Meet the
Central Coast Creative Corps Artists

These artists are advancing civic engagement, public health, social justice, and climate resilience across the Central Coast. Together with Central Coast Creative Corps grantees, they’re addressing some of our communities’ most pressing challenges. Read on to learn about the artists, their Community Partners, and creative solutions.

MONTEREY COUNTY

Adam Gota

Adam H Gota is a multifaceted Artist & Designer from Monterey, California. He is a contemporary mixed media painter whose work identifies with his own family’s history, the Japanese American diaspora, and today's social and political climate. His heritage, in combination with his work, has given him his sense of social justice. The icons from his past and today's symbols of status and luxury is a juxtaposition of the past and present, combining traditional and digital media. His work is a blend of his own personality and life within the fictional and propagated American dream, he explores his unique American experiences and his identity. Focusing on his art and finding peace of mind, he is still passionate about his creative expression, time in nature, advocating for our environment and his family. Pushing everyday one step further, he hopes to inspire others to make bold moves and push boundaries.

Community Partner: The Village Project, Inc

  • Our community values arts as a means of self and cultural heritage expression. We hope to branch out into the arts as we expand our therapeutic practices. We want students of our Mae C. Johnson Academic and Cultural Enrichment Academy to gain an interest in art as a means of expressing their identities and creating their own space. Earlier this year, our afterschool program students were treated to an enrichment activity in partnership with York Academy high school students during their annual Service-Learning volunteer day. York students cleaned the program's outdoor raised garden beds and led the students in painting the boxes to decorate them. Aside from getting messy with paints and sharing laughter, the students enjoyed a moment of creating their own space and leaving their mark for the community to observe. We would love to see our students continue to define their own spaces and foster a sense of ownership and identity expressed through art. As a facilitator, an artist would guide the students in projects to continue allowing their creativity to flourish and leave an impression within the community.As mentioned previously, we are also in a period of expanding our engagement with the community. Art that resonates with our mission, values, and our services to reduce the stigma on seeking mental health treatment in the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities is a project we want to take part in, in collaboration with our clients.

  • Climate Impact - public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation

    Civic engagement, including election participation

    Social justice and community engagement

Amy Burkman

Amy Burkman is a professional live art entertainer, muralist, commissioned artist, animal lover, philanthropist, and a cancer survivor. Her extensive art background includes works on industrial-scale murals, acrylic paint-on-canvas, street paintings, and faux finish. As a commissioned artist, Amy maintains a comprehensive portfolio that includes personal portraits, pet portraits, landscape and realism pieces, as well as caricatures and abstract imagery. Although she takes pride in her personal artwork, commissioned pieces, and live art performances, above all she strives to utilize her creative passions to help others.

Community Partner: El Sistema USA Salinas, Inc.

  • YOSAL's mission is to transform the lives of our youth and our communities through inspiration, discipline and performance of classical ensemble music. YOSAL was founded in 2010 by philanthropist Joanne Taylor Johnson, Lois and Don Mayol, and the former superintendent of the Salinas City Elementary School District, Donna Vaughn. Inspired by the El Sistema movement began in Venezuela. The program offers musical ensemble participation from an early age according to a set of clear principles, which focus on intensive and joyful music-making as a vehicle for social change and development. YOSAL’s founders wanted to support and enrich the lives of the children in Salinas, in particular those who come from farmworker families. The program has served more than 2,000 children since its founding and continues to grow. Its goal is to provide free music lessons to underserved children and at-risk kids in our community. In partnership with local school districts, our commitment is to provide a high-quality music education program, free to all. Also, our center is strategically located in a neighborhood that facilitates accessibility to low-income and underserved families. YOSAL also provides community enrichment through free concerts including interactive, educational, and culturally relevant performances by our professional musicians, YOSAL artists.

  • Social justice and community engagement

Brenda Avila Hanna

Brenda is a Mexican filmmaker and educator currently living in the CA Central Coast. Her work has been showcased at HotDocs, Lakino Berlin, HBO, PBS, Frameline, Fusion Network, and more. Brenda is a recent Rockwood/Just Films Fellow and part of the inaugural cohort of DOC NYC’s “Documentary Industry New Leaders.” Brenda’s work has been funded by ITVS, the Redford Center, the Ford Foundation and BAVC among others. Brenda was the first team lead for Equity and Representation at New Day Films and is currently producing three feature documentary films, one also as a first-time director. Brenda is an active member of BGDM, Color Congress, and the Video Consortium Mexico. She is a professor at UCSC and leading Artist Development initiatives/programmer for the Watsonville Film Festival.

Community Partner: Safe Ag Safe Schools

  • Safe Ag Safe Schools (SASS) is an unincorporated coalition of more than 50 organizations and individuals working together with the mission to address and remediate the issue of agricultural pesticide exposure and the threat it poses to human and environmental health, particularly in Central Coast farmworker communities. The three branches of SASS are based in Greenfield, Salinas and Watsonville. Through regular coalition meetings and trainings, we build local leadership to create a movement for reform and to develop the skills and confidence of our members to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Currently, SASS is focused on increasing grassroots pressure on government decisionmakers to increase the right to know about nearby hazardous pesticide applications, to phase out hazardous drift-prone pesticides over the longterm, and to take action to reduce pesticide use on or near school campuses and residential communities in the shorter term. SASS was originally convened as the Monterey Bay Safe Strawberry Working Group in 2010, in response to plans to approve the carcinogenic fumigant pesticide methyl iodide for agricultural fields in California. After the methyl iodide victory, the coalition was moribund until 2014, when the statewide coalition Californians for Pesticide Reform revived it. Since that time, SASS has become a dominant voice in the Central Coast on pesticide issues, with a constant media presence and serving as a regulatory watchdog.

  • Climate Impact - public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation

    Social justice and community engagement

SAN BENITO COUNTY

Jonathan Bunting

Jonathan Bunting, born Robert Maple Baskin in 1981, is a resilient artist and professional with over two decades of experience. Despite a traumatic childhood marked by abuse, he found solace in art and education. Overcoming adversity, he pursued higher education at De Anza College and San Jose State University. Jonathan's journey was further shaped by caring for his ailing grandparents and navigating personal challenges. His artistic passion persisted, leading him to encounter Kanyon Sayers-Roods, an influential figure who sparked renewed purpose in his life. Inspired by Kanyon's mission and guided by her wisdom, Jonathan now advocates for causes greater than himself. His story exemplifies resilience and the transformative power of love and mentorship.

Community Partner: Costanoan Indian Research Inc.

  • Founded in 1985 Costanoan Indian Research (CIR) is headquartered in Indian Canyon Nation (ICN), Hollister, CA. Sacred Ohlone land from time immemorial, ICN is the only federally recognized Indian County from Sonoma to Santa Barbara. ICN has provided a safe haven for local indigenous people from abductions into Spanish Missions & murder during the Gold Rush, as only local natives could find the land. President Taft allotted Sebastian Garcia part of the land in 1911 under the 1887 Indian Allotment Act. That same act was later invoked by his great-granddaughter & CIR founder Ann-Marie Sayers, to reclaim the remaining sacred ancestral land. She now lives on the same site as her ancestors, from fifth-great-grandmother to today. As her daughter, Kanyon Sayers-Roods, I now act as CIR President. ICN hosts native gatherings & offers sovereign space for people needing land for ceremony & education.

  • Climate Impact - public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation

Venecia Prudencio

Venecia Prudencio (They/She) is a multi-disciplinary latinx artist with a passion for community and activist art. Their practice includes illustration, graphic design, and mural design. They are experienced in merchandise, package, and mural design. Aside from design, Venecia teaches Art as a subject at local K-8 schools. As well as developing their personal brand 'Coping Artist.'

Community Partner: San Benito County Clerk-Recorder-Elections

  • We serve all San Benito County community members in need of vital, legal records, recordings, and voter services while empowering the community to be civically involved and informed of services that drives voter outcome action.

  • Civic engagement, including election participation

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

Emily Franklin

Emily is a musician and creative from Los Osos, CA. Franklin has been writing and performing for audiences since she was a small child. She is passionate about sharing her love of creativity, movement and music with kids and adults of all ages.

Community Partner: Lumina Alliance

  • LA frequently partners with individuals and local organizations to create a safe, thriving, and equitable community. As a post-merger organization, LA hopes to increase our name recognition within the community and raise awareness about our services. LA has the organizational capacity to support collaboration with an artist at this time in alignment with our mission and vision, and will benefit from increased exposure via creative mediums. LA also hopes to increase community outreach and engagement while helping to facilitate far reaching social change. This art initiative would provide a tangible opportunity for community members to get involved in the movement. Our prevention programs equip youth with the skills necessary to shift culture in their community in a way that promotes prosocial behaviors and healthy relationships. Facilitating collaboration between C2H Youth, Cal Poly Safer, and a local artist promotes community connectedness and skill building across generations. Art is a powerful tool used throughout the rape crisis movement for direct action, community engagement, and healing that centers marginalized voices and lived experiences.

  • Social justice and community engagement

Wen Lazo Dowdy

Wen is a multimedia artist and leatherworker currently residing on the central coast. They recently graduated from Cal Poly Animal Science and plan to pursue a career as some sort of maker, inspired by art for liberation and liberation for art.

Community Partner: Lumina Alliance

  • Empower those impacted by sexual and intimate partner violence through innovative advocacy, healing, and prevention programs

  • Social justice and community engagement

Tracy Morgan

Tracy has been dedicated to drumming for decades in the styles of Jazz, Reggae, Rock, Blues, Country and many in between. Tracy’s latest direction of study has been on Djembe & Cajon with an emphasis on African, Cuban and Arabic rhythms. He is performing currently at venues featuring his Cajon and percussive achievements as well as kit drumming for his Sunday Jazz Jam.

Community Partner: RACE Matters SLO County

  • To create artistic, cultural, educational, and social experiences that amplify Black voices and matters of racial justice. Brief History: In 2016, R.A.C.E. Matters formed in response to the killing of unarmed Black men by law enforcement. A group of like-minded people began to meet, seeing a need for local engagement around racial and social justice. We’ve since responded more directly to the lack of Black-centered spaces and cultural content in the San Luis Obispo area. Programming: R.A.C.E. Matters holds virtual and in-person events throughout the year. In recent years we’ve hosted virtual conversations on topics including the racial dimensions of the COVID- 19 crisis, Critical Race Theory, and forensics and race. Children-focused arm RaiseUp SLO has hosted virtual spaces for both parents of color and anti-racist allies, a forum on the challenges of home schooling during the pandemic, and djembe drumming-based events intended to connect local children of color in particular. R.A.C.E. Matters has produced original content including short documentary films and has collaborated with musician and educator Tracy Morgan, San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, SLO Motion Film, The ReBoot Storytelling Re-Imagined, SLO Museum of Modern Art, Harold J Miossi Gallery at Cuesta College, Downtown SLO Association, the SLO Library, NYU Tisch School of The Arts, IFC Films, and Universal Pictures to bring engaging content to San Luis Obispo and virtual audiences.

  • Social justice and community engagement

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

Arnulfo Navarro

Arnulfo Navarro is from Guadalupe, California where he enjoys filling his days with the stuff his dreams are made of. These days you can catch him engaged with his community, hanging out with his dog, Amy, or engulfed in some project. among other departments of his interest include: building, playing, listening to music, eating, and exploring to name a few. Arnulfo has big plans for the future, but instead of talking about it here he’d rather show you when the time is right.

Community Partner: Family Service Agency

  • The mission of the Little House by the Park, under the Family Service Agency, is to enhance educational and leadership development opportunities in the community and offer access to concrete supports and social connections so that parents are prepared and available to support their children. The Little House by the Park (LHP), also known as the Cedillo Community Center, has been a part of the Guadalupe Community for close to 25 years, offering essential services as well as leadership development and advocacy opportunities to create social change. In the summer of 2018, LHP merged with the Family Service Agency (FSA) with a shared mission to strengthen families and individuals of all ages and diversities, helping to create and preserve a healthy community. The Family Service Agency was formed in 1899 by a group of concerned citizens who gathered in the halls of Santa Barbara’s Chamber of Commerce to establish what is now FSA. With the merging of The Little House by the Park (LHP), FSA continues to develop its parent engagement approach and instill a leadership development component in order for parents to directly address issues of concern in their communities. The Little House by the Park’s community engagement project is known as the Guadalupe Community Changers project. Led by a group of parents, the Guadalupe Community Changers have been successful in advocating for social justice issues and have used the arts to encourage engagement and leadership development.

  • Climate Impact (cont.) emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery

    Civic engagement, including election participation

    Social justice and community engagement

Brett Nance

Brett C Nance is an illustrator/graphic designer in Orcutt, CA. Working freelance, he has been a contributing artist in a variety of traditional and digital media ranging from books/comics to logo design to animation. Growing up in Orcutt, Brett is a graduate of Righetti High School and attended Hancock College’s animation program before heading to Los Angeles to attend art school. Following school, Brett self-published his original comic book S.P.a.Z. which he debuted at San Diego Comic Con 2006. Along with fellow RHS grad Justin Moon, he co-created the web comic MAN-BOYS while subsequently working as an art instructor for the after-school program Watch Me Draw in Torrance, CA and the surrounding area. In 2022, after 20 years living in the South Bay of LA, Brett moved back to Orcutt along with his wife, Crystal- an elementary school teacher of fourteen years. They have one son.

Community Partner: Awakening Giants

  • Awakening Giantz serves young adults exiting the foster care system or those who have been impacted by the foster care system. We provide them a community of mentors, planned workshops, resources, and events that cultivate their sense of belonging, the ability to thrive, and an outlook of success.

  • Social justice and community engagement

David Lopez

David Flores, a Californian native, emerged as a prominent contemporary artist renowned for his vibrant and stylized paintings. Introduced to oil painting at the age of 7 by his mother, Flores has since diversified his artistic pursuits, seamlessly transitioning from painter to muralist and designer. Influenced by pop culture, his work often integrates iconic portraits and Americana, characterized by his signature mosaic or segmented style. By 18, he attained international recognition and contributed significantly to the skate industry through his graphic designs. Flores's relentless creative drive fuels his dynamic use of color and intricate layering techniques, evoking nostalgia and familiarity in viewers. His artwork, featured in galleries, museums, and public spaces globally, earned him accolades and a permanent place in the Museum of Modern Art's collection. Collaborating with prestigious entities like Disney and Nike, Flores aims to challenge artistic norms, making socially relevant statements through his visually striking creations, inspiring generations of artists.

Community Partner: Freedom 4 Youth

  • The mission of Freedom 4 Youth (F4Y) is to uplift and empower youth (primarily ages 13-26) that are involved in or impacted by the criminal legal system to build safe and compassionate communities. We started in 2008 as a youth leadership program at Los Prietos Boys Camp, a youth detention facility in Santa Barbara County. In 2019, the F4Y Center opened as Santa Barbara’s only community-based reentry center solely dedicated to serving people who have been impacted by the criminal legal system. In 2022, we served 397 youth, a 77% increase from our numbers in 2021. We are currently in the midst of a staffing and facility expansion, and aim to serve 510 youth annually following the completion of this expansion in 2024. F4Y youth experience a significantly lower recidivism rate as a result of our support. One UCSB study found that youth in F4Y’s leadership program experienced recidivism rates of 45-50% over a one-year period, compared to the 79% county average. Our youth-led advocacy successes at the local and state legislative level include SB 1391 (prohibits the transfer of 14- and 15-year-olds to the adult criminal system), and SB 1437 (changes felony accessory to murder charges for people who did not physically harm someone). Our youth have also successfully advocated for inclusion of Ethnic Studies curriculum in schools, the abolition of police on school campuses, and the utilization of restorative justice methods in both schools and the local legal system.

  • Social justice and community engagement

Liz Fish

Liz is a documentary photographer based in Ojai, CA. She brings her background in photography, film and event-making, and as an entrepreneur who helped create a small media company. Liz loves to collaborate on meaningful experiences to energize people, dream, keep and share memories. She has worked with artists, families, farmers and students to create portraits, stories and short-form video. She is always learning in life and work. She is a board member of the organization Seeds of Belonging, which promotes anti-bias learning and inclusive spaces for children. She is excited to get to know the people, places, artists and entrepreneurs of the Cuyama Valley.

Community Partner: Blue Sky Sustainable Living Center

  • Blue Sky Center is a rural, place-based nonprofit organization with the mission to strengthen our rural communities within the Cuyama Valley by supporting entrepreneurs and building our regional creative and economic resources. We envision resilient, thriving, and inclusive rural economies. Our organization’s purpose ultimately is to create a resilient local economy by cultivating resident ownership through durational civic engagement, co-creating climate resilient strategies and plans with the community, and supporting opportunities that markedly improve social justice and economic access. We are located in New Cuyama, CA, a mid-century company town founded by the Atlantic Richfield Oil Company (ARCO) whose former industrial headquarters we now occupy. Attaining 501(c)(3) status in 2014 with an impact investment from the Zannon Family Foundation, Blue Sky Center is home to 267 acres of land with 24,000 SF of industrial facilities. In leveraging our substantial assets to serve the community and economic development needs of the Cuyama Valley, we are committed to locally driven, cross-sector solutions. At Blue Sky, we are generating new opportunities in our rural communities by: creating and preserving quality jobs, providing job training and education programs, bridging access to resource providers, and building capacity and leadership among our most marginalized.

  • Climate Impact - public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation

Marcus Lopez

Marcus Lopez Sr. is an artist, human rights activist, and chairperson of the Barbareño Chumash Tribal Council. He has been working with the Chumash community as well as other California native communities for over 50 years. Since 1988 he has served as the senior producer of American Indian Airwaves’ Coyote Radio, a national indigenous news and documentary organization based in Goleta, California. Lopez’s work in cultural outreach and education has also included teaching in the El Rio school district and at UCLA in addition to numerous public speaking engagements and community events. In addition to his work as a public speaker and educator Lopez is active in preserving Chumash traditional knowledge and reviving threatened cultural practices as a builder of tomols, traditional Chumash canoes that historically played a central role in fishing and trade, and that continue to be utilized in ceremonial voyages of the Chumash community.

Community Partner: Barbareño Chumash Tribal Council

  • The Barbareño Chumash Tribal Council is band of Chumash descendants whose ancestral villages are located in what is now known as Santa Barbara County, Oxnard, Ventura and the Santa Barbara Channel Islands. Along with other Chumash tribes, Our Council works to protect our culture, sacred sites, the environment both land and sea, in addition to maintaining traditions passed on to us from our ancestors. The BCTC model of fostering environmental stewardship highlights existing cultural ties to the natural world to inspire behavior change leading to more sustainable communities. BCTC creates experiences that allow people to see the world through a different lens. BCTC have especially focused on the protection of Pacific Ocean against climate change and its tangible impacts. We teach through outreach projects that span land, air, and sea- both educating our own Chumash communities, and then a broad constituency of the public, media and policy makers, who all serve key roles in shaping stewardship of their communities, and in turn, the planet.

  • Climate Impact - public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation

Stephanie Krouse

Stephanie Krouse is a freelance artist and credentialed teacher. She grew up on the Central Coast and has lived in Guadalupe most of her life. She is fascinated by color and loves to focus her work on making connections within her community. Her previous works include landscapes, seascapes, and historical buildings. More recently she enjoys creating murals that reflect the beauty of Guadalupe, its agricultural roots, and its wonderful people. She enjoys mentoring other artists and works to inspire her students to experiment and live artistic lives.

Community Partner: Family Service Agency

  • The mission of the Little House by the Park, under the Family Service Agency, is to enhance educational and leadership development opportunities in the community and offer access to concrete supports and social connections so that parents are prepared and available to support their children. The Little House by the Park (LHP), also known as the Cedillo Community Center, has been a part of the Guadalupe Community for close to 25 years, offering essential services as well as leadership development and advocacy opportunities to create social change. In the summer of 2018, LHP merged with the Family Service Agency (FSA) with a shared mission to strengthen families and individuals of all ages and diversities, helping to create and preserve a healthy community. The Family Service Agency was formed in 1899 by a group of concerned citizens who gathered in the halls of Santa Barbara’s Chamber of Commerce to establish what is now FSA. With the merging of The Little House by the Park (LHP), FSA continues to develop its parent engagement approach and instill a leadership development component in order for parents to directly address issues of concern in their communities. The Little House by the Park’s community engagement project is known as the Guadalupe Community Changers project. Led by a group of parents, the Guadalupe Community Changers have been successful in advocating for social justice issues and have used the arts to encourage engagement and leadership development.

  • Climate Impact (cont.) emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery

    Civic engagement, including election participation

    Social justice and community engagement

Yurico "Riko" C. Rivera Vera

Yurico C. Rivera Vera, affectionately known as Riko Rivera,is a celebrated multimedia artist hailing from the vibrant Mexico City, now rooted in the enchanting Santa Maria Valley of California. Riko's artistic odyssey transcends cultural and traditional boundaries, fueled by an unyielding passion cultivated from his earliest days. As a first-generation immigrant, he surmounted obstacles to manifest his creative aspirations into reality. Beyond his artistry, Riko is an active member of the Xiucoalt Chichimeca Native Dance group, honoring his ancestral ties and connection to nature through dance and drumming. His work is imbued with themes of representation and acknowledgment, advocating for marginalized communities and celebrating diversity. Through his platform, ChilangoFine, Riko endeavors to inspire others to challenge norms and forge new traditions. With boundless enthusiasm and optimism, Riko embarks on a journey of artistic exploration, inviting us all to join in the experience.

Community Partner: Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, Inc

  • Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, Inc. (CHC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit network of community health centers serving the residents of California’s Central Coast. Conveniently located throughout San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties, our committed team of healthcare professionals are dedicated to maintaining your health and well-being. We offer fully accredited Medical, Dental and Chiropractic care as well as Health Education and Specialty Care. Our Mission is to enhance the health status of all people in the Central Coast of California, with special emphasis on the medically under-served, by providing accessible, affordable, comprehensive and quality healthcare services, through well trained professional staff, in strategically located health centers.

  • Public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19

    Social justice and community engagement

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Abi Mustapha

Abi Mustapha is a Sierra Leonean/American Contemporary Artist. She holds a BA in Political Science emphasizing in sustainability from Indiana University. After working for several years in sustainable agriculture and permaculture, she chose to relocate from Indiana to the Bay Area in 2013 to pursue her art career. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in the Midwest and Bay Area including the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Garret Museum of Art, The Richmond art center, and Santa Cruz Art League. Abi is an active member of the Santa Cruz community, founding and participating in racial justice initiatives for the past several years. She is a co-founder of the Santa Cruz Equity Collab. Her work is inspired by human connection and nature shown through murals, illustration, digital art, story telling, community events and portraiture.

Community Partner: Housing Matters

  • Housing Matters partners with individuals and families to create pathways out of their homelessness into permanent housing. We hold firmly to a vision that homelessness should be rare, brief, and non-recurring. Housing Matters began in 1986 as the Santa Cruz Citizens Committee for the Homeless, an affiliation of faith based and secular organizations that recognized the need to provide basic food and shelter for people experiencing homelessness. In the beginning, individuals camped on the location of our current campus on Coral Street in the City of Santa Cruz, and received meals. In 1998, we opened the first emergency shelter on our campus. We also began offering case management services for those experiencing chronic homelessness. We now operate three emergency shelters, are about to welcome residents to our first permanent supportive housing (PSH) building, and expect to break ground on a larger PSH development this year. Our programs follow the Housing First model: the first step for people experiencing homelessness is stable housing. Only then can they begin to address the other issues hindering their self-sufficiency. In fiscal year 2022, Housing Matters served over 2,800 adults, seniors, and children, including empowering 328 adults and children to find permanent housing.

  • Social justice and community engagement

Allan McDonald

Allan McDonald is a bilingual cartoonist, graphic designer and digital arts instructor focusing on human rights illustrations. His vision of art in education, as a participatory and transformative process, in which learning and conceptualization are based on the participatory experience of the individuals and groups participating in the formation of a new society, with justice and firm human rights.

Community Partner: Esperanza Community Farms

  • Social justice and community engagement

  • Esperanza Community Farms is a system-changing, sustainable community agriculture project focused on increasing food security and good health among families living in the Pájaro and Salinas Valleys, especially those from under-resourced and traditionally excluded communities. We envision a healthy, localized food system based on food sovereignty, work with dignity, and stewardship of the environment. We cultivate fresh, pesticide-free, culturally preferred vegetables and fruit varieties and deliver bi-weekly boxes of produce directly to members’ homes via a subsidized Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. We work with organizational partners who wish to jointly pursue the vision of a localized food supply chain. The CSA, along with the Farm-2-Cafeteria (F2C) project and our strategic partnerships with small local farmersof- color via the 9 Organic Farmer Co-Op, work interdependently to realize our mission of food sovereignty and economic justice.

The Jams - Augie Escobedo & Jessica Carmen

AugieWK and Jessica Carmen are a Chicano muralist and curator duo from California who use spray paint to create interesting and culturally significant designs around the world. 

With Paint Jams, their focus is to prioritize culture, representation, and inclusivity in events for communities that have overlooked historically marginalized artists and provide opportunities for those artists to earn an income, network and gain the experience and skills necessary to break through the gates that have kept art spaces segregated.

As artists, they have participated in and worked with 1Culture Gallery & Art Collective, 2Buck Invitational, 333 Arts - Oakland, Bizare Art Festival, California Roots Music Festival, Going All City PHX, Local Colors SJ, Napa Town & Country Fair, The Old Skulls CDMX, Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, Tannery Arts Center, Together We Create 408, The Wall's Art Park, we. Mural Festival Sand City and more.

Community Partner: Coastal Watershed Council

  • The mission of the Coastal Watershed Council is to preserve and protect coastal watersheds through community stewardship, education and monitoring.

  • Climate Impact - public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation

    Climate Impact (cont.) emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery

    Social justice and community engagement

Carlos Campos

Carlos is a photographer and filmmaker born and raised in Watsonville, CA. He holds a B.A. in Mass Communication and Journalism from CSU Fresno and an M.F.A, in Social Documentation from UC Santa Cruz. Carlos has been working in his community since 2016, using his skills to highlight important stories and issues, and has created works for various community organizations. He was part of the inaugural Cine Se Puede Fellows for the Watsonville Film Festival. Carlos's mission is to tell the stories of those who aren't always heard.

Community Partner: Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley

  • The mission of the Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley (CHT) is to foster a healthy and equitable community for all in the Pajaro Valley through leadership in advocacy, collaboration, and wellness. CHT has focused on health equity in the Pajaro Valley for 25 years. CHT’s Diabetes Health Center was established in 1998 in response to an overwhelming number of patients seeking emergency care at Watsonville Community Hospital for uncontrolled diabetes. Today, CHT’s strategic direction focuses on health equity and wellness through the promotion of activities, choices, and lifestyles that prevent illness and improve quality of life. The organization’s strategic plan prioritizes the elimination of health disparities for low-income people, immigrants, and farmworkers in the Pajaro Valley. CHT’s programs prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease and help many live healthier and fuller lives. Core programs include: the Diabetes Health Center, where patients receive one-on-one education with dietitians and participate in group classes; VeggieRx, which prescribes free produce and nutrition education to Medi-Cal recipients; El Mercado Farmer’s Market, a seasonal, health-centric market that increases access to fresh produce; community gardens in low-income areas of Watsonville; grants to community-based organizations; and scholarships for students entering health careers. CHT envisions an equitable Pajaro Valley with health, wellness, and a full quality of life for all.

  • Public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19

Eugenia Renteria

Eugenia Renteria is a filmmaker and educator. Born and raised in a rural community in Zacatecas, Mexico, she moved to California when she was 12 years old. She attended CSU Monterey Bay and graduated with a B.A. in Cinematic Arts & Technology. Eugenia wrote and directed Amor en Cuarentena, Strawberry Picker, and the award-winning documentary Tierra Fértil. Her work has been showcased at San Diego Latino Film Festival, San Francisco Latino Film Festival, Official Latino, and ShortsMexico. She was an inaugural fellow for the Watsonville Film Festival’s Cine Se Puede Fellowship and is an inaugural PBS Ignite Mentorship Program mentee. Eugenia is the co-founder and director of Inspira Studios.

Community Partner: Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley

  • The mission of the Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley (CHT) is to foster a healthy and equitable community for all in the Pajaro Valley through leadership in advocacy, collaboration, and wellness. CHT has focused on health equity in the Pajaro Valley for 25 years. CHT’s Diabetes Health Center was established in 1998 in response to an overwhelming number of patients seeking emergency care at Watsonville Community Hospital for uncontrolled diabetes. Today, CHT’s strategic direction focuses on health equity and wellness through the promotion of activities, choices, and lifestyles that prevent illness and improve quality of life. The organization’s strategic plan prioritizes the elimination of health disparities for low-income people, immigrants, and farmworkers in the Pajaro Valley. CHT’s programs prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease and help many live healthier and fuller lives. Core programs include: the Diabetes Health Center, where patients receive one-on-one education with dietitians and participate in group classes; VeggieRx, which prescribes free produce and nutrition education to Medi-Cal recipients; El Mercado Farmer’s Market, a seasonal, health-centric market that increases access to fresh produce; community gardens in low-income areas of Watsonville; grants to community-based organizations; and scholarships for students entering health careers. CHT envisions an equitable Pajaro Valley with health, wellness, and a full quality of life for all.

  • Public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19

Isabel Contreras

Isabel Contreras, a proud Chicana born & raised in Central California. She studied in Richmond, VA and received her BFA in Communication Arts at VCU. During her time in Virginia, she struggled to find the same inspiration and cultural resources she was surrounded with in California. After yearning for home, she decided to bring her Mexican roots to the East Coast through her artwork. She made sure all of her art was a representation of her Chicana upbringing, not only for herself but for the other Latinxs that felt under-represented. For Isabel, creating content with representation allows her to put herself in her art.

Community Partner: Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley

  • The mission of the Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley (CHT) is to foster a healthy and equitable community for all in the Pajaro Valley through leadership in advocacy, collaboration, and wellness. CHT has focused on health equity in the Pajaro Valley for 25 years. CHT’s Diabetes Health Center was established in 1998 in response to an overwhelming number of patients seeking emergency care at Watsonville Community Hospital for uncontrolled diabetes. Today, CHT’s strategic direction focuses on health equity and wellness through the promotion of activities, choices, and lifestyles that prevent illness and improve quality of life. The organization’s strategic plan prioritizes the elimination of health disparities for low-income people, immigrants, and farmworkers in the Pajaro Valley. CHT’s programs prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease and help many live healthier and fuller lives. Core programs include: the Diabetes Health Center, where patients receive one-on-one education with dietitians and participate in group classes; VeggieRx, which prescribes free produce and nutrition education to Medi-Cal recipients; El Mercado Farmer’s Market, a seasonal, health-centric market that increases access to fresh produce; community gardens in low-income areas of Watsonville; grants to community-based organizations; and scholarships for students entering health careers. CHT envisions an equitable Pajaro Valley with health, wellness, and a full quality of life for all.

  • Public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19

Edwardo Rojas

Owner of XXIII HRS music promotion company, co-owner of Watsonville Music, and founding member & bassist of the Watsonville-based band Pop Bottle Bombers. As a local promotor, Buffalo has presented dozens of live acts & DJ’s in Watsonville, including Celso Piña, Sonora Dinamita, Adán Jodorowsky, La Plebe, Gabriela Penka, Buyepongo, and others.

Community Partner: Esperanza Community Farms

  • Esperanza Community Farms is a system-changing, sustainable community agriculture project focused on increasing food security and good health among families living in the Pájaro and Salinas Valleys, especially those from under-resourced and traditionally excluded communities. We envision a healthy, localized food system based on food sovereignty, work with dignity, and stewardship of the environment. We cultivate fresh, pesticide-free, culturally preferred vegetables and fruit varieties and deliver bi-weekly boxes of produce directly to members’ homes via a subsidized Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. We work with organizational partners who wish to jointly pursue the vision of a localized food supply chain. The CSA, along with the Farm-2-Cafeteria (F2C) project and our strategic partnerships with small local farmersof- color via the 9 Organic Farmer Co-Op, work interdependently to realize our mission of food sovereignty and economic justice.

  • Social justice and community engagement

VENTURA COUNTY

Eduardo Jimenez

Eduardo Jimenez, Eddy, was born in a small village in Oaxaca, Mexico called Teotitlan del Valle, famously known for its rugs.Eddy grew up in Moorpark, California. He constantly visited Oaxaca and learned how to weave. Upon graduating High School, he served a two-year mission in Mozambique, and Swaziland Africa. Eddy attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where he worked full time in administration at a private school. He was fortunate to work with special needs and trauma students. He participates in farmers markets throughout Ventura County showcasing rugs and other crafts from Oaxaca. He is excited to be at MICOP and work with such amazing individuals. He knows all the great things MICOP does for the community and wants to contribute to that in any way he can.

Community Partner: Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project

  • The Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) was established in 2001 to support, organize and empower the Indigenous migrant communities along California's Central Coast, including Mixtecs, Zapotecs, and Purépechas. During its early years, through monthly meetings, MICOP provided food and other essential goods to indigenous migrants in the Oxnard region, along with health education & parenting classes. Leadership development and community organizing efforts emerged shortly thereafter, when MICOP hired its first full-time employee/community organizer, Arcenio Lopez, in 2006. Since then, MICOP has evolved to include Radio Indigena, MICOP's own community radio station; indigenous language interpretation services; youth leadership development; labor justice programs that ensure that farmworkers can advocate for safe/just working conditions; and cultural programing aimed at preserving and building pride and awareness about pre-Hispanic indigenous cultures. In 2014, Arcenio became MICOP’s first Indigenous Executive Director. Under his leadership, MICOP expanded into Santa Barbara County in 2017 and San Luis Obispo County in 2023. Today, MICOP is the largest Indigenous-led organization on the Central Coast, with 98 fulltime and 19 part-time employees, and five offices. MICOP offers 20+ programs that provide direct services, leadership development, and community empowerment opportunities for Indigenous migrants in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties.

  • Social justice and community engagement

Fernando Albert Salinas

Fernando Albert Salinas has been associated with California Poets in the Schools as a member of the Board of Directors, a Ventura County Area Coordinator, and a Master Poet-Teacher for over 10 years. He is an Adjunct Professor of English at Ventura College, the Ventura County Area Coordinator and recitation coach for the California Arts Council’s Poetry Out Loud program, and the Editor-In-Chief for Spit Shine Publishing. As Literary Arts Program Coordinator for the Ventura County Arts Council, he focuses on enhancing the presence and appreciation of poetry, and the spoken word.

Community Partner: Ventura County League of United Latin American Citizens (VCLULAC, LULAC)

  • The Mission of the Ventura County League of United Latin American Citizens(VCLULAC, LULAC) is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the Latino/Mexicano/Indigenous population of Ventura County.

  • Public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19

    Climate Impact - public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation

    Climate Impact (cont.) emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery

    Civic engagement, including election participation

    Social justice and community engagement

Javier Gomez

Javier Gomez, an immigrant brought to the United States at age 5 for education and safety, nearly fell victim to a flawed educational system. From East L.A.'s streets, he protested the Vietnam War and joined Cesar Chavez's farmworker movement. As Chavez's disciple, he championed Chicano rights and spread hope. A CSUN graduate in Chicano Studies and Theater, he became a bilingual educator and received honors for his service. Founder of the Inlakech Cultural Arts Center, he offers free programs to preserve Latino culture. He initiated cultural events like Noches de Cultura and the Annual Dia de Los Muertos Celebration, promoting diversity. Serving as Oxnard Arts Commissioner, he continues to advocate for cultural heritage. A prolific author, his works reflect his activism and spirituality. Javier embodies service and empowerment, embracing the spirit of Inlakech.

Community Partner: Lucha Inc.

  • Lucha is committed to establish and develop grassroots community projects to address youth issues; education; racism and discrimination; family-strengthening programs; Chicano and Ethnic Studies; beyond civil rights, work for Human Rights; beyond Equality to Equity; and Saving Mother Earth!

  • Public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19

    Climate Impact - public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation

    Climate Impact (cont.) emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery

    Civic engagement, including election participation

    Social justice and community engagement

Juliana Acosta

Juliana Acosta is a first generation Latino-American with parents from Mexico and Guatemala. While in high school in Houston, TX she got the theatre bug not only on the front of the stage but behind as the theatre club president under the direction of Felicia Lewis, who is still her mentor. After high school, Juliana made the move to Los Angeles where she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She made her way to Ventura County where she's had the honor of working alongside so many local talented artists, including but not limited to Taylor Kasch, Saul Escobedo, and Antonio Royuela. After self-producing several successful art shows, stage readings, and plays she finally formed Fork Space, an organization that provides free art events to the community of Oxnard. She first participated with Teatro de las Americas in their production of Adan, Eva, y la Otra in 2011 as La Otra. Juliana has not only acted and directed with Teatro several times, but she has now taken on the executive and artistic directorial duties, knowing she has the big shoes of Margaret Cortese to fill. With over 20 years in the arts, she is now looking forward to the role of Artistic Director for Teatro de las Americas, a new challenge she is taking on headfirst.

Community Partner: Santa Paula Latino Town Hall

  • Santa Paula Latino Town Hall is a proactive advocacy organization dedicated to educate, mobilize, and act on social justice issues that impact the Latino Community in Santa Paula and Ventura County. Toward this end, we collaborate with others to expand educational and economic opportunities equitable access to social services, and housing. We work to eliminate systemic racism towards Latinx communities and in public institutions that have historically created barriers through policies that impact the Latino Community.

  • Civic engagement, including election participation

    Social justice and community engagement

Julio Alcala

With a Bachelor’s degree in History and Chicana/o Studies from UCLA, my academic journey encompassed diverse disciplines like Third World Cinema and Native American Theater. Grounded in this historical and social context, my videography delves into relevant topics, particularly highlighting Oxnard through photo/video journalism. Over a decade with the Public Information Office, I've crafted over a hundred hours of broadcast content, earning accolades like CalRecycle's first prize for a PSA. Previously, as Video Production Coordinator at Oxnard Housing Authority, I mentored youth in media production, fostering community engagement. My passion extends beyond professional endeavors; I've produced documentaries and led mural projects in La Colonia. Recently awarded a Mid-Career Artist Grant, I'm poised to showcase Oxnard's field workers in a multilingual documentary. Returning to Oxnard College feels like coming home, a chance to mentor first-generation students and impact our community profoundly, socially, economically, and politically.

Community Partner: Nyeland Promise

  • Nyeland Promise's cage-free leadership is committed to bringing new voices and creative perspectives to fulfill the mission and vision of our organization.Art and culture unite communities. Including art and culture in life aids, not only in mental health, but boosts self-esteem, improves critical thinking skills, promotes communication with others, develops resilience, and enhances confidence. Many surveys have shown that high school students in the United States who engage in the arts at school are twice as likely to volunteer than those who don’t. They are also 20% more likely to vote when they become young adults. Nyeland Promise believes that this collaboration will create another avenue of opportunity for the community to gather and communicate, strengthening our relationships and identity and the bonds that unite us.

  • Public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19

    Climate Impact - public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation

    Civic engagement, including election participation

    Social justice and community engagement

Nicole Taylor

Nicole Taylor, a soprano with a Masters from The Juilliard School, boasts over 25 years of practice and teaching experience. She's conducted masterclasses worldwide at prestigious institutions like the Franz Liszt Academy and the Royal Danish Academy of Music. As a Partner Artist for Sing For Hope, she champions Art for All and cultural diplomacy. Notable performances include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center Festival, and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Nicole founded Creativity Through Music, promoting arts innovation and education. In 2023, she launched Music At Portside to increase access to classical music in Ventura County. She now serves as Artistic & Program Director for the Bridge to the Arts program and is a Regional Network Leader for Teaching Artists Guild. Nicole is part of the 2024 Global Leaders Institute for Arts Innovation MBA cohort, showcasing her commitment to arts advocacy and education.

Community Partner: County of Ventura

  • The County of Ventura's mission statement is ""to provide superior public service and support so that all residents have the opportunity to improve their quality of life while enjoying the benefits of a safe, healthy, and vibrant community."" The County of Ventura organization is comprised of 26 agencies and departments, with over 10,000 employees. Agencies and department work includes areas of administration of justice, animal services, community development, health care, human services, general government, libraries, public works, and resource management. Elected leadership includes five County Supervisors elected by district, and at-large positions of Assessor, Auditor Controller, Clerk-Recorder, District Attorney, Sheriff, and Treasurer-Tax Collector. The organization is led by a County Executive Officer, who is appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Ventura County, California is located along the Southern California Coast and shares borders with Los Angeles County to the southeast, Santa Barbara County to the northwest, and Kern County to the north. It consists of 10 incorporated cities, including Camarillo, Fillmore, Ojai, Oxnard, Moorpark, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura. The total population of the County is approximately 840,000, the median age is 38.5, the median income is $89,295, and the poverty rate is 8.94%.

  • Civic engagement, including election participation

    Social justice and community engagement