San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture

San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture SMC Office of Arts and Culture believes arts are essential for a healthy and vibrant community.

Congratulations to SMC Poet Laureate, Antonio Lopez and Maddie Anderson, on their wedding last month. Antonio shared his...
08/14/2026

Congratulations to SMC Poet Laureate, Antonio Lopez and Maddie Anderson, on their wedding last month. Antonio shared his poetic wedding vows with the public at the recent Board of Supervisors’ meeting. Tears were shed and laughter shared. Thanks for bringing live to San Mateo County!

Calling all emerging muralists! Join the fun at the second annual Mural Madness live mural painting competition at the S...
08/08/2026

Calling all emerging muralists! Join the fun at the second annual Mural Madness live mural painting competition at the September Arts & Culture Fest on Sept. 26 in downtown San Mateo. We invite you to apply to participate in this fun event. Our intention is to give emerging muralists an opportunity to learn from a professional about becoming muralists and gain more visibility in the community. Painting will take place on Baldwin Ave at B Street from 10:30-4:30. The theme of the mural is “Community: Resilience. ”DEADLINE EXTENDED to Aug. 14, 5:00 PM Please share with others!

The Office of Arts and Culture is thrilled to share that Antonio López has been named a Poet Laureate Fellow by the Acad...
08/06/2026

The Office of Arts and Culture is thrilled to share that Antonio López has been named a Poet Laureate Fellow by the Academy of American Poets. Antonio is one of only 22 Poets Laureate nationwide to be granted this incredible award. We congratulate and are deeply honored to have Antonio López as the 6th Poet Laureate of San Mateo County.

“The laureateship is a sacred oath: to serve as an ambassador of poetry for the voices left out of this ancient tradition even though they have always been part of it. In San Mateo County, that means carrying poems to the students inside Maple Street Correctional Center in Redwood City and, County Jail #3 in San Bruno. It means preaching the gospel of Pablo Neruda at the Half Moon Bay Library. It means debating with a roomful of señoras the versatility of the word ‘comadre’ at the North Fair Oaks Community Center. All of this is to understand that ours is an unfinished experiment to expand the franchise, and that the franchise includes poetry. It must.”

The Academy will also provide $81,000 in matching grants to fourteen local nonprofit organizations collaborating with Fellows on their projects.

The Poet Laureate Fellowships are made possible with support from the Mellon Foundation.

We are excited to host the second annual Mural Madness live mural painting competition at the September Arts & Culture F...
07/22/2026

We are excited to host the second annual Mural Madness live mural painting competition at the September Arts & Culture Fest on Sept. 26in downtown San Mateo. We invite emerging muralists to apply to participate in this fun event. Our intention is to give emerging muralists an opportunity to learn from a professional about becoming muralists and gain more visibility in the community. Painting will take place on Baldwin Ave at B Street from 10:30-4:30. The theme of the mural is “Community: Resilience.”

Guidelines:
Deadline to apply is Monday, August 3, 2026, 5:00 PM.
For emerging muralists only, must have been the lead on 2- 3 public art murals. Murals in retail shops, backyard fences, or any interior or exterior walls are acceptable.
A maximum of 10 muralists will be selected to participate.
An initial mural design sketch must be submitted with the application and if selected to participate the design can be refined and resubmitted. No AI generated images.
Artworks shall not contain images or words that can perceived as oppression, obscene or pornographic material matter; advocate or suggest the use of to***co products or illegal/prohibited substances; advocate for or against political candidates, political campaigns, ballot measures, or political parties or organizations. 
The winner will be chosen by the community who will be able to vote throughout the event.
Winner will be given an opportunity to be to be paired with and mentored by a professional mural artist, assisting the artist on one of their commissions.
Murals may be displayed throughout the County as requested.
Murals will belong to the artists, but San Mateo County’s Office of Arts and Culture will have the right to display them for up to one year.

Supplies provided:
4’x8’ prepared wood panels
Paints & brushes
Tarps, buckets of water
For more info or to apply, see link in bio!

Calling all San Mateo County poets! Join us for the third annual September Arts & Culture Fest on Saturday, September 26...
07/21/2026

Calling all San Mateo County poets! Join us for the third annual September Arts & Culture Fest on Saturday, September 26th, 2026, 11AM - 6PM in the heart of Downtown San Mateo for a fun day-long celebration of art, music, dance, poetry, food, and culture! From live bands and dazzling cultural performances to interactive kids’ activities, LIVE mural painting competitions, artists selling original handcrafted artworks, and poetry open mic, the September Arts & Culture Fest has something for everyone — and it’s completely FREE to attend.

Back by popular demand, is a special poetry corner where poets can gather and share their work. This event will be held at a local cafe in the open mic format, and each poet will have 5 minutes to present their poems.

Deadline to apply August 3, 2026, 5:00pm. link in bio.

smcartsandculture smcartscommission poetcommunity poets poetrycorner✍️ youth poets

The San Mateo County Arts Commission invites the public to attend meetings to learn about the work being done to support...
07/13/2026

The San Mateo County Arts Commission invites the public to attend meetings to learn about the work being done to support County residents through arts and culture. The next meeting is Wednesday, July 15, 3:30-5:00 pm at 500 County Center, Redwood City! There is also an option for the public to attend the meeting via Zoom stated on the Meeting Agenda on the Arts Commission website. For more info, see link in bio.

Calling alll teenncreatives! The San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture is pleased to announce that the 2026-27 You...
07/13/2026

Calling alll teenncreatives! The San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture is pleased to announce that the 2026-27 Youth Arts Fellowship Program opened today. Please share with the SMC youth that you work with. Thanks!

Applications open July 13!
Become a San Mateo County Youth Arts Fellow! This fellowship is a chance for you to share your art, connect with other youth artists in the County, and take on leadership roles by using your creativity to make a difference in local communities. You will learn how to plan and execute a public art program and how to use the arts to engage community.
One fellow from each district in the County will be selected. Each fellow will receive $1,000 for their 2026-7 term. Applications open July 13 - August 28, 2026, 5:00PM. To learn more And apply see link in bio.

Mara enjoyed seeing the artwork and meeting the organizers and several of the artists at the Veterans Art Show, “Camarad...
07/09/2026

Mara enjoyed seeing the artwork and meeting the organizers and several of the artists at the Veterans Art Show, “Camaradie & Community” at CSM. Kudos to artist & veteran F***y Garcia, Marcus Baluyut-Hand of the Veterans Resource & Opportunity Center (VROC), and the Veterans Curation Program (VCP.) The curation of the art pieces and the stories shared were powerful. Thanks for your service and the important work you do.

Join us in the heart of Downtown San Mateo for a fun day-long celebration of art, music, dance, poetry, food, and cultur...
07/06/2026

Join us in the heart of Downtown San Mateo for a fun day-long celebration of art, music, dance, poetry, food, and culture! From live bands and dazzling cultural performances to interactive kids’ activities, LIVE mural painting competitions, artists selling original handcrafted artworks, and poetry open mic, the September Arts & Culture Fest has something for everyone — and it’s completely FREE to attend.
Applications for artist vendors and performing artists will be accepted June 15 - July 13, 2026, 5:00 PM PST, and reviewed and accepted on a first come, first served basis.
Applications for the Poetry Corner open mic and Mural Madness will be accepted July 1 - August 3, 2026, 5:00 PM PST, and reviewed and accepted on a first come, first served basis.

Meet Alisa Villanueva, OAC’s summer intern. “I will be going into my second year of college at San Jose State University...
06/25/2026

Meet Alisa Villanueva, OAC’s summer intern. “I will be going into my second year of college at San Jose State University. I’m very excited to have been given the opportunity to work as an intern at the Office of Arts and Culture as well as the Office of Community Affairs this summer. I enjoy being able to have the space to be creative in any work that I do so I believe this summer will be a fun learning experience for me. Outside of work I love hanging out with friends, baking, drawing, and playing with 2 dogs, Smokey and Maddie. I love trying out new restaurants and dessert/cafes. I am thankful for Live in Peace Hoover Fellow Program for providing me with this awesome experience this summer!”

Address

400 County Government Center
Redwood City, CA

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