Kim Acebo Arteche initially did not seek a permanent role leading an arts organization. Previously, as co-executive director at the Berkeley Art Center, they experienced burnout and witnessed colleagues develop autoimmune diseases due to the intense stress of the job. When Arteche took on the position at Brava Theater Center in July, it was only as an interim leader. “I was trying to preserve myself,” they said.
However, over time, Arteche began to view the role differently. They recognized that Brava was a unique opportunity, with a board and staff that felt aligned in a special way. Arteche reflected on their past visits to Brava as a patron, attending events like the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project, “Larry the Musical,” and “Not My First Pandemic” by César Cadabes. Each experience had felt safe and welcoming. In March, Arteche decided to make the position permanent, becoming the fourth leader in Brava’s 40-year history. The organization focuses on supporting women, queer individuals, and people of color.
The transition comes at a crucial moment for the Mission District arts hub. In 2024, Brava launched an emergency fundraising drive to keep operations running. A similar campaign last fall used comparable language. Additionally, the 24th Street facility, originally built as a movie theater, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, Brava received a $150,000 Community Challenge Grant from the city. The organization plans to use this funding to host a block party on October 17, aiming to “reintroduce ourselves back to the block.”
“We’re literally just trying to bring the things that we do in the theater, even rehearsal-wise, out to the street,” Arteche explained. Youth dance program Cuicacalli will perform and demonstrate, while La Mezcla founder Vanessa Sanchez and the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company will offer free workshops. Beyond the anniversary, Arteche’s top priority is eliminating the organization’s deficit, which has already been reduced by nearly two-thirds to $135,983.
Eliminating the deficit requires a delicate balance. San Francisco’s wealthiest donors often support predominantly white institutions that provide social prestige. Many public and private funders have shifted priorities in response to changes under President Donald Trump’s administration. To manage rising costs, Brava could book more rentals or increase prices, but that risks alienating its community. “We are a very accessible theater, and if we increase it too fast, we’re going to lose all of our community members,” Arteche said.
After closing the deficit, Arteche hopes to hire an artistic director to oversee programming.
Arteche brings extensive experience to Brava, having worked with Kularts and Kearny Street Workshop, as well as co-founding the Filipino American arts company Balay Kreative. They are also a multifaceted artist, with work spanning ritual performance, textiles, and self-portraits. One particularly striking series, “Bodyless,” features women’s clothes appearing to be worn by invisible bodies, commenting on the labor of Filipina workers overseas.
When asked about a medium they don’t work in, Arteche paused before suggesting, “I would say sculpture?” but added a question mark. Their creative pursuits extend beyond the arts. They played piano competitively as a youth and studied photography. They have also been a professional dancer, performing with Culture Shock, D.C. In their live-work space in Oakland’s Cotton Mill Studios, Arteche unwinds by quilting and embroidering.
Nourishing their creativity is essential, they said, “is not a question. I have to.” This same perspective informs their administrative work. Jason Bayani, co-executive director of Kearny Street Workshop, noted that Arteche can create evocative art from “the touch of the fabric of the clothes our relatives wore.” They possess long-view insights about heritage and nostalgia that “remind us who we are” and clarify dynamics observed in childhood but never fully reckoned with.
When Arteche designed the cover for his latest book, “Everyone I Love, Alive,” Bayani was struck by how much of the writing they encapsulated in one jagged image—a view of jungle and water overlaid with markings suggesting both rippling and shattering. With Arteche, he said, “You can always trust that (they’re) going to be able to see the whole picture and be able to break it down into something that we can work with.”
This outlook is shaping Arteche’s leadership at Brava. “I’m very determined that we’re not going anywhere,” they said, nodding to the determination of Brava’s female founders. “The matriarchy considers seven generations backwards and forwards, right? I also think about seven generations forward.”
Arteche’s journey reflects a deep commitment to both the arts and community. As a nonbinary multimedia artist and nonprofit administrator, they have navigated the challenges of the sector while staying true to their values. Their leadership at Brava is not just about survival, but about creating a legacy that honors the past and looks toward the future.
