WHAT WE DO
​Artstart is an award-winning, 501(c)3 non-profit educational arts organization serving all of Sonoma County since 1999
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Our mission is to provide mentoring and stimulating arts work experience for Sonoma County youth, while creating publicly and privately commissioned art for our community.
WE PROVIDE COMMUNITY ART
Artstart provides training to young Sonoma County artists for the following projects:
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Artstart Benches can be found all over Sonoma County: at bus stops, in City of Santa Rosa parks including Prince Memorial, Finley, Julliard, and Howarth, and along the sidewalks of Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Sonoma, and beyond.
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Artstart Mosaics are on walls, steps, and sculptural works (such as our largest example, the famous fish sculpture, “Breakout," in Prince Memorial Park, Santa Rosa).
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Artstart Murals transform plain walls into works of art and have discouraged graffiti in public and private spaces.
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Artstart Installations are created for a particular space and include projects such as signs, cutouts, and other decorative elements.
Visit the PORTFOLIO page to see samples of all of these types of work.
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WE PROVIDE TRAINING
Each year, we hire apprentices to work under the mentorship of professional artists to create public and private art. Apprentices come from many different Sonoma County high schools and colleges (or are home from college), are from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds, and range in age from 14-21 years. Read more on the APPRENTICES page.
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WE PROVIDE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ART
Artstart works with public entities as well as private clients to make beautiful art ranging from very large pieces of public art to small works, such as painted or mosaic furniture and works on canvas. Our clients appreciate that they are serving the community by hiring a local non-profit organization that provides training and jobs to area youth.
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Artstart has worked closely with the City of Santa Rosa to create public art for city-owned properties. Through the Art in Public Places program, Artstart completed many artworks for community enjoyment. The City's Arts District ArtWalk map can be downloaded here.
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WE COLLABORATE
By working with other Sonoma County Arts organizations we expand our program and support community endeavors. A selection of past partner organizations include: Community Action Partnership (CAP), The Santa Rosa Downtown Arts District, Artquest, Museums of Sonoma County, KRCB, Sonoma County Library, The Imaginists, SOFA Arts District, The Rural Cemetery Historical Society, and the City of Santa Rosa and Department of Parks and Recreation.
![painting.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f503d8_25bfbaf21f0948e3a2f8df4a04c8fc74~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_18,y_37,w_683,h_630/fill/w_298,h_275,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/painting.jpg)
LIZ URIBE TREE MURAL (2018)
![octopus.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f503d8_c6bd8cfec87944c7866f66ca5fb2d2d8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_298,h_199,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/octopus.jpg)
Gale Mead Mosaic (2018)
![artstart-roseland-project-02.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f503d8_d5fcfe9ea1b346fbad9629fd9be9ca82~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_298,h_224,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/artstart-roseland-project-02.jpg)