Verge Center for the Arts

A nonprofit organization
Fundraise

$13,692 raised by 46 donors

23% complete

$60,000 Goal

Verge Center for the Arts is a nonprofit hub for contemporary art in Sacramento—built by and for artists, and deeply connected to the community it serves. Located in the Southside Park neighborhood, Verge brings together exhibitions, affordable artist studios, and hands-on educational programs under one roof to support both emerging and established creatives.

Inside Verge’s facility, you’ll find 35 working artist studios, two expansive gallery spaces, a classroom, two new education ceramic and print studios, and a fine art printmaking studio. This dynamic environment allows visitors not only experience innovative exhibitions, but also to engage directly with the creative process. Our exhibitions—always free and open to the public—have showcased over 40 cutting-edge shows since 2013, featuring both local talent and internationally recognized artists. Each exhibition is designed to spark conversation, inspire curiosity, and make contemporary art accessible to all.

Education is at the heart of Verge’s mission. From youth camps to weekly clay, print, and drawing labs, our programs welcome artists of all ages and skill levels, serving thousands of community members each year. Whether someone is picking up a paintbrush for the first time or continuing a lifelong practice, Verge provides a space to learn, grow, and connect.

Beyond our walls, Verge’s impact extends across the region through Sac Open Studios, a beloved annual event now in its 21st year. This free, countywide tour features over 260 local artists and draws more than 30,000 visitors, offering a rare opportunity to step inside artists’ studios and experience Sacramento’s creative community firsthand.

Looking ahead, Verge is entering an exciting new chapter. Beginning this summer, we will break ground on four new artist studios and complete major facility upgrades—expanding our ability to serve artists and the public alike. These improvements are made possible by a grant from the California Natural Resources Agency’s Museum Grant Program and represent a meaningful investment in Sacramento’s creative future.

As we grow, we remain committed to keeping art accessible, supporting artists with vital resources, and fostering a vibrant cultural landscape in our region. Verge Center for the Arts isn’t just a place to view art—it’s a place where creativity thrives, connections are built, and community is strengthened.

Your support helps make all of this possible.

Giving Activity

Mission

Verge Center for the Arts is the leading cultural institution in the Sacramento region for contemporary art and ideas. We have a mission to extend the dialogue about contemporary art to the central valley. Verge supports this mission by providing vital resources to local career and emerging artists as well as offering arts education opportunities for youth and adults.

Needs

At Verge Center for the Arts, every program we offer is rooted in one goal: making contemporary art accessible, inspiring, and deeply connected to our community. As one of Sacramento’s leading cultural institutions, we are proud to present the 21st Annual Sac Open Studios in 2026—a beloved, free event that invites the public into the creative spaces of over 260 local artists across Sacramento and Yolo Counties. As the only non-juried program of its kind in the region, Sac Open Studios creates meaningful opportunities for artists at every stage of their careers to share their work and stories.

Your support helps us reimagine and expand this incredible program—keeping it free, inclusive, and impactful for both artists and audiences.

Verge is also deeply committed to arts education for all ages. From Kids Summer Studio Camps and Little’s Lab to hands-on classes in ceramics, murals, printmaking, and more, we provide welcoming spaces where creativity can flourish. These programs introduce young people to the power of artistic expression while building confidence, curiosity, and community.

Your support helps provide scholarships for local youth—ensuring that every child, regardless of financial barriers, has access to creative opportunities.

As we grow, so does our vision. With the expansion of our facilities—including new studios for ceramics, printmaking, and the Myrtle Press—we are creating vibrant, fully equipped spaces where artists and learners can thrive. Donations help us furnish these studios, invest in high-quality equipment and materials, and ensure these spaces are not only functional, but inspiring.

Your support helps us build welcoming, accessible, and eco-friendly creative environments for our entire community.

We are also working to modernize our infrastructure—upgrading technology in our galleries, classrooms, and offices to enhance visitor experiences, improve accessibility, and streamline how we serve our community. These improvements allow us to create more inclusive public programs and ensure that Verge continues to evolve alongside the needs of our artists and audiences.

Beyond our walls, your generosity fuels everything we do—from innovative exhibitions that highlight local and internationally recognized artists, to public programs that bring people together through shared creative experiences. It also supports scholarship opportunities for artists participating in Sac Open Studios, helping remove financial barriers and expand access across our region.

Most importantly, your gift—especially when unrestricted—gives us the flexibility to respond where the need is greatest. It allows us to stay resilient, invest in our future, and continue building a strong foundation for the arts in Sacramento.

When you give to Verge on the Big Day of Giving, you’re not just supporting an arts organization—you’re investing in artists, empowering youth, and strengthening a creative community that belongs to all of us.

Equity Statement

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR VERGE

Recommended by the Equity Committee

Preamble

Recognizing the historic national framework of systemic discrimination that to this day has been part of daily life in our culture, organizations, and communities, Verge is committed to becoming a more open and welcoming organization. Historic and systemic discrimination have created barriers to inclusion, participation, and opportunity that have excluded the embracing of different ethnicities, skin colors, gender identities and body types, religious beliefs, physical or cognitive challenges, or socio-economic standing. To be part of the necessary movement to achieve meaningful, authentic, and effective changes to this culture, Verge recognizes that only a complete and comprehensive mindset by everyone associated with this organization will achieve the results and hope for broader diversity and social justice.

Wherefore, the Equity Committee recommends the Board of Directors of VERGE Center for the Arts adopt and implement the following guiding principles:

VERGE Center for the Arts believes art is an essential part of our culture and commits to encourage, support, promote and preserve art through programming that is accessible and inclusive to all communities. We believe art can recognize and celebrate the differences among humankind. Art can help all of us develop and improve in our everyday lives and interactions.

As an arts institution VERGE must at all times:

1. CELEBRATE our unique characteristics through the arts by embracing the differences and similarities of all peoples and all communities within the Greater Sacramento Region.

2. ESTABLISH programming which is open, accessible, and appealing to all peoples and communities.

3. FOSTER, SUPPORT and PROMOTE the expansion of a vibrant arts scene; this is imperative to the diversity and sustainability of any thriving community.

4. ADHERE to the concepts of a governance structure reflective of the community we serve; set a living wage for its staff; establish fair value for artist’s work; and render reasonable assistance for those in need by allowing them full access to the Arts.

These guiding principles are Step 1 of our Equity Committee process and answer the basic question WHY; Why do we do what we do?

Step 2 of this committee’s work will answer the question of HOW; How do we execute these guiding principles?

For example, here are some of the “How’s” we are discussing:

Outreach strategies to break down barriers between people of different ethnicities or skin colors as well as different sexes, gender identities, and body types.

Organizational equity and diversity.

Governance which educates and promotes within this organization anti-racist ideas, beliefs, and strategies for broader inclusiveness among all peoples and communities.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Verge Center for the Arts

Year Established

2010

Tax id (EIN)

27-2378275

Guidestar

Mission Category

Arts, Culture & Humanities

Operating Budget

$500,001-$1 million

Organization Need

Funding: Program, Funding: Unrestricted, Technology, Funding: Other

Demographics Served

General population

BIPOC Leadership

Board Chair

Local Counties Served

Placer, Sacramento, Yolo

Equity Statement

Equity Statement

Address

625 S Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Service areas

Sacramento, CA, US

Phone

916-448-2985

Email

info@vergecontemporary.org

Website

http://www.vergecontemporary.org

Social Media