The Challenge

Relocating Meridian Gallery, the Interns Program, and Meridian Music: Composers in Performance presented quite a challenge.

With the help of an able broker, many friends, board members and even some of our youth, we spent much of the summer searching and looking for new places. We saw 12 or 13 possible locations but one kept burning in consciousness. A friend described the process: "To find a sacred place that embodies intention."

We thought deeply about where we'd like the Society and its expanding programs to be in 10 years time; we looked hard at the Society's archives which are emerging, being sorted and prepared for use in our new location; we've thought about new programs (a drawings gallery, a film series, breathing space for 19 teenaged interns); and we settled on a place we think will work.

535 Powell St., designed by architect C.A. Meussdorffer, is a rare and very late example of a Second Empire Style house and stands out as the only structure left downtown which was a single-family residence. Originally built for George M. Perine, the house was later bought by Frank Daroux, a gambler and Republican political boss of the Tenderloin for his bride Tessie Wall. Features include an outsized Palladian dormer set in a high mansard roof and two working fireplaces.

Left: The third floor "Performance Gallery"

Photograph by Jai Carillo