August 2021
The dog days of summer will end August 11. Thank the stars because (according to Hellenistic astrology) these days bring heat, drought, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck—and we sure the heck hope all that stuff is done with by next Wednesday. Meantime, we're working to help bring the arts back to life after many difficult months.

ARTS brief is designed to intrigue you while sharing useful information, events, happenings, and current news related to arts growth in our region. If you love what you see here, please forward this to your friends and encourage them to join our email list and subscribe.
Advancing the arts
Mark your calendar for Arts Alive!
Reconnect with the arts — Sat. 9/18, noon to 4 p.m.
Be sure to mark your calendar for the first ever Arts Alive! event at the Public Service Center Plaza in downtown Vancouver.

The afternoon will include live performances from Columba Dance, Journey Theater, Magenta Theater, Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra, Traveling Day Society, Vancouver Ballet Folklorico, Washington Dance Creative, and poetry readings at the gazebo.

This is your chance to learn about the year ahead in the arts at informational booths from:

  • Battle Ground Art Alliance
  • Columbia Dance
  • Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries
  • Historic Music Preservation Project
  • Journey Theater
  • Magenta Theater
  • Metropolitan Performing Arts
  • Mosaic Arts
  • North Studios
  • Pacific Stageworks
  • Printed Matter Vancouver
  • Ridgefield Art Association
  • Sew Op + Makerspace
  • Southwest Washington Society of Artists
  • Southwest Washington Watercolor Society
  • Traveling Day Society
  • Vancouver Art Space
  • Vancouver Ballet Folklorico
  • Vancouver Stage and Art

A partnership of Clark County Arts CommissionArtstra, and Columbia Arts Network, Arts Alive! is designed to reconnect the community with local arts organizations and to remind everyone that the arts are still alive and well in Southwest Washington.
Deadline extended to August 15!
Fresh crop of poems sought for C-Tran buses
Artstra is still accepting submissions for Season 11 of our Poetry Moves program, for a new group of poems to be showcased on C-Tran buses. The program welcomes poets of any age living in the Vancouver-Portland regional area served by C-Tran.

A maximum of two poems may be submitted, each of which must not exceed seven lines and must be the poet's original work. Ten poems will be selected and displayed in C-Tran buses beginning September 2021. The new deadline for submitting poems is August 15.

Jurying of poems for this season is generously provided by Thabiti Lewis, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English at Washington State University Vancouver.

Support the arts: Give More 24!
Prepare for boundless giving on September 23
Give More 24! brings together our entire region for 24 hours of generosity. By giving together, and boosting donations through match dollars and nonprofit prizes, we have the potential to make one incredible impact. Your support for the arts can yield boundless dividends in strengthening our culture, lifting our spirits, and invigorating our local economy. Let's work together on September 23 to turn up the volume on giving for the arts in southwest Washington!
First Friday Pick
Fresh Strawberries and Paprika by Sandra Jones Campbell
Sandra Jones Campbell, Carol Grigg, and C.W Potzz
Attic Gallery
The Attic Gallery in Camas presents The Three Divas, an exhibit featuring work by three very different painters who've known each other from the Portland art scene since the 1980s. These gifted, hard working friends have managed to shake the art scene with new and dynamic paintings both then and now. Meet artist Sandra Jones Campbell at the reception which will include live music, complimentary wine, and chocolate.
Opening reception: First Friday, August 6, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

421 NE Cedar St., Camas
View Vancouver gallery listings on the VDA website.
Out and about
Washougal Art Festival
After a very quiet last year the Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance resumes its Art Festival this year. The event will be held August 14, in the Reflection Plaza in Washougal, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The works of 19 artists will be presented and offered for sale. As is traditional, there will be a raffle of art pieces donated by the participating artists, with drawings during the day. WACA thanks Anni Furniss who created the artwork for this year's poster. 

Reflection Plaza
Main St. and Pendleton Way
Downtown Washougal
Art Space at the Park continues through October
Espacio de Arte en el Parque, the program spearheaded by Artstra board member Anna Cruz, continues through October. The program is a collaborative effort between Vancouver Ballet Folklorico (VBF), Fourth Plain Forward, and Artstra and is also an extension of Artstra's Creative Relief Clark County. Many thanks to Mayor McEnerny-Ogle for stopping by again in July to volunteer!
Auditions
Journey Theater launches studio program for teens

Journey Studio is a new year-long program designed for students ages 13-18 who want more rigorous training in the theatre arts.

At the helm will be award-winning choreographer, Chelsea Nicole Lapp (pictured), who recently relocated to Vancouver from San Diego.She is a recipient of the Portland Area Musical Theatre Award, Inland Theatre League Award, National Youth Theatre Award, and Director’s Choice Award.

Journey is a Christ-centered theater arts program that exists to grow youth and their families in character and purpose to be difference-makers in their world. Journey has been offering classes, camps and shows in Clark County since 2002.

Auditions for Journey Studio take place on Monday, August 16.
Volunteers, donations needed
Day of the Dead Celebration
This October 30, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., community members will be invited to join Vancouver Ballet Folklorico to cherish the memory of family and friends who have passed away and who we hold close to our hearts. The event will feature luminarias, Catrinas, an alter to commemorate the beloved deceased, plus traditional Mexican and Aztec dancing. Please email Anna Cruz if you are interested in volunteering or donating to this event.
Our all-volunteer organization works toward building greater arts awareness, rewarding creative excellence, and expanding arts accessibility. We are working to facilitate long-term arts development for Southwest Washington. We envision a stronger arts infrastructure that includes an art center and a community-focused performing arts facility. 

Your support will help to make this vision a reality. Artstra's current programs include our annual Clark County Open Studios Tour and Poetry Moves, a collaborative effort that features the words of local poets on C-Tran buses. Both of these programs have already demonstrated the power of art in our lives to connect us, transform us, and fuel the economy.
Five ways to support the cause
If you love what Artstra is doing for our community, please consider the different ways that you can contribute.

1- Donate
Use PayPal to make a tax-deductible donation to Artstra. 
 
2- Declutter
Give useable items to Nifty and Thrifty at 6607 E. Mill Plain Blvd. And when those items sell, the money is split 50/50 with participating nonprofits. Just let them know your items are donated to benefit Artstra. 
 
3- Shop 
Link your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to Artstra using our code #84120. Just by using your rewards card number, and at no cost to you, every time you shop you'll help Artstra earn a quarterly donation from Fred Meyer.
 
4- Shop online 
Use this link to login to Amazon, and they will donate a portion of the proceeds from your purchase back to Artstra.
 
5- Volunteer 
Artstra is an all-volunteer organization. If you have specialized skills, especially in fundraising, outreach and marketing, we'd love to talk with you.
ARTS brief team
Cam Suttles, editor, designer 
Editorial Policy and submission guidelines
ARTS brief is intended to be useful to readers by offering a curated selection of stories and announcements related to the growth of arts in our region. Submitted items should be newsworthy. This means that arts-related items for content consideration must perform well in at least two of the following five areas: timing, significance, proximity, prominence, and human interest. Please submit materials to artsbrief@artstra.orgno later than the 25th of each month. Note that submission does not guarantee publication. We evaluate each submission to determine how it fits our goals for ARTS brief and whether the item under consideration aligns with the mission and vision of Artstra. We do not accept materials that primarily have a commercial objective.
About Artstra
Artstra is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization advocating for the arts in Clark County and southwest Washington. We envision a vibrant arts economy in our region, north of the Columbia River, with public/private investments and facilities that sustain artists and enrich community. Our mission is to elevate the arts, build greater arts awareness, reward creative excellence, and expand arts accessibility.