The heart of Kala’s mission is supporting artists and engaging the community. Kala’s artist residency program offers professional facilities to those working in and across printmaking and digital media, new media, public art, sculpture, installation, and performance. Kala’s artist residency program is known for the support it offers to artists, specialized resources spanning printmaking, photography, sculpture and media arts, points of contact with accessible staff, and the caliber of work artists are able to produce and share with the community while in residence. Kala’s artist residencies provide time, space, equipment, and a knowledgeable network of artists (175+ artists a year) to foster dialogue, risk-taking, creation of new work, and community building.

Kala’s exhibitions and gallery, free and open to the public Tuesday-Saturday, provide a platform for innovative presentations of contemporary art and a forum for artists and the public – sparking conversations across views and timely topics. This complex web of timely topics includes racial and social justice, displacement, the environment, community wellness, and more. Kala hosts community events, film screenings, artist talks, and performances in the galley too.

Kala fosters a fresh approach to experimentation, as artists investigate the interface of digital work, work made by hand, and everything in between. A spirit of exchange and education is nurtured through all Kala’s programs. Kala offers quality arts education to the general public and local youth through its on-site art classes – after school studio art, teen studio workshops, family and community art-making sessions, summer art programs, field trips, and a robust Artists-in-Schools program, established in 1991, providing artist-led instruction to students in neighboring East Bay public schools.

Providing multiple points of access to space and resources through artist residencies, exhibitions, and arts education is more important than ever as we fight for equitable engagement in the midst of these challenging times.