Nevada City – September 18, 2024. Nevada County Arts Council and the Grass Valley-Nevada City and Truckee Cultural Districts announce the Opening Reception for a new exhibition, Artists@Work!, on Thursday, October 3 at 4:30pm at the Eric Rood Administrative Center in Nevada City.
Artists@Work! celebrates the achievements of artists living in, working in, or serving Nevada County under Upstate California Creative Corps, a grant program culminating now, administered by Nevada County Arts Council for the California Arts Council.
Says Sofia Airaghi, Grants Manager for the Creative Corps, “In partnership with county arts agencies across California’s Upstate Region, Nevada County Arts Council ensured $3.38 million in grant awards to 27 partner agencies and 54 lead creative partners, with over a hundred artists and culture bearers supporting initiatives serving Northern California’s least represented peoples, and most vulnerable communities and environments.”
From public health access, civic engagement and social justice opportunities, to climate crisis solutions, whether watershed health and forest management or emergency preparedness and disaster response, often incorporating—and informed by—Tribal Ecological Knowledge. The Upstate California Creative Corps aligns with a vision that our lives are enriched by the work of a diverse spectrum of artists and culture bearers, and arts and cultural experiences, and that they can be a key factor in addressing our challenges. Arts and creativity in daily life can revitalize communities and promote civic engagement, encouraging collective problem solving and building bridges across cultures and political divides.
Says Michaelyn Logue, who coordinates social media and communications at Nevada County Arts Council, “It’s likely you’ve already seen some of these artists and their projects out in the wild.
Many of you wrote in about, or attended events hosted by The Poetry Crashers for Postcards from Earth!; or saw Jess Riegel as “The Admiral” filming another @unlikelygem, or watched them on Instagram; or participated as an artist or an audience member in one of Michelle Amador’s Solidarity Sessions. You may have sent your children to a workshop led by Monica Farbiarz about the salmon lifecycle, or the ecologically focused youth art classes led by Troy Corliss and Sarah Smith for their project, Talisman of the Watershed in the High Sierra.”
Through diligent efforts and strategic initiatives, Nevada County’s Creative Corps grantees have advanced social justice issues, supported civic engagement opportunities and public health access, and uplifted environmental issues and solutions. Artists@Work! showcases these projects and serves as a testament to Nevada County Arts Council’s unwavering commitment to creative economies, innovation, sustainable growth, and underserved communities.
Donn Harris, former Chair of California Arts Council and now a member of Nevada County Arts Council’s board of directors, says: “Over the last year, Creative Corps artists have been hard at work, their projects creating a noticeable impact within our communities. There have been music performances, community surveys, youth-focused classes providing tools for challenging times, open mics, artist calls, comic books and catchy tunes on the radio reminding us what to do in an emergency. Artists@Work! brings these projects together to demonstrate the scope of their work as the Creative Corps comes to a close.”
Nevada County Arts Council is pairing this event with one of its monthly meetups, where our creative community is invited to gather, share and inspire one another. Every first and third Thursday of the month (with a few exceptions) Nevada County Arts Council and partners from each of our California Cultural Districts meet at a new location, welcoming our artists, our creative workforce, and our community, in Eastern and Western Nevada County.
To learn more, visit our website at nevadacountyarts.org or follow us on social media via @nevadacountyarts, @gvncculturaldistrict, and @truckeeturaldistrict.
What: Artists@Work! Celebrating Nevada County Artists through Upstate California Creative Corps
When: September 30 – December 5, 2024
Opening Reception October 3 at 4:30pm
Where: The Eric Rood Administrative Center, 950 Maidu Ave, Nevada City
Who: Nevada County Arts Council in partnership with the County of Nevada
Admission: Free
More Info: ART IN PUBLIC SPACES — Nevada County Arts Council