ArtSurround is a new 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 engages businesses and public agencies that endeavor to enhance community livability through the arts, and fosters public imagination by supporting artists who work at the intersection of inspiration and effective community arts engagement. This program engages two different cohorts:  an Artist Cohort (full description below, after Training) and an Advocate Cohort, who will work on parallel tracks to increase community arts engagement across Sonoma County.

The Advocate Cohort includes 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. 

• If interested in participating in the Advocate Cohort – or are the owner/operator of a potential public site – email Kristen Madsen at Kristen.Madsen@sonoma-county.org. More details about the Advocates’ roles are in the Artist Cohort Application Packet, found below in the section “Application Packet and How to Apply.” (For general questions about the Artist Cohort and Application, email CreativeSonoma@sonoma-county.org.)

At the end of ArtSurround’s first cycle, it is anticipated that a dozen or more public art projects will have been produced by Artist Cohort members in multiple communities throughout Sonoma County.  

TRAINING

Nationally-recognized creative placemaking and community arts engagement experts from Springboard for the Arts (Minnesota) will lead an in-person customized training that is required for the Artist Cohort (2.5 days) and the Advocate Cohort (which join the training for a half day) during June 18-20, 2022. 

In advance of Springboard coming to Sonoma County, artists interested in applying to the cohort are encouraged to participate in Springboard’s Art-Train, which is free for artists. Register for any of the upcoming dates HERE:

• Tuesday, April 12, 2022, 11:00am-2:00PM Pacific Time
• Tuesday, May 10, 2022,11:00am-2:00PM Pacific Time
• Tuesday, June 7, 2022,11:00am-2:00PM Pacific Time

ARTIST COHORT

Artists must apply for this Cohort, which will be comprised of approximately twenty to thirty (20-30) individual artists and culture workers who are interested in building a practice in community engagement and public art. Cohort members participate in the customized training to enhance their skills to engage communities, transform public spaces and processes, and use the arts to address civic and business challenges.

• Artist Cohort members will each receive a grant (ranging from $1,000 to $10,000) to fund a temporary art project that they develop as their “case study” during their participation in the program.
• Artist Cohort members must commit to up to twenty (20) hours of training on two-and-a-half (2.5) days during June 18-20, 2022.