Sacramento Alliance for Regional Arts

SARA evolved out of a need for comprehensive representation for the creative sector in the Sacramento Region. Fueled by the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 crisis, SARA arose as a unified voice to provide a platform through which cultural institutions and individual creators could connect to share resources and amplify their voices around shared needs.
SARA's mission statement identifies cultural equity as one of its motivating principles as an organization and this is reflected in our board of directors as well as the organizations and individuals we serve. Our membership spans Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, Yuba/Sutter and El Dorado counties.

SARA VALUES: Sacramento Alliance for Regional Arts believes that by identifying and eliminating barriers to equity, access, and inclusion, all of the Sacramento region will thrive. We work to promote policies that uphold these values:
● Everyone deserves access to a variety of cultural and artistic experiences
● Arts education is vital to the development of all children and promotes creative
engagement for people of all ages.
● The breadth, depth, and diversity of its artistic and cultural life are a critical
measure of the vitality of the Sacramento Region, from neighborhood cultural
centers to major arts institutions.
● The arts strengthen communities by increasing cultural empathy and fostering
civic and public engagement.

SARA Advocating for the Arts: A Vital Contributor to the Sacramento Region's Economy
The arts do more than just enrich the lives of Sacramento citizens; the arts also contribute to the region's economy. A 2015 study by the American's for the Arts determined that industry
expenditures total more than $167 million annually. Sacramento's arts and culture sector contributes over 6,000 jobs to the region and generates $135 million in annual household
income with revenue to local government agencies exceeding $9 million. The study also surveyed arts-related expenditures determining that patrons make an average spend of $30 per
person related to an art outing. On an annual basis, the arts make a meaningful contribution to the economic development of the region. The arts are employers, and taxpayers, making meaningful contributions to the economic health and well-being of the greater Sacramento area.

Sacramento Alliance for Regional Arts, organized during 2020 under the fiscal sponsorship of Verge Center for the Arts, is the new DBA for the Arts & Business Council of Sacramento, a 501(c)3 and regional chapter of Americans for the Arts that has been dormant since 2018. It was previously operated under the umbrella of Blue Line Arts. The Blue Line Arts/Arts & Business Council Board appointed SARA as the new Board of Directors for the organization, granting SARA exempt status in January 2021. This transition to independent operations and Board brought renewed relevancy, and truly regional representation and scope to the nonprofit.