Our Story

In January 2023, Ben Grace Gilmore & Karyn Thurston Gilmore produced the inaugural Songwriter Sanctuary concert, envisioning it as a monthly sister series to Writers Round San Diego, the already successful weekly showcase/open mic community they had built up in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Later that year, when life swept their family to Portland, the Songwriter Sanctuary reins were handed over to Lindsay White.

In October 2025, Lindsay transitioned Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to help us achieve our mission of creating meaningful concerts and cultural events that uplift artists, foster inclusivity and spark social change. In short, our work is all about making San Diego more accessible to artists and making the arts more accessible to San Diegans.

As a series committed to removing barriers for both artists and audiences, we recognize that financial sustainability is a critical factor for survival. We acknowledge that traditional charitable systems often mirror the same inequities they claim to solve by prioritizing the gatekeeping of wealth and institutional power over lived experience and community knowledge. As a literal labor of love, presented by working class artists and volunteers with limited resources and capacity, Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego has chosen to operate within the nonprofit system out of necessity, but not without critique. We seek partners who understand that changing how we invest in the arts plays a huge role in how we will change the world. 

​Normal Heights United: Our Affirming Venue Partners

While Songwriter Sanctuary is not religiously affiliated, we are in alignment with Normal Heights United's progressive, affirming and community-minded values and could not successfully sustain this series without their generous partnership, volunteer staff, and commitment to making arts accessible to the community. Special thanks to our sound tech Honza, whose time, labor, and skill with sound makes Songwriter Sanctuary the magical place it is (he's volunteering, but don't be afraid to slip him a tip if you appreciate his work!).

Header photo, credit Aryka P Photography

In The Community

Support Our Work

Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego - Meet Our Team

Lindsay White, Curator, Board President

Julia Sage, Board Secretary

Rachel Hall, Board Treasurer

Alfonso De Alba, Photo Support

Gary Lee, Media Support

Kara Hartzler, Media Support

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Normal Heights United Partners

Molly Rose Morgen, NHunited - Board Member / Onsite Liaison & Support

Sam Franz, NHUnited - Onsite Support

Honza Kriwenky, NHUnited - Sound Technician

Molly Lorden, NHUnited - Onsite Support

Mike Palmer, NHUnited - Brand/Media Support

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Sponosors

Writers Round SD

Music Makers San Diego

Duck Foot Brewing

Listen Local Radio

Babe Beverages

Ability Central

Become a Sponsor

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Accessibility Partners 

Ability Central

Songwriter Sanctuary received a generous grant from Ability Central which will help us expand ASL access for the remainder of our 2026 Season!

Community Engagement

Lindsay White received an individual artist grant from Community Engagement to help support goals of increasing ASL access for the series.

Steam Engine Foundation

Songwriter Sanctuary received generous support from The Steam Engine Foundation, which is being used toward ASL access goals.

Become An Accessibility Partner

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Season Pass Holders

A huge thanks to our 2026 Season Pass Holders, who help us sustain our series by allowing us to compensate our artists fairly while maintaining an accessible donation-based admission model to the community. Our team is so grateful for your commitment to helping us support local creators and preserve the art of original music in this beautiful listening room. 
​Thank you for being part of our Songwriter Sanctuary family!
​
Adobe Falls Music
Angela Bourassa
Anne-Marie Coman & Christopher Coman
​Brian Lucy
Brooks Dagman
Carina Wheatley
Charlene Obaña
Cheryl Fleming
Dan Gindling
Davida (Donna) Huchel
David Peters & Soleil Hepner
Dennis Driscoll
Dijana & Steve Florman
Ed Storer
Eileen Schnarr
Francis Webster
James Euphrat & Guest
Jessica Thibault
JT Moring
Kara Hartzler & Sebastien Cormier
Karen Vandenberg
Katy Moore
Kathy Lang
Kristine & Daryl Rysberg
Laurel Bernstein
Lizzie Wann
Marcus Bourassa
Mark & Karen Montijo
Marklyn Retzer
Mell Schaer
Monica Sorenson
Nic Roc and Iain Clarke
Noelle Pederson
Omar Musisko
Poppy Fitch & Mike Robinson
Roger & Sara Morrison
Sandra Bacal
Shelly Reshes & Mary Monroe
Susan & Robert Mejia
Susan Baldwin
Susan Berez
Suzanne Vattuone
Suzanne Young
Tammy Burmeister
Unison Colthurst
Vickie Cottle Sedberry

Sign Up for Info on 2027 Season

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We Love Our Volunteers!

Big, big love to all the people above who help make this event happen, and all the other folks who show up when they can, how they can - including volunteers from Normal Heights United, as well as media/PR volunteers and our local photographer and videographer friends. If you are interested in volunteering or supporting our series, please come out to a show and talk to us or reach out! We need all the help we can get!

Volunteer