Why Rancho Cordova Arts won our Community Council’s
Distinguished Service Organization Award
Rancho Cordova Arts is home grown! For years, a small gathering of local artists met regularly to help make Rancho Cordova a more vibrant, artful place, eventually incorporating as a 501(c)(3) public benefit nonprofit in 2018.
As early as 2012 it began spreading its “Passion Happens!” attitude to help Cordova Community Council start its ‘Art at City Hall’ program, hold an annual Holiday Pop-Up in vacant retail space in Capital Village, and put together a plein air (outdoor) painting event at the City Cemetery on Kilgore Road.
Prior to incorporating, these artists also sat at the table with the City to increase public art by giving input to the architects and designers of the MACC (under construction) and by organizing two ‘Brushes & Brews’ events at a local brewery.
Civic Engagement
Each year, Rancho Cordova Arts collaborates with Cordova Community Council and the MACC (Mills Station Arts & Culture Center) to provide fun, free art activities for the public, especially for children to make and take home.
Kids Day in the Park – Each year we welcome over a thousand children to make art related to the event theme (e.g., ‘Safari’ animal masks to color, ‘All Aboard’ wooden train locomotives to paint, and ‘Fiesta’ shaped scratch-offs). During the 2020 & 2021 Drive-Through Kids Days, our artists painted themed murals during the event and gave away art supplies to carloads of children.
At iFest (International Festival) - Our member artists have demonstrated how to paint en plein air, and attendees have learned to mix their favorite colors with their new watercolor sets to paint their own plein air art. All ages are welcome to participate!
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Rancho Cordova Arts stepped up to do its part inhelping Cordova Community Council give the public a drive-through Holiday Lights experience. Our artists designed and installed a “Let’s Get This PARTY Started ‘Porch Patio Party’ at the Mine Shaft.
Each year at the MACC, Rancho Cordova Arts members help provide the public with opportunities to enjoy the free art experiences of juried art shows and where artists, the ultimate small business owners, can sell their artworks within our own community. The Member Show at the MACC encourages member artists by guaranteeing one of their pieces will be juried into the show. Open Studios brings attendees from around the region to see current artwork in Rancho Cordova. And after many years of popping up in various storefronts, the former Holiday Pop-Up became Winter Art Fest when it found a home at the MACC.
In 2023, Rancho Cordova Arts celebrated the City’s 20th Anniversary of cityhood by helping with Paint Night at Village Green Park featuring artist David Garibaldi, and with the State of the City event in November.
Rancho Cordova Arts and its members have actively participated in attending meetings and charettes for the City’s Strategic Arts Plan (adopted 2021) and in the Mills Crossing multi-use project, which, along with the MACC, will lead to a more vibrant Art Block, as identified in the Strategic Arts Plan.
As a member of the Rancho Cordova Arts Council, Rancho Cordova Arts coordinates with other art groups in the city, including Symphony D’Oro, River City Concert Band, Swing Collective, Hummingbird Theatre Company, and California Capitol Film Studios (CalCap).
Advancing the Values of Cordova Community Council
Rancho Cordova Arts is an all-volunteer organization, and so far we’ve grown to 250 members – artists and lovers of art of all ages. Our members volunteer throughout the year to promote and develop the visual arts.
We provide staffing for ‘Art at City Hall’ intake, curation and hanging for quarterly juried exhibits.
We established and provide funding for the Kathy Young Ross Art Book Lending Library at the MACC (free to the public), and those friendly Docents who greet you at the MACC are most often members of Rancho Cordova Arts.
Making Rancho Cordova a Great Hometown
We engage more community members to take advantage of what our city offers in the visual arts by partnering with the Chamber of Commerce. We provide event information and art supplies for the Chamber of Commerce ‘Explore Rancho Cordova’ swag bags to welcome newcomers to town. At the Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors’ annual Holiday Craft Faire at City Hall we let attendees know about opportunities to enjoy Rancho Cordova Arts’ offerings, ‘Art at City Hall’ shows, and more events at the MACC.
Not only do we offer Free Artist Workshops for the public to spark creativity and increase technical and art-business skills, we also encourage them to participate in our annual fundraiser, MicroMasterpieces. And they do!
Our artists donated over 400 original 6” X 6” artworks to be auctioned off in 2023, raising funds for our Art Supplies for School Kids in Rancho Cordova program. We were able to donate $14,000 in new art supplies to 59 teachers in 19 schools within Rancho Cordova city limits this past year. Over the past four years, we’ve given over $35,000 in new art supplies to teachers for classroom projects. Teachers gave us their art supply ‘wishlists’. This allows more kids and more schools to participate in the MACC’s annual Student Art Show, which boosts confidence and engages kids in the arts. We are growing the next generation of creative thinkers in our community!
Passion Happens! We in Rancho Cordova Arts are indeed passionate about enriching the daily lives of those who live, work, learn and play in Rancho Cordova.