CLARA
MISSION:
CLARA provides education and resources to unleash the creative potential of local arts and culture in Sacramento.
We do this by:
- Bringing arts education programs to public schools with low arts access
- Teaching professional development workshops that help adult artists further professionalize their work
- Offering low-cost rehearsal and administrative space to arts organizations in our community
HISTORY/INFORMATION:
CLARA provides office, classroom, and rehearsal space to eight local cultural organizations whose access to below-market rent helps them bring cultural and arts experiences to approximately 74,500 Sacramento residents each year.
CLARA began as an innovative partnership between the City of Sacramento and the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) in which the District donated a decommissioned school building to be a home for cultural organizations in exchange for free arts outreach programming. CLARA works with each tenant to design arts education programs including in-school artist residencies, after-school classes, interactive field trips to performance events, internships, and a summer camp; we also work with independent artists to build their skills as teaching artists -- offering a path to stable income as well as an opportunity to educate the next generation in their craft. While our early work was exclusively with SCUSD, today CLARA serves all 13 school districts in Sacramento County, bringing arts education to more than 6,500 students per year.