Meet the Artists.

Artists Count: San Diego + Tijuana is a binational initiative that combines research, direct funding, and professional development to strengthen the long-term sustainability of artistic careers. By listening to artists, investing in their work, and expanding access to resources and relationships, Artists Count seeks to help artists thrive—and to deepen public understanding of their contributions to our region.

Artists enrich our neighborhoods, connect communities, create economic activity, and shape the cultural identity of the San Diego–Tijuana region. Yet sustaining an artistic career can be difficult. Artists Count responds with a connected approach: better information about artists’ working lives, meaningful investment in their creative work, and ongoing opportunities to develop professional capacity and community connections.

Artists Count is comprised of three connected pillars:

RESEARCH | Understanding artists’ realities
Research examines artists’ working and economic conditions to inform future support, advocacy, and policy conversations.

FUNDING | Investing in creative work
Flexible awards provide selected artists with resources to advance their artistic practice and public-facing projects.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | Building sustainable careers
Artists Count @ The WOO provides learning, practical guidance, peer exchange, and relationship-building opportunities that extend beyond an individual award.

42 selected artists across the San Diego and Tijuana binational region will receive approximately $1.3 million in funding.

The selected artists represent a range of creative disciplines, experiences, and perspectives from both sides of the border. Their projects offer opportunities to discover new work and engage with the people shaping our region’s cultural life.

Artists Count @ The WOO is the San Diego programming hub for the initiative, developed through a partnership between San Diego ART Matters and The WOO in Barrio Logan. It brings the professional development pillar to life through practical learning, artist-to-artist exchange, networking, individualized support, and opportunities for the public to encounter artists and their work. San Diego ART Matters leads programming; The WOO serves as a collaborating venue partner.

Location: The WOO, 2212 Main Street, San Diego, CA 92113.

Programming is expected to include professional development opportunities including artist networking gatherings, online learning sessions, ongoing support from artist liaisons, and selected public-facing activities such as presentations, screenings, demonstrations, exhibitions, or performances. Some opportunities are designed specifically for participating artists; others will welcome the broader arts community or general public.

To learn more, visit the Artists Count Calendar.

The research component is nearing completion. Findings will help illuminate the circumstances in which artists work and the resources that can support sustainable careers. Artists Count intends for this evidence to inform future conversations about investment, collaboration, and arts policy. The research report is scheduled for release in the spring of 2027.

Artists Count brings together organizations with complementary roles in research, artist investment, and professional development. Programs and administrative partners include the San Diego ART Matters, the lead administrator, the Policy & Innovation Center, and the International Community Foundation. Artists Count funders include the Prebys Foundation, City of San Diego Cultural Affairs and other philanthropic institutions located on both sides of the border. Artists Count @ The WOO is led by San Diego ART Matters in collaboration with The WOO.

Explore the participating artists and their projects, follow announcements of public programs, and watch for the release of research findings. Artists Count welcomes curiosity and connection from people who believe artists are essential to a thriving region.