The Institute for Unpopular Culture (IFUC) is a San Francisco-based 501(c) (3) nonprofit that supports emerging artists and promotes artistic attempts to challenge the status quo. By sponsoring subversive or "unpopular" artistic visions, IFUC helps to alleviate artists' needs to cater to public taste and opinion in order to survive. Legal support, public relations strategy, career advice, and mentoring are among the many services the Institute provides; we also give financial assistance in the form of "no strings attached" IFUC grants, with which artists can do as they please! Most importantly, all services are offered FREE of charge to our unpopular creators.

IFUC was voted 2007 'Visual Arts Masterminds Organization' by the SF Weekly and 'Best Organization to Support Your Art' in the S.F. Bay Guardian's 1998 'Best of the Bay' Awards. Among the past stable of IFUC artists are graffiti artists "Twsit" aka Barry McGee and Dream, environmentalist Julia Butterfly, Creativity Explored SF, and Obie-award winning performance artist Holly Hughes. Some of our recent "unpopular Culture" geniuses include Karen Cusolito & Dan Das Mann ("Passage" on the Embarcadero), Bulgarian Master painter Nikolai Atanassov ("Fragments of Reality" premiere at the 2006 Florence Biennial), Brian Goggin ("Defenestration" building on 6th St.) and William Noguera of San Quentin's Death Row. For almost two decades the Institute has fearlessly supported those creators that can't or won't find a home with other institutions; we are proud to be the Court of Last Resorts for the arts!

David Ferguson, the founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Unpopular Culture, has been an international outsider-culture impresario since the 1970s. The long list of notable dissenters with whom he has worked include Divine, painter Jean-Michel Basquiat, and conceptual artist Nicolino ("Bras Across the Grand Canyon"). Through his seminal punk label CD Presents, Ltd., (founded in 1978, currently classicpunk.com) David produced, managed, and directed the careers of musicians like Johnny Rotten (Public Image, Ltd.), Billy Bragg, The Avengers, Lydia Lunch, and Henry Rollins. David also operated a lecture agency in the 1970s which represented the Black Panther Party, Paul Krassner (founder of the Yippie Party), Stewart Brand (founder of the Whole Earth catalogue), and poet Michael McClure.

Sonja Dale

Megan Aileen Williams has been a supporter of the Institute for Unpopular Culture since 2005. As a dancer, choreographer and dance instructor in after-school programs she is a dedicated advocate for the arts, believing strongly in keeping the arts affordable, collaborative and accessible to all who wish to participate. After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts, she went on to become Assistant Director/Dancer for the San Francisco based modern dance company U Dance Electra. She has also danced professionally for Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Santa Clara Ballet, Presidio Dance Theatre, Cornish Dance Theatre and many local SF choreographers. Her performance highlights include solo performances at the Herbst Theatre, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Boulder International Fringe Festival.