CounterPulse
A space for art and community.
As Artistic & Executive Director of the interdisciplinary, experimental arts space CounterPulse from 2014-2025, Phelps combined grassroots community engagement and institutional frameworks to create a dynamic home for art and culture. In 2023, Phelps completed the 10-year project of renovating and raising $7 million to acquire CounterPulse’s building in downtown San Francisco, launching a new model for placing arts at the center of community development as the pilot project of the Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST). Phelps collaborated with Jensen Architects to create a purpose built facility that in it’s very design fosters risk-taking and innovation, acclaimed by the press and featured in architectural reviews, receiving the 2017 Inspiration Award from CONTRACT magazine. In addition to her work on the facility development, Phelps funded and launched a curated and acclaimed program of performing arts events, community-based programming, and international cross-cultural exchange projects. Phelps tours nationally and internationally as a speaker and representative of CounterPulse and San Francisco.
An image of me, Julie Phelps, seated in front of a board poured concrete wall wearing a black vest and grey hat. I am smiling broadly and framed by a gold painted chair.
CounterPulse Mission Statement
CounterPulse is a dynamic movement of experimental arts that sparks personal transformation and builds enduring community. We provide space and resources for emerging artists and cultural innovators, serving as an incubator for the creation of socially relevant, community-based art and culture. CounterPulse acts as a catalyst for art and action; creating a forum for the open exchange of art and ideas, catalyzing transformation in our communities and our society. We work towards a world that celebrates diversity of race, class, cultural heritage, artistic expression, ability, gender identity & sexual orientation. We strive to create an environment that is physically and economically accessible to everyone.