Mayor Lurie Appoints Matthew Goudeau As City's First Executive Director Of Arts And Culture

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today appointed Matthew Goudeau as San Francisco’s first-ever executive director of arts and culture. Currently a senior leader at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and a former director of Grants for the Arts, Goudeau will bring deep knowledge of the city’s arts community from his years leading cultural organizations to this new role, where he will strengthen the city’s support for the arts by bringing together the San Francisco Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and the Film Commission into one department. He will work with Mayor Lurie to advance San Francisco’s creative economy and public arts programming while ensuring the arts remain a cornerstone of the city’s identity and economic vitality. Goudeau’s selection followed a thorough search process that drew more than 250 applicants and identified strong community interest in selecting a leader with roots in San Francisco’s arts ecosystem.

Goudeau’s appointment to lead San Francisco’s creative economy strategy continues Mayor Lurie’s work to support the arts and culture institutions driving the city’s economic recovery. The mayor this weekend returned from his first international trip, where he signed eight memorandums of understanding strengthening connections between arts and culture organizations in San Francisco and their counterparts in Shanghai and Seoul. To continue to support the arts community, in his first year in office, Mayor Lurie launched SF LIVE, a citywide show guide and online events calendar designed to boost ticket sales for live arts venues, and brought back SF Music Week, which returned this year, further strengthening San Francisco’s position as a vital music hub. The mayor has also taken steps to strengthen local arts and culture institutions, build partnerships with the private and philanthropic sectors, and advance a plan to accelerate downtown San Francisco’s comeback.

“San Francisco’s arts and culture ecosystem is the most vibrant in the country, and under my administration, government is going to do a better job supporting those artists and organizations who are driving our city’s economic recovery,” said Mayor Lurie. “As we bring together our arts departments to strengthen our support for this sector, we need a leader who is steeped in the community—Matthew Goudeau pairs that experience with a deep commitment to San Francisco. I am excited for the work he will do to support our artists, strengthen our cultural institutions, and keep this community at the forefront of our city’s recovery.”

“San Francisco's artists and cultural organizations bring so much energy and excitement to our city, and they deserve a government that gives them the tools to succeed,” said Goudeau. “I am lucky to have been part of this community for years, in both major cultural institutions and small. In every role I've had, I have gone to bat for these organizations as well as the artists, workers, and visitors that keep them going—and it will be a privilege to be their champion in city government. As we bring together the city's arts departments, I will rely on the experience and ideas of the artists, cultural workers, agency staff, and communities across the city to strengthen the creative sector and build on the work this community has done to make San Francisco the most exciting, creative city in the world.”

Goudeau was selected following a three-month national search process. After Mayor Lurie launched the search for an executive director of arts and culture, the city received 259 applications and interviewed more than a dozen candidates.

As San Francisco’s economy continues to recover under Mayor Lurie’s leadership, arts funding is on track to increase this year. The city’s most recent budget outlook update found that hotel tax revenues this year are higher than previously projected due to a successful Super Bowl Week in February and strong attendance at Moscone Center events. Proposition E (2018) allocates a portion of hotel tax revenue to arts funding.

“Matthew is a truly excellent choice for this new arts leadership position. He’s the real deal when it comes to supporting and investing in artists’ creative practices and their ability to remain in San Francisco,” said Rachelle Axel, Artists for a Better Bay Area Executive Director. “Our arts community has been holding a lot of anxiety because of many uncertainties in the sector, largely centered on the city’s role in the arts ecosystem. This hire was among the top concerns, and now we can cross it off our list.”

“San Francisco’s arts and culture sector is ready for steady, forward-looking leadership. With Matthew Goudeau’s appointment, San Franciscans gain a leader with deep expertise across the arts and culture ecosystem—spanning advocacy, development, philanthropy, and more than two decades of public service,” said Ani Rivera, Executive Director of Galería de la Raza. “At a pivotal moment for our city’s cultural future, this is the kind of leadership we need: collaborative, committed, and focused on integrating the arts into every aspect of civic life.”

“I’m thrilled that Matthew will be taking on this new leadership role for art and culture in the city,” said Matthew Shilvock, San Francisco Opera General Director. “Matthew has a unique set of experiences that will make him an excellent partner to the whole arts ecosystem in San Francisco, keeping the city one of the great cultural capitals of the world. He is passionately committed to the arts, brings incredible integrity, and is adept at navigating the city’s infrastructure to realize positive change. This marks an important commitment to strengthening the city’s support of arts and culture.”

“Matthew Goudeau brings the civic experience, cultural fluency, and administrative judgment San Francisco needs,” said Chuck Collins, Arts Commission President. “He has a strong ability to identify gaps and opportunities, build coalitions and consensus, and turn shared purpose into meaningful progress for the betterment of arts and culture in our city.”

“Through this role, San Francisco is centering arts and culture to fully realize the cultural and economic value of the arts and its benefits to all San Franciscans,” said Joaquín Torres, Assessor-Recorder. “Matthew brings a deep care and understanding for our artists, their relationships to our city’s diverse communities, and the administrative experience necessary to bring their full potential forward for the benefit of our city and those who serve it through the arts.”

Matthew Goudeau is the chief development officer at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, where he leads fundraising and strategic partnerships. He has led fundraising at the David Ireland House in the Mission District and the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, where he completed a capital campaign supporting a major permanent work by artist Robert Irwin.

He has served in San Francisco government under six mayors, including overseeing $18 million in annual public funding as director of Grants for the Arts under Mayor London Breed, and serving as deputy chief of staff for Mayor Daniel Lurie and deputy chief of protocol beginning under Mayor Ed Lee. He currently serves on the board of the Yerba Buena Partnership and is a former board member of ArtCare, CinemaSFBay, the GLBT Historical Society, and Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. He also volunteers with St. Anthony Foundation's free clothing program.

Goudeau holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and a St. Ignatius Institute certificate from the University of San Francisco.