Since 2010, Artstra has advanced arts and culture in Vancouver and Southwest Washington through community programs, partnerships, and direct support that make meaningful creative experiences more accessible.

Artstra’s mission is to elevate the arts in Clark County through programs and partnerships that connect the community and are accessible to all.

Principal programs include:

Creative Relief

Creative Relief is an all-volunteer initiative that expands access to creative experiences for Clark County residents who face barriers to participation. It brings free art supplies, project ideas, and hands-on activities into community settings, creating welcoming opportunities for all ages and neighborhoods.

Since refining its outreach model in 2023, Creative Relief has expanded through key partnerships. Once primarily a summer program, it is now positioned for year-round growth that can deepen relationships, reach more residents, reduce isolation, and strengthen belonging through creativity.

Clark County Open Studios

For more than a decade, Clark County Open Studios has connected the community with local artists through an annual juried event that invites visitors into artists’ workspaces. Participants meet artists, see the creative process, find inspiration, and support the region’s creative economy.

Held the first weekend of November, the program begins with an opening event hosted by Art at the Cave Gallery. Free to the public, Open Studios encourages attendees to explore Clark County through the visual arts, visit the gallery exhibit, and build community.

Poetry Moves

Since 2015, Poetry Moves has partnered with C-Tran to bring literary arts directly to Vancouver and Clark County residents by displaying poems by local poets on every C-Tran bus. In a familiar public setting, the program fosters connection, reflection, joy, and hope.

Poetry Moves also presents Celebration of Poetry, a free annual event for local poets, community members, and regional arts partners. The event highlights poets featured on C-Tran buses and honors Clark County’s poetry community, including past and present Poet Laureates.

In 2026, C-Tran deepened the experience by providing a bus for walk-through tours of the selected poetry, linking the live celebration with poems displayed throughout the transit system.

Artstra also strengthens the local arts ecosystem by elevating artists, advising organizations, and convening arts conversations. Its support for Vancouver Ballet Folklorico, the Clark County Arts Commission, and community arts summits has encouraged broader investment in local arts.