes and scale of the pressures it describes are presented in broad terms rather than backed by a complete financial or statistical account.
Membership and Local Support Ahead
The immediate next test for Cushion Works is whether its membership program and nonprofit structure can provide continuing support for exhibitions and operations. The source material does not announce a new funding target, membership milestone or future deadline.
Other galleries’ plans and the longer-term results of their alternative models remain to be seen. Further reporting would be needed to compare their finances and determine whether these arrangements are helping spaces remain open over time.
Key Questions
What change did Cushion Works make?
Cushion Works acquired nonprofit status last year and launched a membership program intended to help support its operations.
Who founded Cushion Works?
Jordan Stein founded the Mission District space in 2018, according to the Hyperallergic report.
Why are San Francisco galleries exploring other models?
The report points to a cost-of-living crisis, closures of local arts organizations and an exodus of artists and galleries. It also describes the local collector base as seemingly absent.
What other approaches are galleries considering?
The report says some spaces are turning to nonprofit status or retail businesses, though it does not provide full details about every gallery or model.
Is Cushion Works’ approach financially proven to work?
The report provides no membership, revenue or operating-cost figures, so its financial results and long-term sustainability are not established in the available information.
Source: hyperallergic.com
