American Romanian Cultural Society

The American Romanian Cultural Society (ARCS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association striving to promote a better understanding of the rich culture of Central and Eastern Europe, with an emphasis on Romania and the American Romanian cultural heritage in the Seattle area.

We have organized many successful editions of the Romanian Film Festival at the iconic SIFF Uptown Cinema (2014-present), art and photo exhibits in well-known galleries (AN/T, Ocean Gallery), book signing events (Seattle Library, UW, Bellevue Library), performances and concerts on the most prestigious stages in Seattle and on the Eastside (Benaroya Hall, Seattle Art Museum, Kirkland Performance Center, etc). 

Most rewarding for us is the nurture of the younger generations’ interest in Romanian culture and language. We have seen the High School students attending the Romanian language program who volunteered for ARCS get into most prestigious universities in the US. We have seen the most creative minds producing short films and becoming more and more confident in their art during the two editions of ARCS Summer Camp hosted on UW Campus. In 2016, we started the first secular school in the US for children of Romanian descent, because as educators and parents, we know every child in diaspora deserves to have access to heritage language education, in order to feel complete and fulfill his/her potential.