Arts Council Napa Valley Releases Winter 2023 Community Fund Grant Recipients
Arts Council Napa Valley awards $25,000 for local arts and culture programs
Thanks to support provided by the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, Arts Council Napa Valley announces their winter 2023 Community Fund grant recipients. Six local projects and programs will receive funds for their work in the community.
We dedicate ourselves the continued growth of the Community Fund so we can support even more artist-led projects and programs throughout Napa Valley. If you are interested in more information on how you can help, please contact ACNV’s Program Manager, Crysta Tim at Crysta@artscouncilnv.org or (707) 257-2117.
The winter 2023 Community Fund grant awards reflect diverse artistic genres, disciplines, and audiences – with a range of projects and programs centered on subjects such as cultural retention through music, dance, and traditional art forms and extracurricular arts programming. We are honored to support projects led by local artists and organizations in these communities seeking to serve and bring much-deserved attention, awareness, and respect to many who have historically been overlooked or ignored.
“It is a huge honor to be able to support artists in the Indigenous and Latine community,” said Chris DeNatale, ACNV Executive Director. “Over the years, we’ve been given the opportunity to support these incredible artists and practitioners and celebrate the traditions, culture, and heritage they aim to share with the community.”
These programs support ACNV’s vision of enriching our community through arts and culture by creating greater access, engagement, and culturally relevant opportunities for locals. Since the inception of the Community Fund, ACNV has provided more than $250,000 to artists and small non-profit organizations so that local work may grow and deepen the impact of arts and culture for all in the Napa County community.
ACNV Community Fund Grant Recipients | Winter 2023
CRADLE BASKET – INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER (IECLC)
Alyx Howell & Desirae Harp
The Cradle Basket/Indigenous Environmental Learning Center (IECLC) gives voice to the stories, history, lifestyle, and culture of the Native Americans who have lived on the Napa River for over 10,000 years. QR codes, attached to 5 large boulders, will guide visitors through the story as they walk through the park. For more information, visit: TheCradleBasket.com
4TH ANNUAL VIVA MARIACHI! FESTIVAL
Napa Valley College
NVC’s 2024 Viva Mariachi Festival is a 3-day program of mariachi performances for Napa youth, families, educators, and the public that celebrates Mexican music and culture. The workshops, which will be led by the award-winning college ensemble from Las Vegas, are open and free to the community. visit: www.PerformingArtsNapaValley.org
NATIVE SUN LEAVES
Israel Valencia
A series of photographs of local indigenous community members to acknowledge and explore their contribution to the wine industry in Napa and Sonoma. Each portrait will be printed on grape leaves using a solar transfer process. Finished work will be exhibited in Napa with a public presentation. To learn more about Israel’s work, visit: InfinityVisuals.com
BROWN STREET GALLERY
The Brown Street Gallery, part of Napa Valley Support Services, creates meaningful opportunities for individuals with disabilities in Napa County through a person-centered approach to self-discovery, artistic expression, community engagement, employment, and education. BSG will hire a professional arts consultant and get the supplies needed for program participants to create and exhibit their work for the community. For more information, visit: NapaValleySupportServices.org
REDWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB
Redwood Middle School
Last year, the Redwood Middle School Drama Club was founded to create a space for RMS students to take part in theater programming free of cost on campus. Their first production, Aladdin, Jr., was a great success, and ACNV is supporting the club’s 2024 production of The Lion King, Jr. For more information, visit: RedwoodMiddlePTA.org
SHARING CULTURE THROUGH DANCE AND MUSIC
Los Diablos Oaxaqueños del Valle
A cultural dance group in Napa County that began in 2016 to preserve Oaxacan traditions evolved from a family group to an open community group. Prioritizing innovation, inclusivity, and collaboration, they aim to enrich Napa County culturally, fostering understanding and appreciation through music, dance, craft, and language workshops. There will be three community workshops coming up this year for the community to gather and learn about these Oaxacan traditions. For more information, visit: Facebook.com/LosDiablos707
About the Community Fund
Made possible through the support of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation grant awarded to ACNV in 2023. The re-granting program has 45,000 to distribute this fiscal year. Grants are made to small nonprofits, individual artists, and groups to support creative projects and programs that are publicly accessible within Napa County to grow and deepen the general community’s relationship with arts and culture through greater access, engagement, and culturally relevant opportunities.
About the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a private charitable foundation that advances ideas and supports institutions to promote a better world. Today, it is the largest private funder of the performing arts in the San Francisco Bay Area, making roughly $20 million in grants to more than 220 nonprofit arts organizations in 11 Bay Area counties each year. To learn more, visit Hewlett.org.
About Arts Council Napa Valley
As the official local arts agency in Napa County, Arts Council Napa Valley connects, advocates, and leads the arts community countywide. Since 1981, the Arts Council has served to benefit all residents with a more sustainable, accessible, and quality local arts scene. To learn more, visit ArtsCouncilNapaValley.org.