COMMUNITY

Genesis

In 1980, four local actors and musicians, mostly unemployed, were working as street performers on San Francisco’s Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, and at Union Square where they passed a hat to tourists and shoppers for tips and donations.  They met in 1978 at City College of San Francisco in the Theatre Arts Department with other young local artists of enormous talent and drive; but limited resources.  As friends they gathered to share meals and as artists to impart stories; to create and play, to sing and dance, to write, rehearse, promote, produce and perform.  They soon formed The Fabulous Dumonts, an R&B Revue and landed their first gig at the Off-Union Saloon after taking over an open mic one night.  Their next gig turned into 86 performances at San Francisco’s historic Hotel Utah Saloon.  The four went on to perform throughout the San Francisco Bay Area as The Fabulous Dumonts.  The popular R&B Revue found work at local venues including Nightbreak on Haight Street, The Stone, Mabuhay Gardens and the On-Broadway in North Beach.  Private gigs included hotel ballrooms and bay cruises and a rousing performance at the Claremont Hotel and Resort in Berkeley.  In 1984, The Fabulous Dumonts appeared at the Castro Street Dog Show in a wild performance which led to two extraordinary and memorable appearances at the Castro Street Fair in 1985 and 1986 before 200,000 friends, neighbors, guests and visitors.

VISION

We see the San Francisco Association of Performing Artists as the first source for local audiences and the first guide to the travel and hospitality industries for local artists and live, original, and uniquely Only in San Francisco style entertainment.

MISSION

To introduce, elevate, make visible and accessible our community of diverse and talented local artists.   To promote, to advocate; to bring success in leadership, creativity in professional collaboration, and artistic development in mutual encouragement; to create opportunity in the pursuit of common goals.  To celebrate San Francisco and the legacy of local artists and those who came before us, to advance the cause of those who follow and together, always leave our audiences wanting more.

What’s your gig?  Join us!

A gig is usually a single, short job or a period of “engagement” traditionally for musical performances.  The term is said to have originated in the 1920s, as it is used to describe jazz performances of one-night stands.  It’s slang for an engagement.

A gig economy is a collaborative economy.  A gig economy is a sharing economy.  Today, sometimes, it’s called a “platform” economy.   The San Francisco Association of Performing Artists is our platform, our stage.   We welcome you to join us!  There are no membership dues.  We offer community, leadership, creativity, and opportunity.  We welcome you to CONTACT us.