Welcome to the beginning of the RootStock Arts and Culture Center

Artists, particularly those working in new music and creative vision, are tired of compromise. Their communities yearn for physical, genuine connection. Artists want to have the right conversation with the right people. A simple conversation about genuine artistic value first. Focusing on the immediate, tangible needs of the artist: fair access, creative freedom, and support in your direction.

RootStock Arts’ connection was built on word-of-mouth recommendations passed between artists, musicians and creative folks in the Bay Area’s vibrant improvised and contemporary music scenes. If an artist was respected and their work was rooted in original expression, they were brought into the fold. This focus on trust quickly became Rootstock’s currency. When artists feel genuinely supported, and their performances valued, often they are transformative, attracting an audience that cares deeply about process, not just product.

As 2022 began, Rootstock Arts started to formalize its operations, guided by the principle of sustainability. This wasn't just financial sustainability, but the sustainability of the artist's life. Programs expanded from one-off performances or a festival to weekly residencies, workshops, and collaborations that offered resources and a safe space for deep creative development.

Rootstock found kindred spirits in partners across the Bay Area—small venues, independent presses, and fellow non-profits who shared an ethical commitment to the arts ecology. By pooling resources and leveraging shared audiences, Rootstock was able to present ambitious, multidisciplinary programs that centered artistic visions above all else, all while ensuring that every featured creator received meaningful compensation and control over their intention.

Rootstock Arts now finds itself at a pivotal moment, having proven its model of artist-first growth. The next step is a massive commitment to the community it has nurtured: the acquisition of a new building in Oakland. This facility will serve as the permanent headquarters for Rootstock Arts and, more importantly, a vital hub designed to dramatically increase access for a diverse cross-section of the Bay Area artist community. Far from being a concert venue, the building is being conceived as a shared resource—a space with affordable teaching rooms, group rehearsal rooms, media production capabilities, and a flexible workshop, class presentation area.

However, transforming this structure into the accessible, sustainable home the arts community deserves requires immediate, foundational repair work. We must address years of wear and tear, deferred maintenance and negligence before we can open the doors. This essential groundwork—the quiet, unglamorous part of building a creative future—includes major infrastructure fixes:

Replacing the critical HVAC condenser to ensure climate-controlled, safe rehearsal spaces.
Repairing the sewer lateral and sidewalk, and securing necessary compliance certificates from the City of Oakland to meet municipal standards.
Addressing structural issues, including repairing a wall affected by dry rot and completing full pest remediation.
Enhancing security and external aesthetics by removing old, rotting vegetation and constructing a durable perimeter fence.

This combined effort of necessary repairs and improvements has resulted in a significant price tag. Rootstock Arts was built by the community and for the community, and we are now asking our friends, partners, and patrons to help us finalize the foundation of our future home. Supporting these physical repairs is a direct investment in cultivating a creative ecosystem that is both sustainable for the long term and highly valued by everyone involved.

Rootstock Arts believes in the creative arts scene and strives to create rich fertile ground for what is growing there. Today, here and now, Rootstock is also growing along with the scene. Help us today and make a charitable donation now!

Thank you

Sameer Gupta

RootStock Arts

RootStock Arts & Culture Center

By Rootstock Arts

RootStock Arts & Culture Center

Help cover repairs and improvements to our brick and mortal building, soon to be HQ and Artist community center

Team Members