ArtSurround is a collaborative effort among the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to enhance Sonoma County’s creative vitality by supporting artists and infusing the arts into our public realm. The program will engage businesses and public agencies that endeavor to enhance community livability through the arts, and will foster public imagination by supporting artists who work at the intersection of inspiration and effective community arts engagement. This program will engage two different cohorts:  an Artist Cohort and an Advocate Cohort, who will work on parallel tracks to increase community arts engagement across Sonoma County.

ARTISTS will receive 2.5 days of in-person training during June 18-20, 2022. Experts from Springboard for the Arts will lead the training, which will include community engagement strategies and techniques, and placemaking skills. Those accepted into the Artist Cohort will also will receive grant funds for projects their projects, ranging from $1,000 – $10,000. Artists and culture workers who are 18 or older and are residents of Sonoma County are encouraged to apply.

• For this program, artists are defined as socially engaged creative practitioners, teaching artists, and culture bearers working in all arts and culture disciplines: craft or artisanal trades, design and applied arts, literary arts, media arts, multidisciplinary arts, performing arts, traditional and folk arts, or visual arts.

ADVOCATES include staff from cities, towns, arts organizations and businesses who will engage with artists to incorporate their work into public spaces. Art projects will be designed to engage the surrounding neighborhoods and communities in creative processes as the art works are developed. Advocates will also receive a half day of training from Springboard for the Arts on June 20, 2022 and may paired with an artist or artist team to develop artwork for their site.

PUBLIC PROJECTS may include temporary installations, performances, art walks, cultural presentations, and more. Advocate-provided sites may include streets, sidewalks, alleys, plazas, or other public spaces. These projects will be installed or implemented throughout 2022.

The ArtSurround Program is made possible by funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the City of Santa Rosa Public Art Program, and community partners.

More detailed information on the program and its processes are available on the program webpage HERE.

To Participate:

ARTISTS

The Artist Application opens in early April 2022 at www.CreativeSonoma.org/artsurround/, with a deadline of April 26, 2022.

ADVOCATES

If interested in participating in this program as an advocate, please contact Kristen Madsen at Kristen.Madsen@sonoma-county.org.