Culture and the arts are basic to the character of Marin County and home owners have access to many events, venues and opportunities to express their creative interests. For decades Marin has called to artists who feel at home and inspired by the natural beauty of the county, and contribute their special skills to the local quality of life.

With the variety of arts available in Marin County there’s no need to stray far from home to enjoy a performance, participate in activities or express your creative side.  There are many organizations that support the arts including the Marin Arts Council, the Marin Jazz Arts Society, the Art league of Northern California and active arts commissions in Marin’s cities.

Festivals Celebrate the Arts
Marin home owners look forward to well known annual art festivals that draw people from all over the West Coast. For example, the Mill Valley Film Festival is a high profile and respected showcase for filmmakers. In October, about 40,000 people come to Mill Valley to be the first to see new independent films from around the world.  Many careers have been launched at this world-class festival as 200 filmmakers debut their works over the 11-day festival.

In June, the Marin Arts Festival brings together arts and crafts professionals in one of the region’s largest and most popular shows. Billed as a “lively lawn party for the arts,” the festival features live music, ethnic foods and sit-down dining, wine tasting and more. It’s all centered around 250 “virtuoso” artists whose work is tucked under bright umbrellas and flags flying in the wind at the Marin Civic Center’s Lagoon Park.

Over the Labor Day weekend, Sausalito takes center stage with its famed art festival. The show focuses on contemporary art in a beautiful setting that is reminiscent of a seaside village on the Mediterranean. More than one million people have enjoyed the Sausalito Art Festival where more than 20,000 works of art are displayed.

Marin also puts its young people in the spotlight each year with the Italian Street Painting Festival that supports the Youth in Arts program.  Held in downtown San Rafael, talented “Madonnari” use the streets as their palette and create over 200 images in the style of Italian street painters. The Youth in Arts program is a great opportunity for young people to participate in the arts, take lessons in music, dance, theatre, visual arts and new media. The group also does performances and sponsors an annual season of international touring companies that play to student audiences at the Marin Center. The children of Marin home owners are gifted with many opportunities to grow in the arts.

Along with these high profile events there are community festivals, art shows and performances throughout the year. Marin home owners have a bounty of choices to fill their cultural calendars. For people who enjoy participating, Marin County has choruses and chorales, musical groups, live theatre, new media experiences, symphonies and bands.

Famed Marin Artists
The Marin arts scene has plenty to offer home owners and their families, but it has also historically attracted famous artists and performers. Marin County was home to most of the members of the Grateful Dead who, along with the Jefferson Airplane, rehearsed and recorded music in Marin.  The iconic Janis Joplin was at home under the redwoods of Marin and Marin was one of Bob Dylan’s favorite venues. It is said that a 1967 rock concert on Mt. Tam kicked off the “Summer of Love.” Many famous bands from the 60s to the present day are attracted to Marin and record in Marin studios.

Marin is where George Lucas spent two years writing Star Wars and where he chose to house Lucas Films. Comedian and actor Robin Williams grew up in Marin and Wynonna Judd worked as a waitress in a Marin Café where she and her mother Naomi gave their earliest performances. Among other artist luminaries who owned real estate in Marin County or called it home are Jennifer Aniston, author Ram Das, Bill Graham, musician David Grisman, Huey Lewis, author Joyce Maynard, Brad Pitt and many others.

Clearly, there is something about Marin County that appeals to the creative spirit. Consequently, the arts are abundantly available to Marin home owners and their families. The quality of cultural resources is unusually high, perhaps accounting for Marin’s strong attraction for professional artists who gift the county with their talents.