Yerba Buena Center for the Arts was founded in 1993 out of an expressed need for an accessible, high-profile San Francisco venue devoted to contemporary visual art, performance, and film/video representing diverse cultural and artistic perspectives. Distinguished by its support for contemporary artists from around the world, YBCA is also recognized for the important role the organization plays in the San Francisco Bay Area arts ecology and in the community at large. YBCA has demonstrated leadership as a presenter of national and international artists, as well as Bay Area artists of diverse aesthetic voices. YBCA has commissioned and presented more than 200 world premiere performances, exhibitions, and films; launched the careers of hundreds of emerging artists; produced nationally recognized education programs; and supported performances by several hundred Bay Area performing arts groups. [more]