Sacramento Art Schools

As California’s capital and sixth largest city, Sacramento has been attracting a great variety of people since the gold rush of 1848. Though the gold is long gone, the reasons for living, working, and learning in “Sac” remain attractive. For years, local artists have complained that, though the art community is an integral part of the city, there is little opportunity for that to be shared with city residents. In response, the Sacramento Regional Art Initiative was formed in 2002 and has devoted itself to bringing business support for the arts. This commitment is evident in such projects as the ARTS website, which provides listings of artists, galleries, and events, as well as launching a collaborative certificate program with the Los Rios Community College system to educate art leaders in business. Another organization, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, focuses on expanding the Art in Public Places program, as well as various outreach, education, and grant programs. In addition to these organizations, yearly events such as the Waterfront Art Festival, the A la Carte & Art Festival, and the recent Art & Wine Festival all offer open venues for local artists to exhibit their work. Furthermore, Gallery Walks have recently formed on the second Saturday of every month, offering tours of galleries in the city’s two art districts, Uptown and Midtown. Uptown galleries include such notable spaces as Doiron Gallery, Artisan, and SOL Gallery; while Midtown offers 20th Street Art Gallery, Exploding Head Gallery, and Artisan Collaborative Gallery. Most notably, however, is the nation’s oldest public art museum, the Crocker Art Museum. The Museum is located on O Street in the downtown section of the city and maintains an extensive permanent collection, as well as ongoing exhibits by local artists. Finally, Sacramento is also a city consistently recognized as a model of social and cultural integration. Given this, people of all backgrounds and perspectives enjoy the open-mindedness of this warm and congenial city. Though the number of schools in which to study art is not as great as other cities, Sacramento State and the popular Los Rios community college system offer excellent programs for those considering school in the area.