San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture

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Redwood City, CA
San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture

SMC Office of Arts and Culture believes arts are essential for a healthy and vibrant community.

06/23/2026

Do you have a passion for arts, culture and Community? The Arts Commission has a vacancy in District 5. The Arts Commission promotes and encourages the arts, serves in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors, and acts as a liaison with arts organizations to ensure collaboration and coordination related to culture and art activities in San Mateo County. Apply today to represent District 5 which includes the communities of Brisbane, Colma, Daly City, San Bruno (north of Sneath lane and west of Interstate 280 ), South San Francisco (west of Interstate 280 until Avalon Drive then west of Junipero Serra Boulevard, and north of Hickey, Hillside and Sister Cities Boulevard to Highway 101) with Unincorporated Broadmoor Village, San Bruno Mountain Park and Brisbane Quarry.
Deadline to apply is July17 @ 5:00pm. For more information or to apply, see link in bio.

06/22/2026

Congratulations to SMC Arts Commissioner, Lois Fried, who received a Juneteenth Proclamation, proclaiming June 19 this year, and each year thereafter, as Juneteenth in Redwood City!
Lois presented a mini poetry workshop and participants wrote lovely Juneteenth poems!

Lois received the Juneteenth Proclamation from the City of Redwood City on June 18, 2026

06/18/2026

We had a fun time at San Mateo Pride on Saturday sharing Youth Arts Felow, Kat Messner’s collaborative art puzzle, Every Piece Matters. Thanks for the partnership and support Outlet ! The puzzle turned out great and will be gifted to ACS Outlet.

06/17/2026

Call For Visual & Performing Artists!

Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 26th, 2026, 11AM - 6PM! Join us in the heart of Downtown San Mateo for a fun day-long celebration of art, music, dance, poetry, food, and culture! From live bands and dazzling cultural performances to interactive kids’ activities, LIVE mural painting competitions, artists selling original handcrafted artworks, and poetry open mic, the September Arts & Culture Fest has something for everyone — and it’s completely FREE to attend.

Applications for artist vendors and performing artists will be accepted June 15 - July 13, 2026, 5:00 PM PST, and reviewed and accepted on a first come, first served basis. Open to Bay Area visual and performing artists with a preference to artists living or working or providing services/programs in San Mateo County. Please read the information on the OAC website carefully before applying.
Artist Vendors:
Calling all painters, printers, photographers, ceramicists, sculptors, jewelers, multi-media, fiber or resin artists, etc.! The cost is $130 for one artist, or a shared booth is $75 per artist.

Performing Artists:
Calling all dancers, musicians, and actors! Like last year, we will have one small stage for groups up to 15 performers and the maximum showtime is 20 minutes. Artists will be compensated for their time.

Applications for the poetry open mic and Mural Madness will be coming soon!

The September Arts & Culture Fest is presented by the San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce, San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture, and Downtown San Mateo Association.

06/16/2026

Join us for an inspiring evening featuring local authors to hear excerpts from their works. Gather with these authors and the community to celebrate the power of the written word and stories.

06/11/2026

San Mateo County is celebrating Pride on Saturday, June 13 at Central Park in San Mateo from 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM. The Office of Art and Culture invite the public to participate in a collaborative art project, Every Piece Matters, created by Youth Arts Fellow, Kat Messner.
Join us to create an art piece celebrating the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community. You will be given an opportunity to add to our large community puzzle representing our diversity and the connections between us. The event is free and everyone is welcome. We hope to see you there. 🌈

06/10/2026

The San Mateo County Fair is in full swing at The San Mateo Event Center. Join us today (6/10) from 4:00-6:00pm in the Expo Hall Stage for an afternoon of featuring San Mateo County and city Poets Laureates, and Bay Area poets including youth poets. The theme of the fair this year is, “In Bloom!” Don’t miss this inspiring afternoon followed by a special performance by Lyrical Opposition.

06/08/2026

Congratulations to Youth Arts Fellow, Taryn for a job well done. Her project, Objects of Belonging was a big success. The exhibition was celebrated on Saturday at the . The exhibition will be on view through June 28.

06/05/2026

The year has flown by. We are so proud of you and your projects, 2925-26 Youth Arts Fellows. All of your projects were a huge success and we are inspired by your creativity and passion for your art form. We have learned a lot together and look forward to seeing what comes next for each of you. Congratulations! .messner

06/04/2026

Objects of Belonging invites visitors to discover the art, stories, and meaning hidden within everyday objects. While art is often associated with museums and galleries, this exhibition explores how creativity and personal history are woven into the items we live with every day—objects that may seem ordinary but carry memories, identity, and connection.

The project began through a series of storytelling and curation workshops in which participants reflected on objects of personal significance. Through prompts such as What is this object? Why did you keep it? What do you want someone 100 years from now to understand about it? participants shared stories that were documented through brief oral interviews and portraits capturing them with their chosen objects.

Featuring voices from children to senior citizens, Objects of Belonging creates space for intergenerational dialogue and community connection. By sharing experiences of joy, loss, resilience, hope, and belonging, participants reveal the common threads that unite us while celebrating the uniqueness of individual stories.

At its heart, the exhibition asks us to slow down, listen, and look more closely, not only at the objects on display, but at one another. It is a celebration of the idea that everyone can be an artist, storyteller, and curator, and that the things we hold onto often tell the stories of who we are.

The photos will be featured at the Center for Creativity, 800 Main Street, Redwood City, from June 4 - 28, 2026. A reception will be held on Saturday, June 5, 12:00pm - 2:00pm to see the artwork and hear from Taryn, the curator of the exhibition.

Objects of Belonging is presented by San Mateo County Youth Arts Fellow Taryn Hwang and was made possible through the support of the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture and the Center for Creativity.

Address

400 County Government Center
Redwood City, CA

Website

http://cmo.smcgov.org/office-arts-and-culture

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