Kala Institute

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Kala Art Institute's mission is to help artists sustain their creative efforts over time through its Artist-in Residence and Fellowship Programs, and to increase appreciation of this work through exhibitions, public programming and educational efforts. Artists at Kala are encouraged to produce innovative artwork of the highest quality, and are given total freedom to realize their artistic vision using media that span the Gutenberg to digital eras. Artists are also provided with a number of professional development opportunities, and a spirit of exchange and education is nurtured through artist involvement in exhibitions, special events, lectures, teaching, and classroom experience. Additionally, Kala is committed to offering quality art education to the general public and public school children through its on-site program of classes and workshops and its Artists-in-Schools program, established in 1991, providing multiple-week artist-led instruction to students in East Bay public schools and summer programs. Founded in 1974 by Archana Horsting and Yuzo Nakano as an international workshop and forum for ideas, Kala Art Institute provides exceptional facilities to professional artists working in all forms of printmaking, digital media, photography, and book arts. Located in the former Heinz ketchup factory in West Berkeley since 1979, Kala's 15, 200 square foot facility houses an extensive array of artmaking equipment, as well as a public exhibition gallery, an art library and an extensive print archive. Established artists associated with Kala over the years include Squeak Carnwath, Roy de Forest, Jessica Dunne, Bella Feldman, Barbara Foster, Sonya Rapoport, Peter Voulkos, and William Wiley. In addition to the artists in residence program, the organization's annual activities include over 100 classes and workshops open to the general public; 8-12 visual art exhibitions in Kala's gallery as well as off-site locations; on-going lectures, artists talks, and special events open to the general public; and an Artists- in-Schools program that provides curriculum-based visual arts education to children in schools in Berkeley, Emeryville and Oakland. Kala currently serves approximately 25, 000 individuals annually, many of whom reside in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. There are a total of thirteen staff members addressing the areas of program development, exhibition management, fund development, studio maintenance, technology, education, registration, art sales, and office administration, along with a number of interns and dedicated volunteers. Current staff are listed as follows: Mayumi Hamanaka, Communications Manager and Art Registrar Sharon Heitzenroder, Print Studio and Custom Printing Manager Kala Art Institute is governed by an eleven-person Board of Directors that meets on a bi-monthly basis with participation from the Executive and Artistic Directors. A number of the Board members are active arts professionals and have strong ties to the art community. Alameda County Arts Commission, Alliance of Artists Communities, Autumn Press, Barra Inc., Bayer USA Foundation, The Cheeseboard Collective, Chevron Humankind Employee Fund, City of Emeryville, Creative Capacity Fund, Crescent Porter Hale Foundation, Francis Collins & Dream Builders, City of Emeryville, Emery Ed Fund, Emery Unified School District, The Fleishhacker Foundation, The Walter and Elise Haas Fund, Goring & Straja Architects, The James Irvine Foundation, LEF Foundation, The Thomas J. Long Foundation, Mechanics Bank, Minuteman Press, MP Associates, Inc, National Endowment for the Arts, NEA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, The Nichols Foundation, Northern California Community Loan Fund, Open Circle Foundation, The Bernard Osher Foundation, The PSB Fund, Nancy & Rich Robbins/Wareham Development, The San Francisco Foundation, The Sato Foundation, Seth Sprague Foundation, Van Loben Sels/RembeRock Foundation, Mercy and Roger Smullen Fund, UC Berke