Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco

WELCOME TO THE CCC: 

WHERE COMMUNITY EXPANDS CONTEMPORARY ART

For over 50 years, we have empowered Chinatown as a symbol of the American immigrant experience. 

As an artist-centered and community-driven organization, we believe in the power of creative expression to inspire connection and catalyze change. Through thought-provoking exhibitions and educational programs, we strive to spark crucial conversations that bring together diverse perspectives, inspire meaningful action, and pave the way for a more just and inclusive future.

Photo by: Jenna Garrett

This year, we are celebrating the 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of 41 ROSS, our art gallery situated in the heart of Ross Alley, Chinatown, and the host to many of our events year round. 

Be a part of realizing artists' visions and creating a more equitable society through the transformative power of art and advocacy for another 10 years!

41ROSS: 10 YEARS IN THE MAKING

As we celebrate a decade of art, we recount 41 Ross's inaugural project, The Keywords School. Led by international artist Xu Tan, the project collaborated with local Chinatown youth to collect "keywords" from daily life and transpose them onto neighborhood murals. This initiative allowed participants to raise awareness of Chinatown's social climate. Tan and the youth transformed 41 Ross's vacant storefront into a pop-up gallery, marking the beginning of its pivotal role as a cultural center in Chinatown for the next decade.

Subsequent programs followed in uplifting the community through exhibitions that celebrate the people who live in Chinatown and highlight important topics that affect their day to day lives. 41 Ross’s location allows it to serve the needs of the community, opening its doors to locals and visitors to engage with the art, activities, and events that take place.

A RADICAL COMMUNITY ART SPACE

For a decade, 41 Ross has profoundly influenced Chinatown's arts and culture, serving as a unique community art space in the historic Ross Alley. 

Co-founded in 2014 as a partnership between Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco (CCC) and the Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC), 41 Ross represents an unprecedented collaboration between a contemporary art center, and a neighborhood development organization.

It has operated as an art gallery, creative studio, and community resource center, fostering engagement among residents, neighbors, and visitors in art and cultural activities. Located in one of Chinatown’s most vibrant alleys, 41 Ross is based in the intersection of art, community, and local businesses.

Photo By: Robert BorsdorfThe 41 Ross Artist-in-Residence program is an exchange platform for emerging artists of Asian descent, providing them with a space for artistic exploration, experimentation, and cultural community interaction. 

For instance, this year's Chi Chi Master, led by Hong Kong artist-scholar Clayton Lo and collaborator Jeff Ng, shed light on the experiences of Hong Kong disability artists through workshops and performance art open to the community. Similarly, Xiangqi Chen's OUT | 出 | MUSEUM is a prototype queer art museum that documents and shares the art and history of the Chinese LGBTQ+ community with works by Chinese queer and feminist artists.

Photo By: Robert Borsdorf

41 Ross is also home to Generation Chinatown, a program for local highschoolers to develop their artistic and leadership abilities by exploring Chinatown's vibrant arts and cultural history. Through tours, workshops, and mentorship by leading arts practitioners, participants create and share their art with the community, culminating in exhibitions of their work as artists in residence at 41 Ross.

JOIN THE ACTION

CCC creates social impact throughout Chinatown, the city at large, nationally, and abroad. 

Our office headquarters by Portsmouth Square regularly serves as a host spot for community organizations while the Visual Art Center features acclaimed year-round exhibition programming and an artist-driven CCC Design Store. 

Situated in one of Chinatown’s most vibrant alleyways is 41 Ross, an offsite community art space where CCC holds artist residency, exhibitions, pop-ups, and youth programming. Additional outdoor programs include the Chinatown History & Art Tour, public art, festivals, & more!

Annual Booklet