ADVANCING THE ARTS, CULTURE,
AND CREATIVE ECONOMY
ACROSS SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
For more than a decade, The Arts Council of San Bernardino County has worked to strengthen arts and culture across the region by connecting artists, organizations, schools, and communities with the resources they need to thrive. Through funding opportunities, artist services, arts education, advocacy, and partnerships, we work to ensure the arts remain accessible, impactful, and woven into everyday life across the county.
ARTS Avenue, previously known as After School Artist In Residency (AIR) Program, is an after school program which provides free arts and culture workshops to youth K-12. Our workshops include a variety of different disciplines, such as painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, dance, creative writing, music, and more! Arts Connection works with local professional artists to provide rewarding cultural experiences to students at multiple school sites.
Poetry Out Loud is a FREE program for High School students where they select poems from the National Poetry Foundation Anthology, memorize, interpret, and recite them in competitions. Winners advance from classroom to nationals, with cash prizes available at each level. Two winners from each competition move to Regionals, where one winner progresses to States, and the State Winner competes nationally. Presented in partnership with various organizations, it encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization and performance, with resources available at poetryoutloud.org. Arts Connection has hosted the program for the past seven years.