Verge Center for the Arts
MISSION:
We have a mission to extend the dialogue about contemporary art to the central valley. Verge supports this mission by providing vital resources to local career and emerging artists as well as offering arts education opportunities for youth and adults.
HISTORY/INFORMATION:
Founded by Jesse Powell in 2008, Verge Center for the Arts provides contemporary art and art resources to the Sacramento region through a combination of exhibitions, low or no cost artist work space, and educational programming.
In its first location, Verge operated as a commercial gallery which housed two contemporary exhibition spaces and 20 free studios that were made available to emerging and career artists. The original enterprise was funded entirely by Powell alone. In an effort to see the project continue Powell along with Verge's Founding Director Liv Moe sought a new building with the intention of transitioning the institution toward a more sustainable non-profit model.
Verge relocated to S Street in April of 2010 and immediately set out to re-establish and build on the model originally constructed in its first location. The new building is considerably larger, enabling Verge to raise the number of artist studios from 20 to 37, in addition to two expansive gallery spaces, a classroom, and a fine art printmaking facility. Through the combination of these elements Verge has created an art center model similar to those seen in other cities - Davis, Richmond, Grass Valley, San Francisco - offering a combination of resources to serve artistic professionals and the public.
Through an effort led by Moe, then board president Carlin Naify, and Deputy Director Susanna Tu, Verge was able to purchase and renovate its building in 2013 reopening to the public the following year. In 2014, Verge merged with the Center for Contemporary Art Sacramento (CCAS), a regional institution with over 25 years of history. The merger has provided Verge with new energy, a respect for the history of CCAS, and a stronger foundation as we look forward to developing the future for contemporary art in the Central Valley.