Diversity in the Arts
Left to right: Tania Escobar, Yuliana Gutierrez, Guadalupe Castañeda, & Kamila Gutierrez.
Art and Culture Collective of Northern Sonoma County
The Art and Culture Collective of Northern Sonoma County 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.
The grants, made possible by a generous grant from the William + Flora Hewlett Foundation, aim to promote equitable funding in the arts by providing financial support to artists who have historically been underserved or excluded by other funding mechanisms. Applications are open to all Sonoma County residents, with priority 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.
The Diversity in the Arts Grant provides up to $10,000 in funding to artists who are committed to uplifting culture, community, and creativity in Northern Sonoma County.
Arts and Cultural Collective of Northern Sonoma County members: Beatriz Adriana Castro Martinez, Guadalupe López Jimenez, Jose De Jesús Gonzalez, Marcus García, and Michelle Figueroa, Rosa González, and Rosaura García
2025 Diversity in Arts Grant Recipients
Ballet Folklorico Legado de Mi Alegría: Cloverdale Mexican folk art dancing group
Cooperativa Mujeres Triqui: Support for a collective of indigenous women and their traditional weaving
Cindy Esmeralda Alvarado Chi: Amigurumi for all: building community through crochet
Farm to Pantry: Community Nights: From Soil to Soul
Jake Messing: Mural project celebrating Latino culture
Jesus Díaz, Christian reyes, Jorge Flores, & Alex Gater: Guitar lessons and community healing circles for youth
Kimberly Lopez Cibrian: Celebration of Mexican-American identity through music and signing
Malinalli López & Manuel López: A documentary titled, “1 Firme: A Lowrider Legacy in Sonoma County”
Martha Cortéz Rojas: Artisan design and creation of traditional costumes known as Tiliches (Comparsa de los Viejos)
Maxima Frecuencia: Support for band of five Latinos
Rena Charles: Two-part community art series: Juneteenth pop-up & open submission exhibit
Rosaura García: Mexican folk art dancing
Rough Edge Collective: Mural in Windsor/Geyserville
The Bishop's Ranch - Episcopal Church Diocese of California: Summer READ camp
Yalith Herrera: Mexican folk art dancing
2024 Diversity in Arts Grant Recipients
Beatriz Castro Martinez: Gallery of traditional tiliche costumes, indigenous to Oaxaca
Blanca Molina: Mural in Healdsburg/Windsor
Cali Calmécac Language Academy: Mexican folk art dancing student group
Francisca Antonio: Mexican folk art dancing
Geyserville Unified School District: Mexican folk art dancing student group
Grupo Folklórico Quetzalén: Mictlán. A theatrical exploration of the aztec legend through folklore and movement
Juan Carlos Garcia: Creation of Humans of Sonoma County, inspired by Humans of New York
Leticia González: Mexican folk art dancing
Linus Lancaster: Your River, Downtown. An Atlas of the Russian River Basin
Maxima Frecuencia: Support for band of five Latinos
Shani García: Mexican folk art dancing
Top Cheer Elite (TCElite) Gym: Financial support for low-income hip hop athletes and expansion of program
2023 Diversity in Arts Grant Recipients
Adrian Hernandez: A short film about a Mexican-American trying to deal with the loss of his grandfather
Austin Aviles: A series of photo portraits highlighting Latinos and their professions
Bianey Esquibel Vázquez: A quinceañera-themed art exhibition, "The Quince Project.”
Christian Rios: The purchase of a music system as the first step into the future to one day build a recording studio
Daniela Orosco: A series of paintings showcasing the struggles of undocumented immigrants and people of color
Rocio Gonzalez: Sonoma County Guelaguetza 2023
Hadassah GreenSky: A cultural exchange art show that will feature their series of paintings inspired by their Anishinaabe and Pomo relatives’ stories.
Jorge Fuentes: Purchase of a sound board and formation of a band
Juan Carlos Garcia: Creation of several magazines to highlight underrepresented communities in Healdsburg and Sonoma County
Redwood Empire Chinese Association: Replenish, renew, revise and revamp aging performance and presentation materials
Karym Sanchez: Purchase of an audio system for Rascuaches, a local Sonoma County community band of organizers
La Familia Sana: Arte Orgánico (Organic Art), a program providing painting and literacy classes to 40 north county families
Maria Ornelas Nuñez: Mexican folk art dancing
The Mural Project, Inc.: Creation of community murals to elevate diverse artists and build an early-career pipeline for art professionals
Matias Lopez: A series of language lessons to teach Mixteco.
Top Cheer Elite (TCElite) Gym: Financial support for low-income hip hop athletes
Noe Naranjo and Ari Thomas: Glitter Sprouts, a multimedia movement project on a print magazine
Phillip Meshekey: Publishing of "MMIPrevention" a book highlighting and giving voice to Murdered and Missing Indigenous People with poems, and short stories.
Maxima Frecuencia: Support for band of five Latinos
Rosaura Garcia: Mexican folk art dancing
Teatro ALMAS Libres: Support for theater collective
Tania Escobar Hernández: Mexican folk art dancing
Tyehimba Kokayi, Lions Den Education Institute: A neighborhood block party highlighting our new collective studio, Cotati Moves.
Vanessa Dominguez: Celebration of Mexican-American identity through music and signing
Victor Ferrer, Healdsburg Elementary School: An after-school Baile Folklórico program at Healdsburg Elementary School through Grupo Folklórico Quetzalén
Victor Hernandez: Support of indigenous dance group
Yolanda Ramirez, Cooperativa Mujeres Triqui: Support for a collective of indigenous women and their traditional weaving
