Ashton Gallery at Art on 30th is an 8,000-square-foot art center in San Diego's University Heights at 4434 30th St, founded by artist and mentor Kate Ashton, who has been active in the San Diego arts community since 2001. The two-story facility opened in January 2015 in a former Morse Security Company building—the original mosaic logo remained in the lobby floor for the first five years as a nod to the structure's history. Coffee after a gallery visit flows naturally into Dark Horse Coffee Roasters on Adams Avenue, a few blocks north of the 30th Street building. The gallery hosts seven regional group shows, seven solo exhibitions, one annual national juried show with cash prizes and a full-color printed catalog, and one graduation show per year, all selected through open calls for art. Every piece on display is original, signed by the artist, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, with a five-day in-home art loan policy that lets buyers return work with no questions asked if it doesn't suit the space. Over 20 working artists lease private studio spaces on the second floor, and art receptions every five weeks draw hundreds of collectors into the building. The class roster covers drawing, oil painting, acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media across five skill levels, plus a 24-week career development program called Keys to the Art World that has graduated more than 65 artists who learned to bring their work to market. Ashton published a book featuring local artists' work, with over 100 full-page images from the Art on 30th community illustrating its principles. The University Heights location on 30th Street near Meade Avenue sits in the 92116 ZIP, north of El Cajon Blvd, and the same arts corridor connects to Diversionary Theatre on Park Blvd, linking the neighborhood's visual and performing arts communities. A private parking lot behind the building accommodates 16 vehicles, with additional street parking on 30th and Kansas streets.