Caldera

Mission

Caldera’s mission is to inspire and support youth from underserved rural and urban communities by awakening the potential of their creative voice.

Bottom Line for Portland

Our creative community continues to thrive because of your support. Caldera's involvement in Oregon school art programs and summer camp are more critical than ever. We mentor the rising generation of youth to find their voice through art education, leadership building, and natural environment immersion. In turn, many students come back as mentors, practicing artists, and community leaders at large, galvanizing our 25-year commitment to creativity—now over 15 thousand strong alumni.

Thanks to your contributions, we can continue to invite more students, art educators, and volunteers, while growing our artist-in-residence program.

Quote

“We know what creativity does. It lifts you right up, and it explodes inside you and makes something really special happen. We just started taking some amazing young children that have been in really difficult situations. They just fell in love with each other, and this has been going on for 20 years.” —Dan Wieden, Caldera Arts Founder

“Caldera showed me what it is like to be an artist. Caldera showed me that art is so much deeper. Art is a feeling expressed through Creativity.” —Lil Miss Hollywood, Caldera Arts Youth Program Alumna

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Since day one of the founding of Caldera Arts, we acknowledged a huge diversity gap in youth art programs and even more so when regarding underserved communities. We have learned that equity & inclusion work is a lifelong commitment to growth and change, not a benchmark or a status quo optic measurement. With growth always in mind, Caldera is genuinely committed to bringing young people, educators, artists, volunteers, staff, and the public into experiences and educational environments that truly enable the awakening of creative voices. For many, it is the only exposure to professional artists they will encounter in their academic journey. 

We are committed to those who are underserved because of the many systemic injustices and ongoing impact of discrimination in our country, state, and institutions present. For our comprehensive history and Statement of Equity & Inclusion please visit our website.

(Photo: Caldera Arts and Letra Chueca Press weekend workshop, Portland, OR 2022.)

Incentives

The First 100 donations will be mailed a bespoke letterpress appreciation card crafted by our creative partners.

Please note, cards will be mailed to the address supplied during check out, shipping by mid-January of 2023.

Business Partner(s)

We are honored to work with our longtime partner, Wieden + Kennedy, and in collaboration with Caldera community artist Daniela del Mar of Letra Chueca to deliver this year's inventive.