Pachanga and Art celebrates culture, creativity and community
This past weekend, we celebrated the incredible cultural wealth of our community at Pachanga and Art on the Healdsburg Plaza. The plaza came alive with dance, music, film, visual arts and more as we highlighted the talented recipients of this year’s Art and Culture Collective of Northern Sonoma County’s Diversity in the Arts Grant.
The Art and Culture Collective of Northern Sonoma County is a community-led group of local artists, cultural organizers and creative leaders committed to expanding access to the arts. Through a participatory grantmaking process, the Collective awarded $82,000 in funding this year to support artists and creative projects within our community.
“For too long, many of our most talented artists have been overlooked by traditional funding. Through this Collective, we are rewriting that story,” said Rosa González, Collective member and executive director of Farm to Pantry. “This year’s grant recipients inspire us with a wide range of projects that bring creativity, culture and connection to our region.”
2025 Diversity in the 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: Tejiendo Corazónes
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 “Corazón y Chrome”
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
Corazón Healdsburg Family Resource Center Manager Cristal López Pardo and Art and Culture Collective of Northern Sonoma County members Jose de Jesús “Chuy” González, Rosa González, Guadalupe López Jimenez, Rosaura García, Marcus García and Beatriz Adriana Castro
The Art and Culture Collective and its grants are made possible through the generous support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The purpose of this work is to ensure that funding flows directly to artists and cultural workers who have historically been excluded from traditional arts funding. At the same time, it builds community leadership by practicing participatory decision-making and shared ownership of our cultural future.
From start to finish, the Collective members designed their own grant application process, reviewed and selected this year’s recipients, and led community gatherings like Pachanga and Art on the Healdsburg Plaza. While supported by the team and infrastructure of Corazón Healdsburg, the vision, decisions and spirit of the Collective belong fully to the community.
Since its launch in 2023, the Art and Culture Collective of Northern Sonoma County has worked to expand access in the arts, honor cultural traditions and uplift local talent. To date, the initiative has shared more than $359,000 with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to regional artists and cultural leaders.
