Local individuals and organizations are eyeing a “transformative grant program” launched by The Arts and Culture Collective of Northern Sonoma County, in partnership with Corazón Healdsburg, to let their creative dreams take flight and give voice to the underrepresented voices of the area.
Applications for grants of up to $10,000 each are now being accepted for a Diversity in Arts Grant. According to a press release from Corazón Healdsburg, the program “aims to revolutionize equitable funding in the arts and amplify underrepresented voices in our community.”
It gives preference to Northern Sonoma County artists from Windsor to Cloverdale, including undocumented artists or culture workers, young or emerging artists from historically marginalized communities, and “artists with lived experiences as people of color,” according to the Diversity in Arts website at corazonhealdsburg.org/diversity-in-the-arts.
Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to successful applicants, out of a total of $164,000 to be shared among grant recipients throughout the year. Half of that, $82,000, will be available in this first round of funding. The application period is now open, and the deadline is midnight on Nov. 1, Friday evening. The awards will be announced on Nov. 22.
The Arts and Culture Collective of Northern Sonoma County of seven voting members was formed early in 2023 to oversee the application process for the grant program. The awards are made possible through a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, a nonpartisan, private organization that pays out grants to Bay Area communities in support of education, the environment and the performing arts. William Hewlett was a cofounder of Hewlett-Packard, later HP.
The aim of the grant program is to “promote equitable funding in the arts by providing financial support to artists who have historically been underserved or excluded by other funding mechanisms,” according to Corazón Healdsburg’s website.
Transformative
What makes the grant program transformational, according to Jose Gonzalez, a member of the Arts and Culture Collective, is that it is “sparking long-term change in our community.”
He said, “By investing in diverse artistic voices, we’re not just supporting individual artists—we’re nurturing the cultural soul of our community.”
The Art and Culture Collective is a community-driven initiative committed to supporting local artists and promoting diversity in the arts. With a focus on equitable funding, the collective works to amplify the voices and perspectives of marginalized artists by funding their projects.
Such Arts and Culture Collectives are found nationwide, usually with similar purpose, from Boston to Yorba Linda.
For instance, among the wide range of artistic disciplines encouraged to apply are craft or artisan workers, performance and multidisciplinary efforts, artists in various media including visual arts, and traditional and folk entertainers.
“This process is about more than just distributing funds. It’s about shifting power dynamics and recognizing the expertise within our community,” said Cristal López Pardo, Corazón’s Family Resource Center manager. “By putting decision-making in the hands of those most impacted, we’re not only funding art in our community—we’re also investing in leaders, building cultural traditions and creating a more equitable arts ecosystem.”
This is only the second year of the Diversity in the Arts grant program. Among previous grant recipients, several participated in the “Pachanga and Art… After Dark” in the Healdsburg Plaza on Sept. 15 last month.
These included Teatro Almas Libres, an agit-prop theater group featuring farmworker and domestic worker women, highlighting their experiences through performance art; photographer Juan Carlos Garcia with his portraits of Latinos in their professions, showcasing community diversity; Top Cheer Elite’s Hip-Hop program; and Máxima Frecuencia, a Grupo Sierreño band playing regional Mexican music with acoustic instruments.
Latin-American Month
That event kicked off Latin-American Heritage Month, which officially ran from that date to Oct. 15. The city proclamation endorsing the Heritage Month was passed on Oct. 7, at last week’s City Council meeting.
Speaking for Corazon’s absent Executive Director Marcy Flores, board chair Leigh Stokes received the honor from the council, with boardmember Jaime Gutiérrez. She reminded the council that the annual Dia de los Muertos celebration will be held on the Plaza on Oct. 27, from noon to 6pm. It is perhaps the annual cultural highlight of the area’s Latin-American community in the public sphere.
Applications for the Diversity in Arts grants are open to all Sonoma County residents, with preference given to artists from the northern parts of the county, including Windsor, Healdsburg, Geyserville and Cloverdale. Undocumented artists or arts and culture workers, young or emerging artists from historically marginalized communities, and artists with lived experiences as people of color received additional weight in the selection process.
For more information about this grant program or to apply, visit corazonhealdsburg.org/diversity-in-the-arts or contact Cristal López Pardo at cr*****@co***************.org .
The heavy emphasis on race as a deciding factor of what a “lived challenging experience” is, is unfortunate. The idea of making long-standing, impactful change is notable and I would say very important. But many people, regardless of color, can do that. The idea of a future society where respect and integrity, as well as dignity, is the society I would push for, as an artist. I would recognize that hardship comes in a package of all economic classes and skin tones. The future of our society depends on people learning to be compassionate and empathetic to all beings, regardless of skin color. This article makes it seem as though the committee will only entertain applications from people of non-white cultures and it totally ignores the fact that all kinds of people grow up with difficulties, regardless of race or economic classification, and have valuable wisdom to share.
Also, why does the artist have to come from a place of hardship to begin with? Are we implying that only poor kids abused by the structure of society are worthy of saying something important? I would think in a place like Sonoma County, everyone would know someone(s) with a fortunate life made up of parents who loved them and looked out for them, who could also have some artistic talent and wisdom to share.
I hope the organization can realize how limiting this posting is.