A Home for Queer Art, Community & Connection
The Pansy L. Chan and Terrence D. Chan National Queer Arts Center is the nation’s first LGBTQ center dedicated to community, creativity, and collaboration.
A place for art and activism.
The Chan is a landmark space in the heart of San Francisco: an artistic sanctuary for queer artists, a gathering place for audiences and community members, and the permanent home of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.
Designed to bring artists and audiences closer together, The Chan creates space for performance, storytelling, collaboration, education, and the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people.
The Remarkable History
The Chan represents a new chapter in SFGMC’s long commitment to queer art, visibility, activism, and community.
Creating a permanent home for queer art and community.
For almost half a century, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus has created extraordinary music and experiences that build community, inspire activism, and foster compassion at home and around the world.
The Pansy L. Chan and Terrence D. Chan National Queer Arts Center represents the next chapter of that work: a permanent home where queer artists can create, audiences can gather, community organizations can share space, and new collaborations can take shape.
Today, The Chan serves not simply as SFGMC’s home, but as a platform for performances, education, artistic partnerships, community gatherings, rehearsals, special events, and co-productions.
What Happens at The Chan
The Chan brings together SFGMC programming and community collaborations that invite artists, organizations, students, and audiences into the space.
SFGMC Programming
Programs presented by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus bring audiences and community members into The Chan throughout the year.
Intimate concerts, musical programs, and cabaret performances featuring SFGMC singers, guest artists, and programming created especially for The Chan.
Interactive musical events that invite audiences to move beyond watching and make music together.
Celebrations, conversations, film screenings, special presentations, and community gatherings at The Chan.
Performances and presentations showcasing guest artist work, produced by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.
In-house RHYTHM assemblies bring students to The Chan for music, storytelling, LGBTQIA+ visibility, education, and connection.
Community & Partnerships
The Chan welcomes queer artists, arts organizations, community partners, and collaborators into a shared space for creativity and connection.
Collaborative programs and joint productions with queer organizations, performing arts groups, artists, and cultural institutions that bring together resources, audiences, and artistic perspectives.
Space for community partners to rehearse, gather, present events, develop new work, and build community.
Opportunities for local queer artists and performers to share their work with new audiences in our performance and gallery spaces.
Creating and sharing space together.
The Chan has welcomed a growing range of arts organizations, community groups, cultural partners, and artists for collaborative programs, performances, rehearsals, events, shared space, and co-productions.
Plan Your Visit
The Chan National Queer Arts Center
170 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Plan ahead.
The closest SFMTA public parking garage is the 16th & Hoff Garage , approximately 4–5 blocks or a 10–15 minute walk from The Chan.
Privately operated parking options can also be located and reserved through services such as SpotHero .
Help queer art and community thrive.
Your support helps sustain The Chan as a home for performance, education, artistic collaboration, community engagement, shared space, and queer creativity. To discuss ways to support The Chan, our development team would be glad to connect.
