Natomas Garden and Arts Club
MISSION:
The mission of the Natomas Garden and Arts Club is to enhance the quality of life in our community by making it easy for community members to meaningfully participate in all aspects of the arts
HISTORY/INFORMATION:
Our group came together in late 2017 around the idea of revitalizing the old Fire Station #15. Recently vacated, in 2017 we urged the City to convert the property into an Art and Garden Center. In our first years, we met monthly at the South Natomas Community Center, gained a large base of support, incorporated into a 501c(3) nonprofit, held regular workshops, and participated in community events. We applied for, received, and administered a grant from the Sacramento Perennial Plant Society to build a pollinator habitat. More recently we have applied for a SMUD Shine grant to build a similar habitat on the Ninos Parkway in South Natomas. Our grant has been moved into the Committee and Subject Matter Expertise Review Process and we should know the decision by November 2020. Our club continues to meet via zoom, presenting mini workshops on various subject; last month to support Chalk It Up To Sacramento. Our productions are posted on our new You Tube channel. Additionally, we have updated our website and increased our social media presence. While the Club has flourished during the pandemic, the Old Station #15 has fallen into an aesthetic void. The City has been responsive to our concerns and backs our plan, recognizing the need for such a facility. In 2018 the City Council allocated $800,000 for the conversion of the structure to a public use building. While we do not have a formal MOU, we have done several clean-ups at the site and do consider ourselves custodians of the property. We have a plan to replace the bare plywood which shrouds the windows with large, vibrant, garden-themed artworks produced by local artists as soon as we can obtain permission. The “Plein Aire Gallery” will be the first of many successful shows to come at the site.