The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Returns

April 5, 6, & 7 2024

Tickets on sale now!

The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival is an international film competition and annual presentation of films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports, environment and adventure & exploration.

Come enjoy adventure and travel from a seat in the historic Yuba Theatre in Downieville, California in the scenic Sierra Nevada.

Sierra County Poetry Out Loud Champion announced!

What: Sierra Buttes and Lakes Basin Art Exhibition

When: Sat. June 8 @ 7pm

Where: The North Yuba River Hall, Downieville

Sierra Buttes and Lakes Basin Art Exhibition: Enjoy art, photography and writings by Sierra County artists in celebration of the iconic Sierra Buttes and Lakes Basin region.  Works exhibited are created by artists featured in the "Sierra Buttes and Lakes Basin" book created by the Sierra County Land Trust for the project "Preserving the Sierra Buttes and Lakes Basin in a Changing Environment". 

Katie O’Hara-Kelly works on the book in her home studio

Photo Image by Mary Davey for the book cover

The Sierra Buttes and Lakes Basin region is one of the most compelling visual features of the Sierra Nevada. The craggy, snow-covered Buttes form a dramatic alpine backdrop to the Basin's high elevation lakes.  The Sierra County Land Trust’s(SCLT) mission is to protect and preserve this incredible landscape as a legacy for future generations.  Partnering with the Sierra County Arts Council and local artists, the SCLT is creating a book of writings, photography, history and art celebrating our beautiful Sierra Buttes and Lakes Basin. The Upstate Creative Corps program, from the California Arts Council, is funding the book titled “The Sierra Buttes and Lakes Basin: Protecting the Sierra One Place at a Time”.  The book will feature local artists, photographers, and writers including Katie O’Hara-Kelly, Darby Hayes, Mark Stevenson, Mary Davey, Paul Guffin, Hank Meals, Steve Carlton, John Wagner, B.J. Jordan, Sugie Barker, Marjorie Voorhees, and Margie Miller. North Yuba Naturalist, author, photographer and artist, Katie O’Hara-Kelly has done an incredible job laying out and editing the book which is planned to be released this spring.  We are so grateful to have her experience and expertise to bring this book together.  Laurie Obelholtzer of the SCLT has been instrumental in bringing this project to fruition with the hope that the book will help to fulfill the SCLT mission to preserve this incredible landscape.  The book will be accompanied by an art show showcasing contributors and scheduled to open the evening of June 8, 2023 at the North Yuba River Hall in Downieville.  Learn more about the Sierra County Land Trust: https://www.sierracountylandtrust.org/. 

Sierra County Upstate Creative Corps Grantees Announced!

 Sierra County Arts Council celebrates 2 grantees from Sierra County, who will be working under the Upstate California Creative Corps program.  Artist Marjorie Voohees and The Sierra County Land Trust are among 27 partner agencies, 54 lead creative partners, and a total of 1,010 artists and culture bearers supporting initiatives serving California’s least represented peoples, and most vulnerable communities and environments. Sierra County Arts Council and other Arts Councils across California’s Upstate Region, led by Nevada County Arts Council, announce $3.38 million in grant awards across Northern California.

North Yuba River Hall Classes

Sierra County Arts Council is partnering with First 5 Sierra County to bring early childhood music education to Downieville School

A Theatre Story is now up on Youtube

The World Premier of Riley Pearmund’s short film, A Theatre Story, was screened at The Yuba Theatre recently. The film was a wonderful reflection of our community and our beautiful theatre. Tim Jordan, Yuba Theatre Technician, has been pleased to mentor Riley Pearmund in the creation of his senior project, a short film about The Yuba Theatre.   Riley has been helping and learning to provide technical support for plays and events at The Yuba Theatre for the past two years and we will miss him.  We wish him well with all his future endeavors.

North Yuba River Hall

Downieville Dance Floor is installed!

We were pleased to raise more than $1,800 with the Gofundme campaign for the new Downieville Dance Floor. We expect to be having Kathy Fischer’s Downieville Dance Classes begin soon. We are also planning a bi-lingual family Music Together Class in partnership with Sierra First Five. Thank you to everyone who contributed. Thank you to the former Native Daughters of the Golden West who donated the building and also funding for our improvements. We think Bob’s Discount Carpet did a great job on the floor. We would also like to thank Grays Electric who upgraded our electrical including new light fixtures in the main hall and library. Thank you to Kim Hemstock who repaired the beautiful slate walkway and to Nigel Pearmund for fixing plumbing in the Downieville Library. We will be hosting dance, martial arts, and music classes and welcome everyone. Please contact the Arts Council if you are interested in having a cultural event or workshop at the North Yuba River Hall

The Sierra County Arts Council is pleased to announce that we have recently become the owners of the historic Native Daughter’s Hall at 318 Commercial Street in Downieville. We were excited to be host first event, the Mad Hatter Tea, this April with the help of former Native Daughter’s of the Golden West. We look forward to maintaining this beautiful building for local cultural events.

Pictured above: Earlene Folsom and Karen Galan pass the keys of the newly named North Yuba River Hall to Sierra County Board member Feather Ortiz and Executive Director B.J. Jordan.

Photo by Rudy Jackson

The Sierra County Poetry Out Loud competition was held and Mia Martinelli of Downieville School is now the Sierra County Champion!

Arts Education

In collaboration with Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified School District and the Sierra Schools Foundation and Musica Sierra we are pleased to bring Art Education to Sierra County Schools.

Arts Education is always a priority for the Arts Council. This year we are supporting in-class instruction, field trips, assemblies and programs in Sierra County Schools. Our goal is to being arts education to every student in Sierra County.

Art & Music Sponsorship

Supporting civic and community organizations across Sierra County by sponsoring artists and musicians for events. Featured here is Oso Blue, recently sponsored at the Wine in the Woods event in support of the Sierra City Fire Auxillary.

We are expanding our program to support individual artists and musicians and their projects.

The Yub Gallery.jpg

The Yuba Gallery features locally

made arts and crafts

We are open!

You may also call B.J Jordan at home at 530-862-1241 if you would like to arrange a time to meet and make a purchase.

208 Main St., Downieville, CA 95936

530-289-9822

The Mission of the Sierra County Arts Council is to bring together Community and Art

The Sierra County Arts Council is a member-supported 501 (c) (3) nonprofit public benefit corporation established in 1981 to promote, support and advocate for the arts throughout Sierra County, California. We are the designated partner in the State-Local Partnership program with the California Arts Council which provides major support for all that we do. A thriving arts community brings economic and cultural vitality to everyone.

Land Acknowledgment

We acknowledge the Nisenan, Miwok, Maidu, Washoe, Konkow and Paiute who were the indigenous stewards of the sacred lands of Sierra County. We work to preserve and sustain these lands for the benefit of all people for seven generations.