MISSION

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.

HISTORY

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 8,500 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, Sony Rapoport, Peter Voulkos, and William Wiley. In addition to the artists in residence program, the organization’s annual activities include over 80 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 15,000 individuals annually, many of whom reside in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area.

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STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS

There are a total of twelve 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:

Archana Horsting, Executive Director, Co-Founder
Yuzo Nakano, Artistic Director, Co-Founder

Lauren Davies, Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs
Jamila Dunn, Artists-in-Schools Program Coordinator
Ellen Lake, Development Associate
Mayumi Hamanaka, Instructor
Taro Hattori, Electronic Media Center Manager, Instructor
Sharon Heitzenroder, Print Studio Manager
Sharon Jue, Administrative Manager
Wendy Neu, Business Manager
Celeste Smeland, Development Director
Patrick Stockstill, Program Coordinator for Artist Residencies and Classes

Daniel Bacci, Intern
Susanna Davy, Intern
Diana Krell, Intern
Jessica Brice Lambert, Intern
Julie Nelson, Intern
Allyson O'Brien, Intern
Maryam Yousif, Intern

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kala Art Institute is governed by a nine-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.

Frederick Fassett, President
Sylvia Solochek Walters, Vice-President
Thomas Foster, Treasurer
Joanne Kamiya, Secretary
Donna Brookman
Archana Horsting
Mark Hulbert
Carol Ladewig
Yuzo Nakano
Peter Selz

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank the following major funders:

lameda County Arts Commission, Alliance of Artists Communities, Berkeley Civic Arts Commission, California Arts Council, CEC ArtsLink, City of Emeryville, Crescent Porter Hale Foundation, Francis Collins & Dream Builders, City of Emeryville, Emery Ed Fund, Emery Unified School District, The Walter and Elise Haas Fund, The James Irvine Foundation, LEF Foundation, The Thomas J. Long Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Nichols Foundation, Open Circle Foundation, The Bernard Osher Foundation, The PSB Fund, The San Francisco Foundation, The Sato Foundation, Seth Sprague Foundation, Van Loben Sels/RembeRock Foundation, Mercy and Roger Smullen Fund, The Andy Warhol Foundation, Wareham Development, West Berkeley Foundation, The Bernard E. and Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and the Friends of Kala Art Institute

In particular, we would like to extend special thanks to The James Irvine Foundation for their significant support over the last several years, enabling the organization to dramatically advance its efforts to support artists and create a vibrant, creative community.

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