12 • Parks, Open Space & Cultural Services ARTS PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES Santa Cruz County Arts Commission The Mission of the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission is to promote, expand, and plan for the cultural life of Santa Cruz County and to bring artists and arts organizations together with government for the benefit of all county residents. Percent For Art Program: Building A More Beautiful Community In April of 1991, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors took action to establish a Percent for Art Program applicable to County construction projects. Up to 2% of the cost of construction of buildings and parks can be designated to fund the inclusion of public artwork. Projects currently in the works include the Live Oak Library Annex, the Aptos library, the Heart of Soquel Parkway, and Green Valley Rd. Multi-use Pathway. Public art opportunities for artists are listed on the Parks website: www.scparks.com/Home/ AboutUs/WorkWithUs/CalltoArtists.aspx Art Exhibitions Paintings, prints, crafts, photographs, jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, drawings, and mixed-media works by local artists and crafts people are exhibited year-round at the County Government Center, 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz. Exhibits typically run for 2-3 months on the first and fifth floors. Artists interested in showing their work at a County facility (Government Center, Simpkins Swim Center, Health Services Agency, and others) can visit the Arts Council website at www.artscouncilsc.org for more information about the application process. Recognizing Local Emerging Artists Through the Spotlight Award, the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission publicly recognizes individuals who have achieved a high level of excellence and creativity in their work, but who have not received widespread acknowledgment of their talent. This award recognizes younger artists as well as those who are discovering their artistic voice later in life. Nominations are due March 3, 2024. More information about the award, the application process for nominated artists, and a list of 2023 recipients can be found at scparks.com. Artist: Anastasiya Bachmanova Poetry & Music in the Park Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy while listening to live music and hearing local poets read from their work. This free series is hosted by County Parks and 2023/24 Santa Cruz County Poet Laureate Farnaz Fatemi. Time: 1:30-3:30pm. Upcoming dates are April 28 and June 9 at Mesa Village Park, and May 19 at Brommer Park. Visit scparks.com for more information about the poets and the musicians.
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