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By Crystal Nay

As the state-mandated arts organization for the county, Tuolumne County Arts (TCA) has been a staple in downtown Sonora for over 40 years. It’s an organization that has brought us many fantastic arts-inspired activities and events, such as last year’s animation camp for kids and the popular Second Saturday Art Night.

Before the pandemic began, TCA was awarded an Artists in Schools grant for the 2020-21 school year, a funds-matching grant that puts working artists in local schools to teach arts curriculum. This year, there would be four resident artists and two visiting artists over four county schools in Curtis Creek, Jamestown, Soulsbyville, and Twain Harte.

But, there’s a caveat: if TCA doesn’t raise the same amount of funds, the grant will have to be returned to the state.

Combined with the fact that, as of this writing, no one is sure yet whether or not students will be returning to their classrooms come fall, TCA is facing several new challenges simultaneously. 

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Crowdsourcing a Backup Plan

Laurie Livingston, Executive Director of Tuolumne County Arts, is pulling out the stops when it comes to making sure the county’s students get their arts education. Unsure if the matching funds will be there in time, she decided to launch a GoFundMe campaign that not only encourages the area’s locals to help keep the program alive, but can also be shared abroad so anyone who supports arts education can donate. 

This becomes a two-step game plan for Livingston and TCA. “The first part is getting the funding. The second part is figuring out the different platforms on which we will deliver arts education,” she says. “We’ll have everything in place so that if the artists can’t go into the schools, we’ll put together a library of our art instructors teaching from their own studios.”

TCA is also considering videoconferencing applications, such as Zoom, to maintain a live teaching experience even if it can’t be in person. 

With additional resources such as the local community radio station, local public access television station, Livingston and the organization’s team is lining up all available opportunities to distribute arts education.  

“This pandemic catapulted everyone into a learning curve,” says Livingston. “It’s simultaneously stressful and gives me the chills because it’s so exciting. The more accessible, the better.”

If you’re interested in learning more or would like to donate, visit the Tuolumne County Arts GoFundMe campaign or www.MyTuolumneCountyArts.org.