Fresno Arts Council Inc

THE FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL (FAC) IS A PRIVATE, 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 1979 UNDER THE NAME OF THE "ALLIANCE FOR THE ARTS" BY LOCAL ARTISTS, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS WHO WISHED TO CREATE A VOICE FOR THE ARTS IN THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. OUR MISSION IS TO "ENRICH PEOPLES LIVES THROUGH THE ARTS." OUR PURPOSE IS TO FOSTER AN ARTS COMMUNITY THAT RECOGNIZES AND HONORS THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ITS CITIZENS TO THE ARTS; ADVOCATE CITY, COUNTY, STATE AND NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ON ISSUES OF CONCERN TO VALLEY ARTISTS; COLLABORATE WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS, BUSINESSES, CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS, AND OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO BRING ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES TOGETHER. THE FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL SPONSORS, PROMOTES AND ENCOURAGES THE ARTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND COUNTY OF FRESNO AND ACTS AS AN UMBRELLA FOR ARTISTS AND ART ORGANIZATIONS FROM ALL CULTURES AND DISCIPLINES THROUGH ADVOCACY, EDUCATION, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.

HORIZON AWARDS - THE FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL HONORS THE EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES WITH ITS YEARLY HOSTED EVENT CALLED HORIZON AWARDS. THIS MUCH AWAITED EVENT STARTED IN 1984 TO PROVIDE RECOGNITION TO THE FRESNO COMMUNITY DEDICATED IN THE EXCELLENCE IN THE ARTS. POETRY OUT LOUD - POETRY OUT LOUD IS A NATIONAL RECITATION CONTEST CREATED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS & POETRY FOUNDATION. THE CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL SUPPORTS THIS EXCITING PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE THE CALIFORNIA YOUTH MASTER THEIR PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS, DEVELOP SELF-CONFIDENCE AND LEARN ABOUT THEIR LITERARY HERITAGE. THE FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL HOSTS THE REGIONAL POETRY OUT LOAD COMPETITION, WITH INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT AND CREATIVE DIRECTION BY FORMER FRESNO POET LAUREATES. SOCIAL NETWORK FOR THE ARTS - THE ORGANIZATION MAINTAINS AND UPDATES A LIST OF OVER 1,800 E-MAIL ADDRESSES AND OVER 2,000 MAILING ADDRESSES FOR COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION OF CURRENT ARTS AND CULTURAL INFORMATION ON A REGULAR BASIS. WWW.FRESNOARTS.NET WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED TO ENGAGE ARTISTS, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTS ENTHUSIASTS TO LEARN, DISCUSS AND CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER. APPROXIMATELY 500,000 PAGE VIEWS A YEAR AND OVER 5,000 UNIQUE VISITORS PER MONTH UTILIZE THIS RESOURCE. FRESNOARTS.INFO LIST SERVE HAS ALSO BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR THE ARTS COMMUNITY TO POST/RECEIVE A DAILY DIGEST OF E-MAILS RELATED TO THE LOCAL ARTS. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO OFFERS TO ARTS COMMUNITY THE USE OF ITS SPACE FOR WORKSHOPS AND RECEPTIONS. THE FRESNO ARTS AND CULTURE EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANT FUND - THE FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF FRESNO TO ESTABLISH AND ADMINISTER AN EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANT FUND OF $1,500,000 TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL MUSEUMS, THEATER AND LOCAL ARTISTS IMPACTED BY THE CORONA VIRUS, COVID-19.

ARTS IN CORRECTION PROJECT - FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FELLOW LOCAL COUNCIL OF KERN, PROVIDES MULTIPLE WORKSHOPS IN VISUAL ARTS, MUSIC, CREATIVE WRITING AND THEATER TO INMATE PARTICIPANTS AT FIVE FACILITIES IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY.

ARTS IN EDUCATION - THE FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL OFFERS A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS DESIGNED TO TRAIN AND PREPARE AND DELIVER COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS AND VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS STANDARDS, ARTS-INTEGRATED LESSONS AND UNITS OF STUDY ALONG SIDE TEACHERS IN CLASSROOMS. THE ARTISTS SHARE THEIR CONSIDERABLE ART SKILLS WITH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WITHIN THEIR LESSONS. ARTS ALIVE- ARTS ALIVE IN AGRICULTURE EXHIBITION AND COMPETITION IS AN EVENT TO PAY RESPECT TO THE ADMIRABLE ATTRIBUTES OF OUR COMMUNITY TRADITION AND RESOURCES. THE CENTRAL VALLEY IS A LARGE FLAT VALLEY COVERING THE INNERMOST PORTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SURROUNDED BY THE SIERRA NEVADA, CASCADE AND TEHACHAPI MOUNTAIN RANGES, THE CENTRAL VALLEY IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST FRUITFUL REGIONS WHERE NEARLY ALL NON-TROPICAL CROPS ARE GROWN. THE FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL SEEKS TO HIGHLIGHT THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY BY SHOWING THOUGHTFUL AND COMPELLING WORKS FROM CREDIBLE ARTISTS FROM THE CENTRAL VALLEY.