Arts and Culture El Dorado’s mission to promote, connect, and empower arts and culture throughout the county is achieved by targeted programs and services; a vibrant gallery exhibition series; and a focus on initiatives which support and sustain the cultural life of the region.

Congratulations Sugar Skull Art Walk!

Dia De Los Muertos I-dancers

The 5th Annual Sugar Skull Art Walk celebrated Día de los Muertos in Downtown Placerville with food, facepainting, crafts, art, poetry, live music and dance, and a community procession on Main Street.

40th

Four Decades of Enriching Our Community Through Culture and the Arts

There is still time to make a donation or pay for your ticket purchase.

Coming Soon to Switchboard Gallery

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Scattered Water Droplets shows the intimate relationship between native artists and their tribal waters. Please join us for the opening reception Thursday November 21, 2024 from 6:00-8:00 PM at Switchboard Gallery, 525 Main Street in Placerville.

Laureate Trail

The Laureate Trail has returned to El Dorado County. A collaboration between Arts and Culture El Dorado and the El Dorado County Library, the Laureate Trail sees 2023-2025 El Dorado County Poet Laureate Stephen Meadows visit all six libraries in El Dorado County for free poetry readings, Q&As and open mics. Meadows is joined on the trail by former Poets Laureate, special guests from El Dorado County and beyond, and Poetry Out Loud champions.
The Laureate Trail began at the Georgetown Library on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. The final stop on the Trail will be at the Placerville library on Saturday, June 7, 2025, where Meadows will be joined by special guests including the 2025 Poetry Out Loud champion and the next Poet Laureate.
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Kelly Smith Cassidy at the County Supervisors Chamber

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Kelly Smith Cassidy followed in the footsteps of her sculptor parents and, at 16 years old, began creating welded bronze and copper art in her own style making trees and vines for the wall and table display. Now, over two decades later, thousands of sculptures have been created by her hands and are displayed all across the globe and represented by 7 galleries in North America. She creates her unique tree sculptures using gas welding equipment in her studio in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Her work has also extended to the Burning Man event where she has created 5 large-scale installations. 
Her work is currently on display at the County Supervisor's Chamber in Placerville CA. Check out her work on her website below.

Veterans' Voices

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"Around the Table", the 2024 Anthology of writing from the Veterans' Voices Writing Workshop, is now available on Amazon. Veterans' Voices is a free writing workshop that is open to all veterans, from any branch of service. It offers a supportive environment and the tools needed for the writing of fiction and nonfiction stories, service related or not, as well as memoir, poetry and drama. You can find all of the anthologies here: https://artsandcultureeldorado.org/anthology/

 

To purchase a copy of "Around the Table" click the link below.

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Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition which encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. Participants master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. The El Dorado County Poetry Out Loud Finals will be held Thursday, February 6, 2025 at Imagination Theater.

Placerville Historic Renovation

New Incubator Partners

Red Paint Collective advances wellness, reclamation, and sovereignty of Native, Indigenous and Latino Cultural Arts. Click to read more.

The Black Rock Philharmonic is an all-inclusive orchestra, with musicians from around the world, who come together every year at Burning Man to bring beautiful classical concerts to the Burning Man community. Click to read more.

Indigenous Art+Med of California's intention is to provide programming and space-centering contemporary and traditional arts, culture, and wellness knowledge. Click to read more.

PROMOTE

CONNECT

EMPOWER

Artist Anton Nemeth at his ceramics bench

Pine needle basket by artist Nettie Fox

Poetry Out Loud contestant Michaela Yack

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