California Center for the Arts Escondido Foundation
With a mission of bringing people together to discover, create and celebrate both the visual and performing arts, the California Center for the Arts, Escondido is the cultural center of North San Diego County.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The underserved, North San Diego County community has a dramatic need for access to free and affordable arts for people of all ages and backgrounds. It is critical that the region have a leader in bringing people together to discover, create and celebrate both the visual and performing arts. The most recent census states that the California Center for the Arts, Escondido's neighboring communities have one out of five community members living below the poverty line. The Center works to bring the community together with the joy of the arts including those who cannot afford it. Specifically, the University of Pennsylvania researchers recently demonstrated that a higher concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare, and lower poverty rates and the Center is working to bring these benefits to the North San Diego County community and its residents.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
My Story: Literacy through the Arts
My Story: Literacy through the Arts is an in-depth, multi-session, arts-infused education program specifically designed for underserved 4th (history/drama program) and 5th grade students (language arts/digital photography program). From October through March, the Center's Teaching Artists conduct: 1) ten, 50-minute, in-school, classroom sessions; 2) one 2-hour field trip to the Center, and: (3) a culminating public exhibition/presentation of students' accomplishments. My Story lessons incorporate sequential, student-based, experiential learning through lively facilitated discussions and activities. In addition to the two grade-level programs, two free workshops are offered to teachers outside of the program who are interested in using My Story's teaching methods. Currently, this outreach program serves the Escondido Union School District (EUSD). Of the 43 districts in San Diego County, EUSD has the second highest poverty rate with 58% students from low-income families, and 44% English language learners.[1] Standardized tests reveal that Escondido schools are struggling to keep up with national academic averages with some of the lowest test scores in the State.
Center Stage: Performances for Youth
Center Stage: Performances for Youth is a weekday matinee performance program of live theater, music, dance, storytelling, and more that gives students in kindergarten through the 12th grade (K-12) the chance to experience professional performances in world class theaters. It is the only professional and educational performing arts schedule in the San Diego region that is uniquely designed for children. As part of the experience, a forum with the artists follows each of the performances, allowing students to ask questions and become more engaged. Integral to the success of Center Stage, is the richness of resources it offers educators. The Center produces a teachers' guide for each performance containing background information, descriptions about the performers, historical essays, and story interpretations. They also feature age-specific content that satisfies the California Department of Education Visual & Performing Arts and academic subject Standards (i.e. English, history, science). The detailed lesson plans enable teachers to conduct lessons that build upon the performances, further inspiring young minds. For this comprehensive arts experience, the Center charges a nominal fee of $3.00 per student, ensuring that this opportunity remains accessible to schoolchildren from low-income families and budget-tight districts. At the majority of schools that participate in Center Stage, over 50% of their students participate in the Free and Reduced Lunch program. This ethnically diverse population includes a significant percentage of English Language Learners from low-income families, a historically underserved population. Center Stage draws students from a wide area in San Diego County, extending from the West Coast to Borrego Springs, and from Murrieta to Central San Diego.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Each year the Center hosts a vibrant community celebration in honor of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Observed in Mexico on November 1 and 2 (All Saints and All Souls Day), Día de los Muertos is a holiday where families gather to decorate gravesites and/or create altars in honor of departed loved ones and ancestors. These gravesites and altars are adorned with the symbolic yellow marigolds of Mexico and offerings, such as favored foods of the deceased, personal mementos, photos, and sugar skulls. In Mexico, the festive interaction created among the living and the dead is an important social ritual recognizing the cycle of life. The Center's free "Día de los Muertos" celebration focuses on an artwork in the Center Museum's permanent collection, "Muerte de todos ofrenda de participación (Death Comes to Everyone, a Participatory Offering)," created by Mexico City artist, Eloy Tarcisio. Installed in the Museum's outdoor Sculpture Court, Tarcisio's design encompasses a large grid system divided into 120 squares, each containing a wooden cross, a votive candle, and a clay bowl filled with what Tarcisio calls the signs of life: dried corn, chili peppers, beans or iconic yellow marigolds. Every year, on the evening of November 1, visitors arrive at the Center in the company of friends and family, with mementos in hand to select their own square within the larger grid. Each person can create an altar with photographs, food, beverages, and other reminders of those who have passed on. As the sun sets, the participants light the votive candles in remembrance of loved ones, and the art installation is completed. Visitors also enjoy live music, traditional performances, refreshments such as Mexican hot chocolate and pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread), and art activities that include decorating sugar skulls and making paper flowers. In 2011, over 2,500 individuals enjoyed learning about and participating in this cultural celebration.
Stage Technician Intern Program
San Diego County offers a lively production scene with amusement parks, stadiums, concert halls, theaters, amphitheaters, stages, and other performance venues. While the demand for experienced, technical production professionals is high, opportunities for entry into this field are scarce. The California Center for the Arts, Escondido is the only professional theater in Southern California currently offering a paid training experience and a close working relationship with the IATSE (International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees) stagehands union. Since January 1997, the Center's Stage Technician Intern Program has operated at capacity, providing the pathway for five to seven individuals per year to pursue higher education and/or positions in technical and stage production nationwide. Central to their success is membership in IATSE, a union of professional stagehands and motion picture technicians. Membership is competitive and certifies a mastery of skills, much like a professional degree. IATSE membership ensures fair benefits and higher wages, provides greater job security, and promotes on-the-job safety. Union membership is critical to sustaining a career in the theater, concert, and movie industries, and is usually required for employment in larger venues. Union-listed members are the first to learn of new on-call employment openings, and receive hiring preference above non-union technicians.
Where we work
Awards
'Visual and Performing Arts' Standards Level 3 Seal of Approval. 2009
Arts Education Resource Organization at the San Diego County Office of Education
Affiliations & memberships
American Association of Museums - Member 2010
Society for Human Resource Management 2010
San Marcos Chamber of Commerce 2010
Escondido Chamber of Commerce 2010
San Diego North Chamber of Commerce 2010
American Association of Museums - Member 2010
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of individuals attending community events or trainings
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Includes a variety of community events including performing arts shows, museum exhibitions, free community events, educational events, and conference center events
Number of adults and children that received education services at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
At-risk youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
most of 20202 and all of 2021 was virtual due to the pandemic
Number of free community event participants
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
4th of July Festival, Dia De Los Muertos, and Northern Lights. Most community programming was on hold or reduced in 2020 and 2021
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The California Center of the Art, Escondido (Center)'s programs and services are focused on bringing its North San Diego community together to discover, create, and celebrate both the visual and performing arts. The Center if focused on accomplishing the following goals:
1) Provide World Class Arts & Cultural Events
The Center is dedicated to putting on diverse arts and cultural events that energize the community. The Center produces over 52 free community events each year including Hidden City Sounds, Friday Jazz Jams, Musica en la Plaza – Salsa Festival, a Día de los Muertos celebration, Independence Day Festival, Winter Wonderland Festival, and the smart Festival during National Arts Education Month. Significantly, 72 percent of Americans believe that community arts and cultural events “unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity”.
2) Create Dynamic Arts & Cultural Education Experiences
The Center’s educational programming includes field trip opportunities, weekday performances for youth, arts education residencies, artist led master classes, visual arts workshops for families and adults, and a youth visual and performing arts festival! Additionally, the Center’s Museum is a 9,000-square-foot exhibition space that boasts three galleries, a youth exhibition gallery wall, and a sculpture court devoted to art and culture representative of North San Diego County. The Museum provides free access to the community once a month.
3) Strengthen the Entire Community Through the Arts
The Center’s concert hall and theater programming is dedicated to supporting artists (particularly local artists) that reflect the diversity of the community. Attendees at nonprofit arts events spend $31.47 per person beyond the cost of admission, adding valuable commerce for local businesses. 34% of attendees live outside the count in which the arts event takes place and stay longer and spend even more.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The California Center for the Arts, Escondido is uniquely positioned in North San Diego County to contribute to the vitality and livability of the community. The Center harnesses the energy and vibrancy of its large-scale campus that seamlessly brings music, dance, theater, education, and visual arts together to revitalize the city. The Center’s campus includes a 1,523-seat concert hall, a 404-seat theater, a contemporary art museum, and art and dance studios. These Center will provide programs and services that are focused on bringing the community together to discover, create and celebrate both the visual and performing arts.
Core to the Center's strategies are its ability to offer opportunities for the community to come together regardless of socio-economic status. The Center provides a number of opportunities for individuals an families to experience the arts for free including:
The Center provides free monthly family days, including tours of the Museum with related art projects, as well as free concerts on Wednesdays.
The Center produces over 52 free community events each year.
The Center's strategies also include working to continually develop innovative and engaging educational arts opportunities including:
The Center offers a variety of engaging education programs for children, students, teachers, and the general public including:
Arts Education Residencies,
Field Trip Opportunities
Artist Led Master Classes
Visual Arts Workshops
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
From the Center's very beginning, it developed a strong partnership with the City of Escondido in building a $73-million arts center that would bring music, dance, theater, education, and the visual arts together on one dynamic campus as part of an overall
redevelopment project.
Opened in October 1994, the Center's unique campus includes a 1,523-seat concert hall, a 404-seat theater, a
contemporary art museum, art, theater and dance studios, and a full-service conference center with meeting and
banquet facilities. The Center’s Museum is an inviting 9,000-square-foot exhibition space that boasts three galleries, a
dedicated youth exhibition gallery wall, a sculpture court, secure collections storage, and a museum store.
The Center presents four Museum exhibitions a year that incorporate lectures, docent-led tours and art classes. The
Center’s performing arts season features internationally renowned entertainers. The Center presents several free
events, including: Hidden City Sounds, a performance series that highlights local artists from diverse musical genres;
a Día de los Muertos celebration; a Winter Wonderland event; a Fourth of July festival, and the youth arts smART
Festival. The First Wednesday concert series offers free performances for the community.
For 25 years the Center's Education Department has offered curriculum-based arts education programs for the
region, promoting community development and the appreciation for, as well as development of, skills in the visual and
performing arts. The Center's education programs serve over 29,000 people annually.
Through the Center’s community partnerships, its goal is to enrich the life of every individual who experiences its
programs, in order to help them discover the power of the arts and help them and the community reach their full potential.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The California Center for the Arts, Escondido continues to make tremendous progress in bringing people together to discover, create and celebrate both the visual and performing arts. Below are the most recent accomplishments of the dynamic organization:
1. Audience
a. 286,000 Annual Center Attendance
2. Museum Field Trips
a. 21 Field Trips
b. 1,520 students on campus
3. Center Stage
a. 3,580 Student Participants
b. 12 Performances annually
4. Art’s Discovery Field Trips
a. 1,500 students
b. 23 field trips
5. Student Wall
a. 450 participants
b. 12 schools participate
6. Schools Serviced
a. 50 different schools
b. 2/3 schools are title one schools
c. 150 School busses annually
7. Community Events
a. 48 Free Community Events
b. Over 50,000 participants
8. Museum
a. 4 Exhibitions
b. 9,775 Patrons
9. Performing Arts
a. 289 Performances this year
b. Over 125,000 patrons
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
California Center for the Arts Escondido Foundation
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Ms. Sara Matta
Robert (Bob) Will
Washington Lobbyist and Lawyer
Sara Matta
United Way
Andy Washburn
Chrysler Software
Robert Dudley
Amerisat, Inc
Judy Tillyer
Vista Unified School District
Bob Googins
Jose Jaimes
Tierra Caliente Academy of Arts
Melba Novoa
CSUSM
Raul Palm
Leila Sackfield
Escondido Unified School District
Mike Stelman
Cynthia Weir
Weir Asphalt Co.
Roy Ray
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data