Hellman Foundation Awards $500,000 Grant to QBOX, PoweringConstruction of The Box Shop’s New Bayview Home

COVEN is thrilled to announce a major grant from the Hellman Foundation, in support of The Box Shop for acquisition and move to a new building in its Bayview-Hunter’s Point neighborhood.
We continue to work with The Box Shop to reach out to donors and stakeholders helping to sustain this important makerspace. - the last remaining in San Francisco dedicated to industrial art.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 25, 2025, San Francisco, CA - QBOX, the nonprofit steward of The Box Shop, today announced a $500,000 grant from the Hellman Foundation to support construction, relocation, and build-out costs at its newly purchased facility at 1265 Van Dyke Avenue in Bayview-Hunters Point. The award lifts the total to $2.8 million raised toward the $5.5 million goal for the Save The Box Shop capital campaign, a partnership between QBOX and artist Charles Gadeken. With an impending eviction after 22 years at its current location, this grant brings The Box Shop significantly closer to completing essential renovations and opening the new location to more than 300 artists, fabricators, and community members who rely on the space to build large-scale sculpture, fire art, and metalwork.

Other supporters of the capital campaign include Senator Scott Wiener, California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), The John Pritzker Family Fund, San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC), SOMArts, Grants for the Arts (GFTA), and COVEN. “This space is where big, wild ideas get forged into reality. We are the only place left in San Francisco where large-scale industrial art can still be born,” said Charles Gadeken, co-founder of The Box Shop. “The Hellman Foundation’s grant is a powerful vote of confidence in our artists and in San Francisco’s creative future.”

“Foundation directors and staff are all impressed by the strength of QBOX and The Box Shop, and the important role you play in sustaining industrial arts in San Francisco,” — the Hellman Foundation.

While this grant is a huge fundraising milestone for QBOX, more support is needed to secure and build the future of The Box Shop. QBOX seeks to raise an additional $500,000 by the end of 2025 and an additional $1.7 million in 2026-2027. Donations to support the 2025 fundraising goal and ongoing operations can be made at Save The Box Shop.