Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed the city’s first arts and culture director Monday, an announcement that followed his recent trip to Asia, where he finalized partnerships with arts organizations in Shanghai, China.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed Matthew Goudeau as the city's first executive director of arts and culture following a search that drew more than 250 applicants, according to a release from the mayor’s office. The role is intended to unify the city’s arts agencies, streamline funding and programming, and improve coordination across San Francisco’s cultural institutions and public arts efforts.

Goudeau currently serves in a senior leadership role at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and previously directed Grants for the Arts under Mayor London Breed, where he oversaw roughly $18 million in annual public arts funding.

Goudeau has reportedly worked in government roles under six SF mayors. He served as deputy chief of protocol beginning under Mayor Ed Lee and later as deputy chief of staff for Mayor Lurie.

In the new position, Goudeau will oversee efforts to align the San Francisco Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and the Film Commission under a single department focused on arts programming and economic recovery.

“As we bring together our arts departments to strengthen our support for this sector, we need a leader who is steeped in the community — Matthew Goudeau pairs that experience with a deep commitment to San Francisco,”  said Lurie in a statement. “I am excited for the work he will do to support our artists, strengthen our cultural institutions, and keep this community at the forefront of our city’s recovery.”

As KQED reports, Goudeau will have his work cut out for him, as many departments will face cuts in the mayor's new budget, which is due June 1. Lurie recently laid off 127 city employees with the goal of eliminating 500 total jobs, as SFist reported.

The appointment follows Lurie's first international trip while in office, to Asia, where he signed eight memoranda of understanding in Shanghai, China, aimed at strengthening partnerships between San Francisco arts organizations and counterparts in those cities.

As the Chronicle reported last week, SF Ballet and SF Opera are set to partner with major performing arts institutions in Shanghai, following earlier agreements between the cities’ conservatories of music, as well as between the California Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.

The San Francisco Ballet agreement reportedly establishes a three-year framework to explore future performances in Shanghai, including potential participation in the Shanghai International Arts Festival. The partnership between the San Francisco Opera and the Shanghai Opera House will focus on joint productions, artist exchanges, and expanded collaboration on education, training, and artist development programs, per the Chronicle.

“San Francisco’s arts and culture institutions are critical to driving our economic recovery,” Lurie said in the release. “By coordinating performances, expanding audience engagement with community events, and exploring long-term collaboration between the Shanghai International Arts Festival and San Francisco Ballet, we are strengthening cultural ties that will deepen cultural exchange and bring new energy to San Francisco.”

The agreement between the California Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum will center on joint exhibitions, research initiatives, educational programming, and staff exchanges, with an emphasis on advancing scientific discovery, sustainability, and cultural exchange.

“Strong arts, culture, and music organizations are critical to our economic comeback,” said Lurie.

Image: Facade of the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, California,  January 22, 2026. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)