Who We Are
We are a network of leaders who care about the resilience of our arts ecosystem and its impact to our community. We are conveners, promoters, incubators, and funders of the arts. Our mission is to elevate Silicon Valley’s creative culture.
What We Do
We build the cultural sector’s capacity, raise the voice and visibility of our creative culture, and increase access to arts for high-need communities.
Capacity
We build the cultural sector’s capacity by:
- Providing local grants, workshops, roundtables, and management tools
- Nurturing the next generation of leaders
- Conducting research studies of relevance to civic and arts leaders, like the Business of Arts and Culture
- Forming a Creative Spaces Collaborative to address the space needs of our cultural ecosystem
- Leading the development of the Creative Center for the Arts
Visibility
We raise the voice and visibility of the creative sector by:
- Advocating for the arts at the local, state, and federal levels of government
- Showcasing local artists and cultural leaders through the publishing of Content Magazine and its social media platform
- Building networks through Content Pick-Up Parties
- Administering the County’s Poet Laureate program and showcasing Content Emerging Artists
Accessibility
We increase access to arts and creativity by:
- Creating arts and digital media opportunities for teens through The Studio
- Connecting teachers to arts education offerings through ArtsEdConnect
- Infusing arts and creativity into the Women and Children’s Center at VMC
- Funding Art Access grants to serve high-need communities
- Incubating initiatives that increase access to the arts such as Artsopolis, the School of Arts & Culture at MHP, and Vitality Arts
Why It Is Important
We believe that arts and creativity connect us to our heritage, to humanity, and to each other, fuel innovation and 21st century skills, help shape our identity, deepen attachment to place, foster cross-cultural understanding and appreciation, and bring beauty, joy, and learning to our lives.
Our History
Arts Council Silicon Valley and 1stACT Silicon Valley merged in 2013 to create the regional nonprofit SVCREATES. SVCREATES builds on Arts Council’s 30-year history of support to the arts community through regional grantmaking, professional development and the Artist Laureate program, and on 1stACT Silicon Valley’s dynamic role in incubating innovative programs and initiatives like SPUR San Jose, School of Arts and Culture at MHP, MALI (Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute), and The Studio.