SVCreates

General information

On behalf of the board of directors of Arts Council Silicon Valley and 1stACT Silicon Valley, we are excited to announce the formal merger of our organizations, resulting in the creation of a regional nonprofit: Silicon Valley Creates. Our mission is to ignite investment and engagement in arts and creativity.

Silicon Valley Creates builds on the Arts Council's 30-year history of support to the arts community through regional grantmaking, professional development, and the Artsopolis Network, ArtsConnect and Artist Laureate programs; and 1stACT Silicon Valley's dynamic role in incubating innovative programs and initiatives like SPUR San Jose, School of Arts and Culture at MHP, Discover the Unexpected/LiveSV, MALI (Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute), and nurturing partnerships like ArtSpark.

Former 1stACT Managing Director and CEO, Connie Martinez, leads our new organization as its CEO. We have a strong blend of our staffs and boards. Our merged team is committed to raising the visibility and value of the arts, growing investment in arts and creativity, increasing participation in creative outlets, and building the capacity of our cultural ecosystem.

In the coming year, we will work to increase our funding and promotion of the arts and to grow Silicon Valley's overall investment in the arts. We will conduct relevant research to understand our unique landscape and to help identify best practices and new approaches. We will also deliver training and workshops to connect the arts with new audiences. We will focus our efforts and resources on areas at the core of Silicon Valley's distinctive culture: participatory arts, cultural heritage, children's creativity, placemaking, and innovative ideas, partnerships, and art forms.

We believe our merger brings experience and enthusiasm to a dynamic cultural landscape and strengthens our ability to provide the resources and leadership our community deserves.
We welcome your participation, ideas and questions.