Current Grantees

Spring 2021 Cultivate Grantees

Project Support

  • Francisco Alonso: for the Santa Cruz Bike Church Mural (300sq. ft).
  • The Tobera Project: under the Tobera Project, Watsonville is in the Heart, a volunteer-driven cultural arts project that seeks to uplift the Filipino farmworker narratives of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley area
  • Ryan Masters: to finish a book-length memoir about the CZU August Lighting Fires and artist’s subsequent enrollment in the Santa Cruz County Fire Academy in 2021
  • Bree Karpavage (First Friday Santa Cruz): for First Friday Night Market Summer Series
  • Irene Lusztig: for a documentary film to be created in San Lorenzo Valley with families impacted by the CZU wildfire
  • West Creative Performing Arts: for New Voices, an LGBTQQAI+ Youth Performance Program serving youth ages 15-18 in Santa Cruz County
  • Paul De Worken: for the Laundry Day Watsonville Mural Project
  • Loubayi Arnaud: for the 6th Annual Ha Mbongui African Dance and Drum Conference at the Tannery Arts Center
  • Gerald Casel Dance: for BBQueer (Black, Brown and Queer) a series of performances, collective community actions, workshops and private gatherings culminating in a multi-day festival in September and October 2021
  • Cid Pearlman: for (home)Body, an art installation with dance video, poetry. A collaboration between choreographer Cid Pearlman, video artist Mara Milam, poet/dramaturge Denise Leto, dance artists, and poets.
  • Pivot: The Art of Fashion: for a live multi-disciplinary fashion runway performance
  • Dr. T. Osa Hidalgo de la Riva: for an archival project culminating in a public exhibition and panel about the de la Riva family of artists in Santa Cruz City
  • ]The Art Cave: for Headroom: Live Installation and Performance Art Streaming Direct from the Old Wrigley Building on the West Side of Santa Cruz
  • Stacy Monowitz: for a collaborative community visual art project to be exhibited at the Felton library
  • Jose Gonzalez Oliveros: to create monthly artists interview videos
  • Joseph Jason LaCour: to write, record, produce and promote an album of original Hip-Hop and Poetry, highlighting the growth and multicultural awakening artist has experienced since migrating to California
  • Fredericka “Rica” P. Smith: for a pilot program to consult & support local fixed income, BIPOC/Senior Artists around technology & portfolio upgrades, ultimately preserving legacies & making their works more accessible to the public
  • Asha Tobing (liljax): to eco-friendly vend throughout the community, to engage and educate the community at the street level about upcycling and reducing textile waste
  • Gabriel Kittle-Cervine: for an Original Hip Hop Musical Project in Collaboration with Local Producers About the Conceptual Origins and Insidious Psychological Violence of ‘Whiteness’ as a Racial Identity
  • Linda Cover: to create a Tannery Arts Center cookbook
  • Maha Taitano: for a permanent metal art sculpture piece in one of the flower blocks at the Tannery Arts Campus

Professional Development Support

  • Todd LeJeune: to attend a mixed media workshop and purchase equipment to make frames and canvases
  • Alejandra Hernandez: to purchase two machines, a wood laser cutting machine, and a sticker maker machine to expand artist’s creative business
  • Pajaro Valley Arts: for a facilitator to assist in updating organization’s strategic plan to include the equity framework required to support the organization’s renewed vision and goals
  • Tandy Beal and Company: for training courses in Accounting and QuickBooks for Associate Director
  • Magdalena Montagne: to attend the annual Catamaran Writing Conference
  • Chris Johnson: to create a series of videos about glass blowing filmed in artist’s Davenport studio
  • Alexa Cortez-Colin: to purchase paints, canvases, resin, and paintbrushes for acrylic art projects
  • The 418 Project: to support the organization’s Racial Equity Outreach as the organization designs their new, permanent home
  • Santa Cruz Shakespeare: for IDEA training and deliverables for the organization
  • Erin Single: to purchase a desktop computer to expand artist’s video art practice and editing skills
  • Moises Reyes / SES-EYE-OM: to purchase musical equipment to perform at tourist outdoor attractions
  • Rebecca Wallace: to purchase jewelry equipment to enhance artist’s creating experience
  • Pablo Calderaro: to purchase live performance music equipment and GoPro camera for original improvisational performances, to access and engage diverse communities & audiences
  • Beloved Bolton: for a digital drawing tablet to upgrade and expedite artist’s painting and drawing process
  • Mathew Harmon: to purchase studio recording gear to record and produce artist’s first solo album
  • Evelyn Salguero: to purchase a computer, mic, and loop station to merge, organize, develop, and promote artistic disciplines which include music/performance and visual art
  • Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center: to redesign the organization’s website, to 1) offer more member online benefits and services like online art exhibits, classes, and a store and 2) improve the accessibility of the site to assistive technologies to improve equitable public access
  • Natalie Jenkins: to purchase a computer to expand and document art practice
  • Salvador Lua: to purchase a professional film scanner and film to help make fine art photographs
  • Nereyda Jenny Robles-Vasquez: para expander conocimiento en bailes del estado de Oaxaca (to expand knowledge of dances from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico)
  • Lisset Lopez (Monalisset): para hacer un portafolio físico y digital, y crear una pagina web con arte del artista (to make a physical and digital portfolio, and create a webpage for artist’s artwork)
  • Activities4All: para curso de música de mariachi para nuestros maestros de música en la Escuela de Mariachi Privada Miguel Leandro Guerra de Guadalajara, Mexico. (for a mariachi music course for the organization’s music teachers at Escuela de Mariachi Privada Miguel Leandro Guerra in Guadalajara, Mexico)
  • Hermelinda Matias: para documentar el proceso de arte Alebrijes del artista (to document the artist’s Alebrijes art process)

Tannery Professional Development Support

  • Katie Scott: to improve artist’s ability to paint with light by purchasing a set of modifiers

  • Linda Cover: to support artist’s art making and hosting of Zoom art classes by purchasing a 17″ laptop

  • Oumou Faye: to purchase a laptop computer and build a simple website to expand artist’s reach, build new audiences, and promote artist’s business

  • Jacob Seedman (Shalom Clothing): to purchase new industrial sewing machines to hand sew new items and expand artist’s clothing line

  • Geoffrey Nelson: to develop a booklet of artist’s work- to send to galleries, museums, and curators- to encourage shows as well as sales

  • Mohamed Aoualou: to take a private course with a social media strategist/developer that will engage local audiences interested in the Moroccan culture

  • Joseph Mailloux: to purchase equipment and consultations in order to grow an existing community-drum ensemble

  • Maha Taitano: to purchase better equipment for skill share Youtube videos titled “Maha Makes”

  • Howard Seth Miller: to produce large color archival quality Photographic prints of artist’s work for sale and exhibition

  • Joohee Kim Miller: to create a website

  • Sarah Bianco: to purchase computer equipment to expand artist’s design capacity for murals and artwork

  • Lucinda Lynch: to purchase ceramic equipment in the form of clay, glazes, and kiln use

  • Martin O’Reilly (Marty O’Reilly & The Old Soul Orchestra): to create a music video to promote artist’s new album

  • Lynne Todaro: to purchase a fume hood with an exhaust fan to safely use a small kiln and torch in artist’s studio at the Tannery

  • Beth Shields: to hire a professional web builder to create an up-to-date, professional website, including the ability to sell online

  • Rosalie Hamilton (Rose Dayal): to purchase photography equipment for lighting and set creation

  • Maren Hurn: to hire a visual arts consultant to bring artist’s artwork to a wider audience

  • Rachel Barnes (Human Shaped Animal): to purchase a new laptop for designing

  • Abi Mustapha: to fund a studio space to create an ongoing body of artwork, meet professional clients, record time lapse videos, and store art & supplies

  • Bev Zerbib-Berda: to have professional photos taken to increase exposure and expand opportunities

  • Johanna Atkinson: for a Mobile Art Cart that showcases local artists and artisans while selling their products, art, coffee, tea and baked goods

  • Radius Gallery: for a website redo with upgraded eCommerce to better represent artists and broaden collector base

  • Sandra Shamma: to print and distribute a 5 song EP

  • Asha Tobing (lilijax): to contract a social media marketing programmer to streamline more traffic to artist’s website and expand social media presence

  • Joseph Jason LaCour: to expand the outreach of healing and empowerment through music, poetry and visual art, to further cultivate artist’s knowledge of promotion, marketing and budgeting

  • Fredericka “Rica” P. Smith: to further develop tattoo career with curated mentorship, and the purchase of professional equipment and sanitation requirements

  • Maria Chomentowski: to purchase basic equipment to take better photos of artwork, and to hire a professional to edit artist’s resume and cv

  • Joan Staffen: to learn, expand, and grow professionally by attending “Gathering of the Creatives” Conference

Fall 2020 Cultivate Grantees

Professional Development Support

  • Gabriela Bravo – Para desarollar un video musical – “To develop a music video”
  • Carla Brennan – To replace photographic equipment lost in the CZU fire and to develop a professional website to display and sell nature photography
  • Sam Clarkson – To rebuild studio tools and replace a potters wheel lost in the CZU fires
  • Juan Carlos Diaz – Para superación musical – “For musical improvement”
  • Timothy Duncan – To secure a professional-quality recording of original music compositions
  • Jonathan Erickson – To attend Fierce360 to expanding depth of knowledge for manipulating large amounts of fire, safely
  • Jahandar Hamidieh – For a platform to promote and support up and coming musicians of Santa Cruz
  • Juan Jose Jimenez Cruz – Para Dibujos Jimenez – “For Dibujos Jimenez”
  • Anouk Johanna – To buy art supplies for my art practice and return to teaching
  • Christopher Jones – To replace musical tools and equipment lost in the CZU Lightning Complex Fires
  • Amy Katz – To repurchase materials lost in the CZU lightning fire and expand professional development
  • Gemma Locatelli – To purchase paint, canvasses, and brushes to continue art practice
  • Elie Mabanza – To purchase recording equipment to replace what was lost in the CZU fire
  • Madeline Thompson – To purchase home printing equipment to reproduce artwork for a larger audience
  • Karen Mendez Roque – Para comprar materiales para pintar en tallado de madera – “To buy wood carving paint materials”
  • Lorena Mansilla – Para comprar iPad para expandir mi colaboración en diseño y comunicación con organizaciones comunitarias en EEUU y Sudamérica – “To buy iPad to expand my collaboration in design and communication with community organizations in the US and South America”
  • Priscilla Martinez – To purchase a Wacom cintiq pro 24 tablet and Wacom ergo stand for the tablet to enhance my art professional career
  • Jon Payne – To purchase music and recording equipment lost in the complete destruction of music studio and home in the recent CZU lightning fires
  • Elizabeth Payne – To purchase ceramic equipment and photography equipment lost when home studio burned in the recent Santa Cruz mountains fires
  • Devi Pride – To replace lost equipment in the CZU fires that are needed in the day to day running of an art business
  • Biagio Scarpello – To purchase glass blowing materials to facilitate art practice
  • Beth Shields – To create a website for Gallery 125 at the Tannery needed due to COVID shutdown
  • Patrick Stefaniak – To purchase virtual reality equipment to exhibit work in art galleries
  • Luca Susti – To buy a new powerful computer to be able to produce and finish original music, record and release it.
  • Mary Tartaro – To repurchase materials and equipment lost in the fires
  • Lynne Todaro – To purchase a new iPad with stylus for social media presence, portable portfolio, creating sketches, accessing Zoom, and accepting payments
  • Amy West – To repurchase art, professional materials, and reference books lost in the CZU Fires
  • Oliver Whitcroft – To invest in a proper computer to help make more magic to share with my community and beyond
  • Jane Wrankle – To purchase lost art supplies in CZU fire 2020
  • Hedilberto Xuana Fabian – Para comprar materiales para tallados de madera – “To buy wood carving materials”
  • Santa Cruz Art League – For racial justice training for board and staff

Project Support

  • Arte del Corazon – Monthly Art Markets in Watsonville
  • Cheza Nami Foundation – A free, virtual, socially-distanced showcase of African and Brazilian performances for the Santa Cruz Community, promoting healing and connection through the traditional arts
  • Coastal Watershed Council (lead artist Irene Juárez O’Connell)  – San Lorenzo River Storm Drain Mural at Poet’s Park in the Beach Flats Neighborhood in Santa Cruz City
  • Esperanza Community Farms (lead artist Monica Galvan) – Family-based take-home art kits based on culturally preferred vegetables for Community Farm Latinx families
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz – A countywide, collaborative effort open to all middle and high school students, bringing them together in socially and environmentally conscious art endeavors
  • MoveSpeakSpin – The Daughters of Hypatia: a Mathematical Herstory, a dance concert celebrating the lives, struggles, and work of women mathematicians throughout history
  • Shared Adventures (lead artist Anastasia Torres-Gil) – Mural at LEO’s Haven park
  • The Puppetry Institute – Upgrading and marketing new online/streaming art, theater, and puppetry arts classes
  • Vivien Bassouamina – Tenth Annual African diaspora dance and drum conference
  • Ome Garcia – Free painting classes for low-income families in Watsonville
  • Yolande Harris – Children of the Ocean: whale stress, sound, and the pandemic in the Monterey Bay
  • Andrew Hawes – A portrait series with interviews of people who experienced loss during the CZU fires
  • Madison McGain – A site-specific, performance-art piece for the public that offers the community an artistic vessel to process and reflect on impermanence and mortality through a collective sensory experience, rather than through individual means
  • Juan Morales-Rocha – VR Game Development, specifically a virtual reality rap game called Supersonic Rhyme Chamber!
  • Adon Newman – Traveler: A wearable interactive art experience that transports the participant’s consciousness outside of their body
  • Jaime Sanchez – Completion of dining area mural at Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes
  • Graciela Vega Cendejas – Festival de Ballet Folklorico, Música, Arte y Poesia y Talleres – “Ballet Folklorico , Music, Art and Poetry Festival”

2021 Sponsor Grantees

Fall 2020 Support Grantees

COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grantees

Click here to view previous years’ grantees.

click here to donate today