'Poetry Moves,' created by nonprofit Artstra in partnership with C-Tran, will honor poets who have engaged, delighted, and inspired riders with poems on buses since 2016. This multifaceted celebration of poetry (a free public event) will take place Sunday, January 8, 2023, from 1–3 p.m. at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., in downtown Vancouver. Washington [...]
Laurel Whitehurst passed away on November 8, 2022. This was sad news for the arts and for the community as a whole. Laurel was the true founder of the Clark County Arts Commission as well as Arts of Clark County (now Artstra) in 2010. She was a strong believer that art can change the world [...]
A special thanks to all the Clark County Open Studios artists for opening their doors, sharing their creative process, and spreading inspiration. Open Studios 2022 was a wonderful weekend reconnecting with our art community. Thank you to all our visitors that ventured out and explored Clark County for the love of art! Also, thank you [...]
Clark County Employees not only serve our county, they also contribute to the creative and cultural community of Southwest Washington. Come visit the Rebecca Anstine Sixth Floor Gallery to visit an exhibition of photography, painting, fiber art, and mixed media on display through the end of January 2023. Participating artists include Angelina Kotchetova, Leigh Radford, [...]
The Clark County Open Studios Tour is back on the calendar for this fall, Saturday and Sunday, November 5-6. Now in its ninth year, the free self-guided tour continues to build connections as local artists open their studio doors to inquisitive visitors from near and far. Open Studios is an annual juried art event designed [...]
Celebration of remembrance at Esther Short Park Vancouver Ballet Folklorico invites the community to celebrate and honor the memories of departed loved ones at Esther Short Park on Saturday, October 22 from 4-8 p.m. Born in a tradition that dates back centuries, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is traditionally joyfully celebrated during the [...]
The 2022 Sitka Art Invitational takes place October 14-16, 2022 and will be at a new venue this year, Oregon Contemporary, a non-profit organization and exhibit space in North Portland's Kenton neighborhood. The Art Invitational Exhibition + Sale brings together 100 nature-inspired Northwest artists and showcases 300 pieces of art including sculpture, paintings, ceramics, fiber [...]
Arts Alive! celebrated second year presenting local arts organizations Saturday, September 17 brought creative types from across Clark County together for the second annual Arts Alive! festival at the Public Service Plaza in downtown Vancouver. The event, produced through the collaboration of Artstra, the Clark County Arts Commission, the Columbia Arts Network, and the Southwest [...]
A very special thank you to everyone for making a contribution to Artstra on September 22 - Give More 24!, Southwest Washington's day of giving! Your support enriches the cultural community of Clark County, and every donation, large or small, makes a difference. Thank you!
Dear friends, Last Saturday, we proved again that the arts are alive and well at the second annual Arts Alive! info fair. Music, dance, visual art, and poetry enlivened an afternoon in downtown Vancouver. And local arts groups shared their stories and plans for the upcoming year. Please help us ensure that this—and all of [...]