It provides artists with creative time and space and produces artist-led projects that drive social change.

[citation needed][1][2] 18th Street Arts Center’s residency program hosts 60 or more American and international artists and curators a year.

18th Street Arts Center was co-founded by writer Linda Frye Burnham, who founded High Performance Magazine, and artist Susanna Bixby Dakin.who helped Burnham publish of High Performance Magazine[3] through Astro Artz publishing.

Working out of a loft in downtown Los Angeles, during the 80s Burnham and Dakin decided to start art artist community near the ocean where the air was clean compared to downtown Los Angeles.

Burnham found and Dakin purchased the warehouses where Judy Chicago produced her iconic feminist artwork, The Dinner Party in Santa Monica.