Rep. Nancy Pelosi visited San Francisco on Thursday to celebrate local artists in Chinatown.
Pelosi attended a special event at Edge on the Square on Grant Avenue. Last year, the cultural arts hub received money from Community Project Funding to help provide cultural programs to Chinatown.
The former House Speaker said investment in the arts helps unite the community.
"The arts do bring people together," she said. "We forget our differences, we laugh together, we’re inspired together, we cry together, we find our common ground. No matter what our political thinking may be."
During the event, Pelosi welcomed Joanne Lee as the first executive director for Edge on the Square. Lee will be in charge of the site as it undergoes renovations and hosts the annual contemporary art festival next month.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.