for the arts

Sitting on 120 acres of old-growth forest along the shores of Blue Lake, just over a dozen miles west of Sisters, nestles a creative gem.

Caldera Arts Center began as a summer camp designed to bring children with limited opportunities together to make art. Today, the Caldera mission is to be a catalyst for the transformation of underserved youth through innovative, year-round art and environmental programs, and its ties to the Central Oregon community run deep.

“Our main role in Central Oregon, and in all of our work, is to help young people navigate challenges, develop self-awareness and confidence, find their voice, develop creative problem-solving techniques, and design positive life pathways,” explained Tricia Snell, Caldera’s executive director. “The arts, and a beautiful natural environment, are great ways to advance all of these goals with young people.”

Caldera also supports professional artists and teachers through programs such as residencies and symposiums. Each year Caldera provides funding for Sisters resident Kit Stafford to work with youth in the Sisters schools and, as an art integration specialist, Stafford also teaches at the Caldera Spring Teacher Training Symposium. The artists and teachers supported by the organization in turn work with Caldera youth and share their knowledge and art with the community through public events.

“It is a pleasure to welcome in the general public to see what our youth, artists, and teachers are up to,” said Snell. “It’s also a value of ours to mix local and ‘away’ artists up with each other; they share and learn in a supportive community together, and it’s a rich exchange both ways.”

The arts center facilities include a 22-room hotel-like hall, multiple art studios, and the Hearth Arts Center with a 3,000-square-foot grand hall, meeting, performance and event spaces, plus a library and high-end kitchen. Caldera rents its facilities to organizations with missions that closely align with their own.

“We love seeing others drawing from the beauty and magic of the land and buildings, and our role here is just to be a vessel or a support system for them as they forge ahead with their work,” said Snell.

Caldera has a close connection with Sisters Folk Festival and the Americana Project, and hosts the Americana Song Academy that precedes the festival each year.

“We love to see the musicians spreading out over the land, camping in every corner, and singing and playing all over the campus,” said Snell. “It’s joyous!”

Caldera is involved in discussions to further develop a visual-arts component with Sisters Folk Festival, in another time of the year outside of Song Camp, or through “Studio to School” funding by OCF, as both organizations are recipients of the K-8 Arts and Music education initiative.

Caldera welcomes continued opportunities to strengthen the impact of both organizations through collaborative efforts.

“Caldera is a powerful site for inspiration and creativity, and since the first year has been a catalyst for songwriters to express themselves creatively,” said Sisters Folk Festival Creative Director Brad Tisdel. “The land has a mystical, spiritual quality, and folks from all around the world are inspired by the community, the energy, the experience and the location.”

“Our missions are very much aligned,” explained Snell. “Both organizations, and all the people involved in them, are passionate about educating people through the arts, both for youth and adults. People who care about Caldera are very likely to also care about Sisters Folk Festival, so sharing our resources, ideas, and communities just make us both stronger as organizations.”

In addition to supporting and engaging with the communities it serves, Caldera is also strongly committed to the individual creative soul.

“We nurture children and adults and professional artists in the growth of their lives as artists,” said Snell. “We believe in lifelong learning, and we believe in the power of creativity to go way beyond a book, painting, song, etc., to move into all other areas of a person’s life. We support the whole person to be the very best person they can be.”

To learn more about Caldera and be added to the mailing list, visit www.CalderaArts.org.