The City of Vancouver and Historic Trust, with support from Artstra, are working on a concept to repurpose the Vancouver police headquarters building (located at 605 E. Evergreen Blvd.) into the Arts Headquarters, a community arts center that could potentially offer studio space, classrooms, a gallery, and makerspaces. If you are an artist, maker, or [...]
We are coming up on what should have been Open Studios weekend and many will miss that special opportunity to connect with artists. To say this year has been challenging is an understatement. Many local businesses and artists continue to struggle. Although our annual Open Studios Tour is cancelled this year, we can still enjoy [...]
Artstra thanks all who contributed to supporting the arts during the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington's Give More 24! day of giving. It was gratifying to see so many local arts organizations supported by our community. The arts have had to adjust and take new approaches to reaching out and to surviving during this stressful [...]
Please join us at Shangri-La Farm in Camas for a country style fund-raising event to benefit Artstra. Wear your cowboy attire and try your luck at a game of chicken poop bingo! Suggested minimum donation: $50 per adult. Kids are free! Your donation is tax deductible. All proceeds will benefit Artstra programs in our community. [...]
Like nothing else, art can reach across boundaries that divide us. Art, inherently, is an experience that is bigger than all the clutter and noise in our lives. Art doesn't actually need to have "meaning," narrative, message, or an agenda. In fact, some of the best art just asks us to "look at this" or [...]
It takes a lot of passion, energy, and experience for a small, all-volunteer, nonprofit arts organization to get things done. And while we hope our work speaks for itself, we thought we'd share with you a little about our talented and expert team. Please have a look and feel free to contact us if you'd [...]
As we look ahead to a bright future for the arts, the nonprofit Arts of Clark County, formed nearly a decade ago, has changed its name to Artstra. The name change, effective Feb. 1, “more accurately reflects our independent spirit,” says Chair Karen Madsen. “We are not affiliated with any government entity, and yet we [...]
The Cultural Congress and Confab, a 3-day conference hosted by Washington State Art Alliance with support from the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) brought together art educators, advocates, students, non- and for profit art groups to address some of the most relevant issues affecting the arts in Washington state. This year's conference ran from October [...]
Common Ground (August 6-11) is a six-day "gathering for curious people" created by The Historic Trust. Activities take place at the Marshall House, Howard House, Artillery Barracks, Red Cross Building, Providence Academy Ballroom and Chapel, and several outdoor locations. The schedule of events includes read alouds, history, literature displays, tapestry exhibitions, art workshops, opera, tours, [...]
On March 18, Magenta Theater hosted a preview presentation of Portland Opera's 2018 season. It was a wonderful way to introduce opera to the uninitiated and to share with those who already love opera. We took our 4-year-old granddaughter and she loved it. I was so pleased also to see so many young people in [...]