VANGUARD CULTURE is an inclusive 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to advancing San Diego’s Creative Industries. We provide award-winning arts journalism, cutting edge events, and professional development that create arts jobs, bring diverse communities together and inspire collaboration among industry professionals from the visual, performing, and culinary arts.
Click HERE if you would like to reach our audience of 20k+ culturally savvy subscribers and 10k+ monthly website visitors, and 10k+ social media followers with a yearly reach of more than 1/2 MILLION PEOPLE.
We Produce and Provide
- Quality arts journalism and visionary cultural experiences that respond to
the changes and challenges of our contemporary world. - Collaborative events and experiences that put San Diego on par with our
nation’s most culturally vibrant cities. - Affordable networking opportunities that foster communication and
collaboration among our diverse body of creative industry professionals. - Opportunities for up-and-coming artists to gain direct access to broad
audiences and San Diego’s most notable creative leaders and influencers.
Current & Upcoming Exhibitions
ENVZN Urban Art Takeover
ENVZN24 Urban Art Takeover is a one-of-a-kind visual & performing arts festival that will transform numerous warehouses, industrial spaces, and other urban areas of the Commercial Street corridor in Logan Heights with multi-sensory art interventions by creatives from both sides of the U.S./Mexico border.
Programming changes every 30 minutes so that visitors can design their own, unique visual & performing arts lineup. ENVZN24 is designed as a recurring event and an official sanctioned World Design Capital San Diego – Tijuana 2024 event. Join thousands of design professionals, art patrons, and other culture-seekers from the San Diego/Tijuana region and around the world for an unforgettable evening of cross-industry, cross-border collaboration.
DATE & TIME: Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024
4pm – 6pm: VIP Wine + Culinary Experience at the Soap Factory lounge.
6pm-10pm: Art Exhibitions, Food & Drink Vendors & Cultural Program. Curate your own experience! Programming will change every 30 minutes at each venue so that visitors can design their preferred visual & performing arts lineup.
This is an all-ages event. Food & Beverages will be available for purchase. Interested in volunteering? Contact us at opportunities@vanguardculture.com
TICKETS: $20-$125
Learn more HERE.
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Arts Writing. Beyond the Press Release
From aspiring arts journalists to seasoned media professionals, arts coverage can often be a daunting prospect. Check out this conversation with talented arts journalists Kristen Schweizer (performing arts – Vanguard Culture), Elizabeth Rooklidge (Contemporary Art – HereIn) and Seth Combs (Visual & Literary Arts – San Diego Union-Tribune). Join a conversation about how to cover the arts with thoughtfulness, authenticity and accessibility in mind. Moderated by Vanguard Culture Executive Director Susanna Peredo Swap.
Watch the recording HERE.
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NOW STREAMING: MASH UP – A CREATIVE INDUSTRY SYMPOSIUM
by Vanguard Culture
One Part arts conference. One Part creative industry mash up.
Produced by Vanguard Culture, in partnership with CoPlace, World Design Capital San Diego – Tijuana 2024, and San Diego Design Week.
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San Diego is on the verge of an arts renaissance unlike anything we’ve seen. With a recent designation as World Design Capital 2024, the San Diego / Tijuana region in particular is poised to showcase our creative industry workforce to a world audience in 2024. How can the visual, performing, and culinary arts fit into the fold of design thinking and design forward meaning-making through our varied industry lenses?
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Join business and industry leaders from film, theatre, fashion, music, dance, opera, spoken word, and more for a 2-day experiential conference that challenges creative professionals to consider their collective power to change the future of their sector. Enjoy over 12 hours of panel discussions, workshops, and online coaching with creative leaders from a variety of industries. Explore emerging trends that are impacting how arts & culture patrons respond to our work. Lean into the future of creative resource sharing, mutual support initiatives, and design-forward thinking through this one-of-a-kind conference designed to bring our creative workforce together.
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CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE THE CONFERENCE
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This event is part of Vanguard Culture’s FORUM Professional Development Series designed to support San Diego’s Creative Industries. Our programs range from workshops, to panel discussions, to networking opportunities and are designed to educate participants on the business behind their industry. Participants not only make valuable connections with other creatives, they are also provided with tools, tips, and tricks to help them make a living doing what they love.
The FORUM is made possible thanks to the City of San Diego, Commission for Arts & Culture; the California Arts Council and our generous Professional Development Sponsor Jack Lampl.
Learn more HERE.
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Vanguard Culture events
Vanguard Culture events are different. We don’t just throw parties or host art shows. We produce innovative visual, performing, and culinary arts experiences that respond to the changes and challenges of our modern world. Our events provide opportunities for guests to connect in meaningful ways and be inspired by the visionary artists who participate in our programming. Our programmatic partnerships with some of San Diego’s most innovative arts organizations will leave you feeling that you’ve experienced something truly special that cannot be replicated.
Examples of experiences that have occurred at our events:
- Strangers were invited to sit together and connect with one another in a meaningful way. Participants had to shut their phones off for 10 minutes (or more), to answer 36 Questions that are scientifically proven to help people fall in love.
- Local performance artist Larry Caveney offered 5 minutes of free advice or free compliments while sitting on a throne, loaned to us by the San Diego Opera.
- An artist, a scientist, a poet, and a chef were each tasked with creating/presenting something in response to climate change. The highlight of the evening was Chef Stevan Novoa’s culinary interpretation, inspired by his personal experience of being belly-deep in water during Hurricane Katrina. His response? Pork belly.
- Avant-Garde Costume Galas. We’ve hosted a few. Each time, we’ve welcomed 300+ wildly-costumed guests. Art installations, live dance performances, chef stations, and an Avant Garde Fashion Show in partnership with Fashion Week San Diego.
- Our Artist @ the Table series invites the community to dine with some of San Diego’s most notable arts leaders in beautiful, art-filled private homes. Featured Chefs are tasked with creating an elegant 4-course menu inspired by the work of the artist.
- Our recent event SENSORIUM brought together over 550 guests, 80% of them Creative Industry Professionals. The event included: over 80 artists who transformed 15 condominium lofts of IDEA1 with immersive art installations; a blindfolded dining experience on the rooftop; 7 chef stations; an industry mixer with 10 different arts orgs; a 5-Senses-themed runway show by Fashion Week San Diego; live dance performances and much more. The event was featured on National Geographic’s San Diego Spotlight Series.
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CLICK HERE to explore all of our Events
CLICK HERE to subscribe to our WEEKLY arts calendar.
Visit Vanguard Culture
Address:
2995 Commercial Street
San Diego, CA
92113
Phone:
6198297561
Hours:
Online only
Website:
2995 Commercial Street, San Diego, CA
