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C5 Studios, Inyo Council for the Arts and Mono Arts Council welcome new Sierra Regional Arts Organizations Network partners to the Eastside 

Local Arts Organizations C5 Studios, Inyo Council for the Arts and Mono Arts Council will welcome to the Eastside leaders from arts councils and organizations from Mariposa, Tuolumne, Calaveras, Amador and Alpine Counties in the first in-person meeting between partners in an emerging network of rural arts organizations.

The Sierra Regional Arts Organizations Collaborative Network is a newly formed network supported as a “Catalyst Project” through Sierra Jobs First, a regional initiative working towards high-quality job growth, climate resilience, and economic prosperity in Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono and Tuolumne counties. This region is one of 13 collaboratives across the state that was formed through California Jobs First (formerly the Community Economic Resilience Fund), a $600 million fund that will create high-quality, broadly accessible jobs for all Californians.

Facilitated by staff at Sierra Business Council, the Sierra Jobs First funding is supporting eight participating Arts Organizations in the Sierra Region to establish a network that will build capacity and provide peer support for organizations with pertinent issues such as fundraising, advocacy, economic development, strategic planning and marketing.  As C5 Studios Co-Executive Director Naomi Hart Johnson explains, “rural Arts Organizations have unique challenges to face particularly with regard to fundraising in rural locations that are sometimes referred to as “philanthropic deserts”.  Often we are serving large areas with communities spread out across significant distances, without access to the kinds of big donors and philanthropic giving that is more prevalent in more densely populated areas and larger cities.  This network will allow us to share good practice, combine and share resources, support one another in the important work we do and potentially leverage more financial support from outside our region as well as within it”.

While much of the network’s foundational work will happen behind the scenes, the first public collaborative project undertaken by the network will be connecting the seven counties of the Sierra region in a unique art exhibition that will travel to locations in each of the participating counties.  Launching in early 2026 and featuring work by artists from all parts of the Sierra region, the project will offer participating artists an exciting opportunity to have their work shown in multiple venues throughout the region, offering them increased exposure to new audiences and communities.  Through the publication of an exhibition catalog this project will draw attention to arts and culture resources throughout the region, feature favorite local businesses and encourage arts and culture to be recognized as valuable assets to support sustainable tourism and recreation in the area.

During the visit to the Eastside, network partners visiting from all corners of the region will enjoy an evening at Inyo Council for the Art’s Millpond Music Festival and visit C5 Studios and Inyo Council for the Arts’ locations in downtown Bishop and tour the murals and Arts in Storefronts installations on Main Street before travelling up the grade to visit Mono Arts Council and explore Mammoth’s cultural, recreational and tourist hot spots.  The final day of the visit sees the cohort travelling to Markleeville to visit network partners Arts and Culture Alpine County.

To find out more about this project, or how to support your local arts organizations you may reach out to Naomi Hart Johnson, Co-Executive Director of C5 Studios Community Arts Center at [email protected].  To receive updates or to get involved in Sierra Jobs First, sign up for the newsletter at sierrajobsfirst.org/get-involved.