HELP BRING FREE AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ART AND ART SUPPLIES TO THE COMMUNITY

(Sacramento – April 23, 2021) – The funds raised through the region's Big Day of Giving on May 6 will be a crucial lifeline for many local nonprofits, including the Crocker Art Museum. During COVID-19, the Crocker continued to deliver a variety of immersive art experiences for the public during its forced closure.

"In the face of devasting budget shortfalls, we focused on how we could care for and support the broader community. As creative thinkers, we developed new and innovative community art experiences and education programs, which were only possible through the generosity of our members and the public," said Lial Jones, the Museum's CEO and Mort and Marcy Freidman Director. "As we reopen our doors and our galleries, we need support now more than ever to meet the artistic and creative needs of the community from within and beyond our physical building."

Support from Big Day of Giving helps fund hyper-local hands-on art experiences for underserved communities, like the Color Us Hopeful: Coloring Book and Color Us Hopeful: Creativity Kits. Recognizing the stress, loneliness, digital overload, and the digital divide impacting underserved communities, the Crocker commissioned 15 local artists to create original works of art focused on the concept of hope.

Those works formed a multicultural coloring book, Color Us Hopeful: Coloring Book, distributed to more than 5,000 children for free through 18 community organizations. In addition to the coloring book, the Museum also created an art-focused activity book serving 2,700 seniors, adults, and children.

Now, with most schools reopening as COVID-19 restrictions lift, students are returning to classrooms facing reductions in art education and a lack of art materials and supplies.

To ensure children are ready to learn and be creative, the Crocker responded with Color Us Hopeful: Creativity Kits, which contains all the art activities and supplies students need for free-form and structured art lessons. "Our main goal is to ensure that students are poised for a successful school year," said Stacey Shelnut-Hendrick, Crocker's Director of Education. "Financial donations enable us to reach students directly by providing quality art supplies and materials to virtual classroom art education experiences designed to nurture creativity."

Currently, 1,000 kits are available at Sacramento-area distribution centers, including Luther Burbank High School, Pannell Meadowview Center, Mack Road Partnership, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.

By donating to the Crocker Art Museum on the Big Day of Giving, you can:

• Support families with young children through the All About Families Initiative.
• Prepare, care for, and present the Crocker's world-renowned permanent collection.
• Provide free or low-cost programs to students.
• Help the Museum return to its robust programming schedule: Nearly 600 programs were offered every year before Covid-19.

All gifts, large and small, are deeply valued and essential to the Museum's success. Visit www.crockerart.org/donate and click "Give Now," schedule your donation at www.bigdayofgiving.org/CrockerArtMuseum, or call (916) 808-7843, or mail to the Crocker Art Museum at 216 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

About the Crocker
The Crocker brings people together and connects them in unexpected ways with art, ideas, each other and the world around them. Founded as a public/private partnership in 1885, the Crocker features the world’s foremost display of California art and is renowned for its holdings of master drawings and international ceramics, as well as European, Asian, African, and Oceanic art. The Crocker serves as the primary regional resource for the study and appreciation of fine art and offers a diverse spectrum of exhibitions, events, and programs to deepen visitors' understanding of art, including films, concerts, studio classes, lectures, and an array of activities for families and children. More information about exhibits and programs can be found at crockerart.org.