| Preparing students for life through the arts
A major component of the Cultural Council's arts learning program, SPECTRA collaborates with professional artists and schools to provide thousands of students in Santa Cruz County with direct access to artists' curriculum-integrated programs in dance, theatre, music, language and visual arts.
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In addition to keeping Art in our schools, the Cultural Council supports the tremendous diversity of art and culture in Santa Cruz County by funding local artists and arts organizations.
Each year, the Grants program awards thousands of dollars to strengthen local arts organizations.
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All of the Cultural Council's programs and initiatives support artists and none support more visual artists than the Open Studios Art Tour.
Started in 1985, Open Studios was created to provide visual artists with an opportunities to market their work and allow visitors to learn how art is created.
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The Cultural Council has informally advocated for the arts in
Santa Cruz County
for the past 26 years through its programs; supporting and highlighting arts organizations and artists, participating in annual arts awareness celebrations, and being a champion for arts education for 25 years. |
| SPECTRA artists use California standards-based arts instruction to assist students to build the creative skills businesses want. Skills such as the ability to communicate effectively, work as part of a team, adapt to changing situations, recognize what data is important, synthesize it, and use it in positive ways. |
With support, these groups have wider opportunities to grow artistically; to bring distant cultures to us and to share with us the varied cultures of our own community. Through their literature, dance, visual art, song, and theatre, we learn more about the world and about ourselves in a way that nurtures our spirits and enriches our lives. |
Open Studios has become the nation's most known and imitated art tour. It brings visitors from all over the the United States, Japan, and Europe.
On the first 3 weekends of each October, nearly 300 artists open their doors to more than 10,000 visitors, generated over 1.2 million in revenue for our local economy.
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Recently, the Cultural Council has made a shift from a communications role to a call to action proactive role. As part of being proactive, we became part of the
Tannery
Arts
Center
project from its inception.
It is the hope of the Cultural Council to be able to use effectively all available arguments and tools in order to advance the arts in our community.
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