Silicon Valley understands ecosystems. In technology, no company succeeds alone — progress depends on networks of capital, talent, and shared knowledge. The arts, by contrast, have long operated as if each organization must sustain itself independently. In a region like Silicon Valley, that model is increasingly untenable.

The Problem

Small and mid-sized performing arts organizations face high costs, limited visibility, and intense competition — not just with each other, but with everything else commanding attention in the region. Audiences are fragmented. Marketing is expensive. Funding is constrained and often episodic. Even well-established organizations are not immune; recently, well-respected Bay Area groups have closed their doors.

It’s not simply a question of individual sustainability. It’s a structural issue. What’s missing isn’t talent, vision, or commitment — it’s shared infrastructure.

The Coalition Model

The Silicon Valley Arts Coalition (SVAC) exists to address that gap. It’s a coalition of performing arts organizations, with a collective audience of more than 15,000, that have chosen not to operate in isolation — because the challenges facing the arts are not unique to any one organization. Every group is trying to reach audiences, make decisions with limited resources, and adapt, often through trial and error. When that knowledge remains siloed, it’s inefficient. When it’s shared, it becomes infrastructure.

What SVAC Provides

Collective visibility. Member performances are listed on the SVAC website, included in monthly email blasts, and featured in social media advertising. For less than $200 in annual dues, members receive $800–$1,200 worth of marketing and promotion — extending reach in ways difficult to replicate independently.

Operational knowledge sharing. SVAC creates a mechanism for practical expertise to circulate among members. Monthly meetings cover venues, grants, regulations, insurance; with the opportunity for members to present challenges they face and get experienced ‘best practices’ advice from others to solve problems and make improvements.

During the COVID pandemic, members shared strategies for keeping audiences engaged. Over time, SVAC members’ interchange strengthens members’ decision-making.

Civic presence and advocacy. Individually, small organizations have limited influence over policies affecting the arts. Collectively, they become a voice. Through connections with regional partners such as SVCREATES, San José Arts Advocates, and the San José Arts Commission, SVAC members participate in a larger dialogue about the role of arts in Silicon Valley — ensuring the arts are part of civic and public programs, not afterthoughts.

The Bigger Picture

Perhaps the most important function of a coalition is less tangible: it creates continuity and sustainability in a landscape defined by volatility. Organizations will continue to face financial pressure. Audiences will shift. Some groups will grow; others may not survive. A coalition doesn’t eliminate that reality, but it ensures organizations aren’t navigating it alone. And if groups are struggling, the coalition can help explore ways to carry the mission forward.

In that sense, SVAC isn’t simply a membership organization. It’s a form of cultural infrastructure — one that reflects a 21st century vision of how the arts might operate in regions like Silicon Valley. Not as isolated entities competing for limited attention and resources, but as a connected ecosystem capable of sustaining both individual organizations and the arts as a whole.

If Silicon Valley has taught us anything, it’s that networks are what endure. The arts are no exception.

Learn more about SVAC by visiting www.artssiliconvalley.org. To contact SVAC, call or text 408.471.9436 or email info@artssiliconvalley.org.

Carolyn Schuk is a multifaceted professional with extensive experience in the arts, journalism, and technology. She currently serves as president of the Silicon Valley Arts Coalition and as chair of the St. Ann Choir Foundation of Palo Alto, where she is also an active performer. She is the founder of the Santa Clara Performing Arts Foundation. She has been an associate editor for the Silicon Valley Voice/Santa Clara Weekly for over 20 years, covering a wide range of local topics. Her prior experience includes work as a tech journalist and technology marketing. She can be reached at cschuk@earthlink.net.

You’ve likely heard the buzz about a Levitt Pavilion coming to St. James Park in San Jose — or maybe you’ve attended one of the 30+ free concerts produced by Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose (FLPSJ) these past four years. While the Levitt Pavilion has been in the design and community input process for over a decade, the project has reached major milestones and is now close to becoming a reality. As momentum builds, FLPSJ — a volunteer board of San Jose artists, event producers, arts presenters, and music lovers — wants to share more about its model, sustainability plan, and opportunities this public venue creates for the arts community.

In 2016, the City of San José launched a design competition to reimagine St. James Park. Though historically significant, the 7-acre park had become underutilized and perceived as unsafe. The City sought to revitalize the space through investment and activation. The winning design included a 2.6-acre Levitt Pavilion campus, complete with a performance stage with state-of-the-art sound and lighting, backstage area with a green room, concessions building, and open lawn for audiences of up to 3,500 to gather and enjoy high-quality performances as a community.

The Levitt Pavilion model is supported by the Levitt Family Foundation, based in Los Angeles, which funds free live music programs in more than 70 cities nationwide. Nine cities — including San Jose — have been selected to host permanent Levitt Pavilions, each presenting 40+ free concerts annually, bringing people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds together in a family-friendly and welcoming environment.

In February 2025, the San Jose City Council approved $15 million in funding for construction through a combination of a park grant and developer impact fees dedicated to St. James Park. The Levitt Family Foundation has committed $500,000 towards the build with $250,000 annually for operations, plus support resources, through 2041.

To complete the project, FLPSJ is raising an additional $5 million in capital funds, as well as more than $2 million for ongoing operations and maintenance. A capital campaign is underway, including 12 naming opportunities across the Levitt Pavilion campus.

Although all Levitt concerts are free, the model is designed for long-term sustainability. FLPSJ will continue to grow its existing base of donors, grants, and sponsorships established through its summer pop-up concert series. Once the Levitt Pavilion opens, two new earned revenue streams will support operations: concessions (including food, beer, and wine) and venue rentals. The site will offer San Jose’s only turnkey outdoor performance venue, available for local arts groups, presenters and musicians through a streamlined rental process. Additionally, FLPSJ may produce or partner on select ticketed events.

Community impact is central to the Levitt model. The series line-up includes multiple musical genres reflecting the diversity of San Jose, and each free concert is curated with intention featuring a nonprofit partner, local food vendors, and creative collaborators. Artists are paid competitive rates. Once open, Levitt Pavilion will be hiring 80–100 bands annually. That means 300–400 musicians will be paid to play.

For those who have worked in the arts in Silicon Valley, the opportunity is clear. Levitt Pavilion San Jose will be a shared community asset — one that expands access, supports artists, and strengthens the local creative economy.

To help shape this vision, SVCREATES, San José Arts Advocates, and FLPSJ are hosting a community gathering on Wednesday, April 8 from 5:00pm — 7:00pm at MACLA. Facilitated by FLPSJ leadership, the session will provide a deeper look at the Levitt Pavilion model and invite input on how the venue can best serve performing arts organizations and performing artists.

We hope you’ll join us in building a legacy space that will energize downtown San Jose and support its arts and culture ecosystem for generations to come.

Suzanne St. John-Crane is an interdisciplinary artist, author of A Guide to Human Citizenship: The ALF Way, veteran non-profit CEO and diehard live music lover. St. John-Crane worked in community media for twenty-four years, having served as the founding executive director of both CreaTV San Jose and CMAP (Gilroy and San Benito County). From 2016–2025, she served as CEO of American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley and Executive Director of American Leadership Forum National, where grass-top leaders across sectors are joined to raise their consciousness, build relationships and change systems in service to the common good. In 2025, she launched St. Crane Strategies, a boutique consultancy that offers strategic guidance on board and leadership development, marketing and communications, operations and fundraising. St. John-Crane is thrilled to be working with Levitt Pavilion San Jose, managing a multi-million dollar capital campaign to complement public and private investments that will bring Levitt Pavilion San Jose to St. James Park.

Since 1988, the County of Santa Clara has intentionally supported arts and cultural activities that are vital to our social and economic well-being and integral to the healthy development of our community and our children. As the designated local arts partner for the County, SVCREATES works to meet the goals of the county to improve the quality of life for all Santa Clara County residents by building the capacity of our multicultural arts community, raising the visibility and voice of our creative sector, and increasing access to the arts for historically underserved communities.

We are proud to live in a county where our County Supervisors understand the value of the arts to:

• connect us to our heritage, humanity and each other,
• help shape and define our community,
• foster creativity, innovation and learning,
• heal and transform our lives, and
• drive social change.

When the US presidential administration, national economic forces, and dysfunction at the federal level confound us daily, our County Supervisors and County Administration stand up and protect arts and culture as a right for our residents. This spring, we recognize the leadership of our County Board of Supervisors by profiling each in Content Magazine’s current Issue 18.2 “Sight and Sound.” Last night, we honored the Supervisors with a special presentation at the Content Pick-Up Party.

We are grateful for the service and leadership of County Board President Otto Lee (District 3), Vice President Sylvia Arenas (District 1), Betty Duong (District 2), Susan Ellenberg (District 4), and Margaret Abe-Koga (District 5).

For decades, community development has been framed primarily through housing units built, square footage developed, or dollars invested. Those metrics matter. But in East San José, we are advancing a different model — one that begins not with buildings, but with culture. Not with transactions, but with trust.

At the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza (SOAC), we are a cultural institution. And today, we are also a community development organization.

That evolution did not happen because we set out to become developers. It happened because our community asked us to become stewards.

The Mexican Heritage Plaza was born in 1999 out of community advocacy led by the late Councilmember Blanca Alvarado, who fought to ensure East San José received public investment that reflected its people, history, and aspirations. Built on the site of César Chávez’s first grocery store boycott, La Plaza was envisioned as a cultural anchor — a home for arts, identity, and civic life in a part of the city that had long been overlooked.

For more than 25 years, La Plaza has done exactly that. It has been a place where generations have danced, created, organized, celebrated, mourned, and gathered. During the pandemic, it became an emergency hub — hosting food distribution, COVID testing, and vaccinations in partnership with Gardner Health Services and many others. Culture did not pause in crisis; it carried our community through it.

That history is what shaped our approach to development.

When we talk about La Placita, our nearly $30 million cultural and commercial project now under construction, we are not just talking about a building. We are talking about infrastructure for belonging. Space for small businesses. Permanent homes for artists and culture bearers. Public gathering places rooted in the everyday life of the neighborhood.

La Placita and the Mexican Heritage Plaza — two anchor institutions facing one another — are designed to serve as the heart of the La Avenida Cultural District. Together, they represent a long-term commitment to preserving cultural assets, supporting local enterprise, and creating pathways to economic mobility, without displacing the community that made this place what it is.

What makes this effort different is not only what we are building, but how we are building it.

From the beginning, this work has been anchored in deep partnerships and community collaboration. La Placita and La Avenida are the result of years of organizing, visioning, and coalition-building across nonprofits, residents, artists, small business owners, philanthropy, and local government.

La Avenida is governed by a formal board that includes residents, artists, small business owners, neighborhood leadership, the City of San José, and community-based organizations. This body does not advise — it decides. It sets priorities, shapes strategy, and stewards the district’s growth with a clear mandate: protect affordability, elevate community voice, preserve culture, and ensure development reflects the people who live here.

This is what it looks like when arts and culture are not an accessory to development, but its foundation.

Cultural institutions are uniquely positioned to do this work. We are often the longest-standing organizations in our neighborhoods. We hold stories, memory, relationships, and trust that cannot be manufactured. When resourced and empowered, we can translate those assets into physical, economic, and civic infrastructure.

La Placita and La Avenida are proof of what becomes possible when capital aligns with community vision; when government acts as a partner rather than a gatekeeper; and when cultural organizations are recognized not only as presenters of art, but as builders of place.

If we want a Bay Area that is resilient, inclusive, and rooted, we must invest in cultural institutions as community developers — and in communities not as afterthoughts, but as leaders.

Because when arts and culture are centered, development becomes more than construction.

It becomes collective authorship of the future.

Jessica Paz-Cedillos is the Chief Executive Officer of the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza (SOAC) where she has led transformative growth for more than six years. A proud daughter of immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador, Jessica has spent over a decade working in East San Jose’s Mayfair neighborhood — advancing equity through arts, culture and community development.

Under her leadership, SOAC has become a powerful hub for cultural and economic vitality. She has launched La Placita, a $30 million capital campaign, and championed the creation of the La Avenida Cultural District to strengthen economic mobility and preserve cultural heritage in historically underinvested communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jessica guided SOAC to become a trusted anchor for East San Jose, mobilizing resources for food distribution, testing and vaccination efforts.

Jessica serves on the boards of the Bill Wilson Center, the SPUR San Jose Advisory Committee, and the San Jose State University Latino Advisory Council. She is also a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley (Class XLI) and a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Stanford University’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders.

Grounded, strategic and collaborative, Jessica is known for her ability to bridge communities, government and philanthropy to drive bold initiatives that deliver lasting impact.

California’s Proposition 28 opened a new chapter for arts education, dedicating nearly $1 billion in ongoing state funds each year to ensure that every public school can expand arts and music instruction. For the first time, California has created a permanent, protected source of funding for creative learning, distributed annually through each school district. The vision is bold, and the opportunity immense, but realizing it requires coordination, clarity, and collaboration.

That’s where SVCREATES’ ArtsEdPro initiative comes in.

Over the past year, SVCREATES has convened the diverse voices of local arts educators, nonprofit leaders, district arts coordinators, and the Santa Clara County Office of Education to unpack both the promise and the complexity of this new funding. Together, this group has explored what it will take to ensure that Prop 28 resources translate into high-quality, equitable arts learning experiences for students — and the extended reach and sustainable earned-income opportunities for community arts organizations. Additionally, our work is informed by state-wide research by our state arts education advocacy organization, CreateCA, and by our peer county arts councils and county offices of education in our neighboring counties.

What We’re Hearing: Key Challenges

While enthusiasm for Prop 28 is universal, several consistent themes have emerged:

• Understanding Proposition 28. Even among well-informed educators and arts leaders, many are still clarifying what the legislation allows, what the 80/20 staffing rule means, how waivers work, and how funds can be spent over multiple years. Building shared understanding is essential before implementation can thrive.
• Implementation systems are still forming. Districts are building processes for budgeting, compliance, and contracting. Many are looking for models that simplify how to engage with trusted external providers.
• Capacity gaps exist on both sides. Schools need help identifying qualified teaching artists and programs; arts organizations need guidance on how to meet school district requirements, including insurance, payroll, and reporting.
• Equity and alignment matter. Districts want arts programs that connect to their Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals — student engagement, belonging, and culturally responsive learning. Translating that alignment into practical contracting language takes support.

The ArtsEdPro Initiative and Assemblies Pilot

In response, SVCREATES has launched ArtsEdPro, a two-year prototype designed to test how an intermediary model can help schools and community arts organizations make the most of Proposition 28. The first trial — the Assemblies Pilot — is now underway with Santa Clara Unified and Franklin-McKinley Unified School Districts for the current academic year, connecting more than 30 schools with a growing catalogue of SVCREATES-vetted arts providers across music, dance, theatre, visual, and media arts.

The goal isn’t just to deliver programs — it’s to learn:

• What systems and tools make it easier for schools to deploy Prop 28 funds effectively?
• How can we create clear and sustainable pathways for arts organizations to participate?
• What professional-learning supports help both schools and arts organizations build long-term partnerships?
• How can evaluation practices be embedded or aligned with district and school goals to measure impact and strengthen program quality?

Through this prototype, SVCREATES is testing and documenting multiple processes in real time: aligning program fees to allocated funds, strengthening how arts programming supports district priorities,and refining templates and tools that simplify implementation. Every insight moves the field closer to a system where Prop 28 funds translate into meaningful, high-quality arts experiences for students and sustainable opportunities for artists.

Expanding the Circle: Ways to Engage Now

Even if you’re not yet part of the pilot, there are ways to engage now:

• Stay informed. Visit the ArtsEdPro page for Prop 28 updates, FAQs, and resources curated for arts organizations. Sign up for the CreateCA newsletter to follow trends, research, and advocacy on Prop 28 at the state level.
• Connect locally. Build relationships with district arts coordinators and school administrators to identify how your programs align with student engagement or cultural-responsiveness goals.
• Get compliant. Review district vendor requirements early — insurance, fingerprinting, and invoicing, so you’re ready when opportunities open.
• Think collaboratively. Partner with fellow providers to share teaching artist rosters, evaluation tools, and professional learning resources.

What’s Next

ArtsEdPro is a learning laboratory that tests, listens, and adapts in real time. As insights emerge, SVCREATES will share them widely, helping Santa Clara County’s creative community, in partnership with schools, funders and civic leaders, lead the way in demonstrating what Prop 28 can achieve when schools and artists work together.

Learn More

Visit the ArtsEdPro information page to explore resources, updates, and opportunities to get involved. For direct inquiries or to learn how your organization can participate, please reach out to Sonja Wohlgemuth, Project Director, ArtsEdPro.

Sonja Wohlgemuth is a seasoned arts and education leader with more than three decades of experience spanning music education, professional performance, and nonprofit executive management. For 15 years, she led Music for Minors through a period of significant growth and innovation and previously performed as a professional singer with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. Now focused on consulting and interim leadership, Sonja helps arts and education organizations strengthen strategy, fund development, and organizational capacity — building and connecting the broader arts ecosystem for greater collective impact.

Due process gutted. Universities threatened and defunded. Migrants deported. Troops deployed. Racism rampant. Cruelty celebrated. Health care shredded. Women’s rights rescinded. Free speech eliminated. Journalism targeted. Departments shuttered. Grants withdrawn. Science undermined. Arts assaulted. What can we do in response? To quote Toni Morrison: “This is precisely the time when artists go to work.”

This November, artists and arts groups in Santa Clara County have an opportunity to unite with others across the nation as part of the “Fall of Freedom” movement. This movement has been initiated by a collective of artists who invite others across the country to host exhibitions, performances, and public cultural events that channel resistance against authoritarianism. The initiators, including playwright and screenwriter Lynn Nottage, describe it as an “urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation, activating a nationwide wave of creative resistance.”

On November 21–22, 2025, galleries, museums, libraries, poetry centers, theaters, and concert halls across the country are urged to design and develop events in their own communities and register them under the Fall of Freedom banner. Events that are already planned can also be repurposed under the Fall of Freedom banner. Maybe you want to add a special curtain speech or announcement. Fall of Freedom is an open invitation to artists, creators, and communities to take part — and to celebrate the experiences, cultures, and identities that shape the fabric of our nation. Under a collective banner, our acts of creative defiance converge into a unified movement.

If you have a scheduled performance or exhibition, you can apply the Fall of Freedom name and branding to signal your solidarity and add your event to the national map to link your voice with others across the country. No permission is needed — only the conviction to stand against oppression. Or, you might plan a special reading or a screening, polished or spontaneous, and align it with the movement. No effort is too big or too small, whether you’re in a 2,000-seat venue or a small high school library.

The Fall of Freedom website contains a toolkit of resources — including media kits, graphic standards, and how-tos — available for download to ensure support, consistency, and development across the effort. Here you can register your event, find a list of participants, and view a map of activities.

Art matters, and artists tell our stories. Let’s bring Santa Clara County’s voice to the movement.

“Unprecedented.” We’ve heard this word many times since the current federal administration took control in January 2025. Yet while many actions undertaken by the federal government in recent months have been without historical example and shocking to our societal and political norms — the way that we have managed this moment has not been unprecedented at all. The way we come together in Santa Clara County to preserve, protect, and uplift a community that will remain vibrant and thriving for generations to come is, in fact, entirely precedented. This is who we are. Our unity is one of our greatest strengths. We understand that we are stronger together and better when we provide for all residents of our County.

SVCREATES’ vision as an organization is of a vibrant community fueled by a dynamic and diverse arts and cultural ecosystem. Our mission and programs are designed to advance this vision. We believe in a cross-sector approach to building a healthy local community; we operate as a network of networks bringing together arts organizations and artists in collaboration with businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, public sector leaders, and others to build equity, drive social change, and advance healthy outcomes for residents in our communities. In Santa Clara County, the arts are part of an integrated system with social services, schools, parks, and libraries, which serves and uplifts families and youth from every background and district.

As part of this integrated system, and as champions for social justice, I believe that our arts and cultural sector has a unique opportunity to support the efforts of our County government to maintain services for County residents in light of federal funding cuts. I personally, and SVCREATES has organizationally, endorsed Measure A, a temporary, five-year, 5/8-cent sales tax measure in direct response to cuts to healthcare funding in the federal budget (HR1), which will cost Santa Clara County over $1 billion annually in lost Medicaid and related revenue. If the County must redirect its general fund to backfill hospital operations, critical nonprofit services will face major cuts. This will impact food security, housing assistance, foster youth programs, services for survivors of violence, public safety, and workforce development — all programs that are intertwined with the arts and the populations our arts community serves. Our community stability and structure are at risk.

SVCREATES’ stated values include creating a sense of belonging and shared emotional connection, and engaging and welcoming all, while prioritizing a level playing field; one of our driving goals is to model best practices for organizational health, collaborative leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion. With these words at the center of our strategic framework, how could we not lean in at this moment to help secure critical County resources? I encourage others in the arts and cultural community to consider how they might also lean in.

Arts audiences vote, and we can bring the substance of Measure A to their attention. There are many opportunities to engage in this issue, including endorsing, providing voter information to audiences, spreading word on social media, attending Measure A informational sessions, joining in neighborhood canvassing, and more. You can find more resources at Save Our Local Hospitals, the local nonprofit community rally, Nonprofit Measure A Day! on Saturday, October 11 at 10:30am, or reach out to staff@saveourlocalhospitals.com.

In community,
Alexandra Urbanowski, CEO
SVCREATES

Imagine a place in downtown San José where kids rehearse their first play, dancers create side by side with musicians, and entire communities gather to celebrate culture. That dream is becoming real.

Since our founding in 2000, Starting Arts has been rooted in one belief: when young people connect with the arts, they grow into confident, expressive, and community-minded individuals. Over the past 25 years, we’ve seen this truth unfold again and again — in classrooms, on stages, and across communities throughout Santa Clara County.

And now, we’re stepping into an inspiring new chapter.

A Shared Vision Takes Shape

As our programs have grown and our reach has expanded, one thing has become clear: we needed a home. A true space to create, rehearse, educate, and collaborate — not just for Starting Arts, but for a broader community of creatives.

Securing a home in Silicon Valley — with its high real estate costs and limited arts funding — was no easy task. Years of research, partnerships, and perseverance, despite failed offers and false starts, kept us focused on one bold idea:

What if we didn’t just find a home for Starting Arts — what if we created a shared space for multiple arts groups to thrive together?

Announcing: The Shared Arts Center of San José

We are beyond thrilled to officially announce the Shared Arts Center of San José — a groundbreaking new model that reimagines what arts infrastructure can look like in the South Bay.

With the support of Swenson (our building owner and a vital project partner), as well as generous grants from SVCREATES, the City of San José and private donors, we are transforming two vacant buildings in downtown San José into a vibrant hub for creativity and community.

Located along Sharks Way between Notre Dame Avenue and N. Almaden Street, this future arts center will bridge the space between San Pedro Square and Little Italy, helping to “stitch districts” and spark new life in a currently quiet block of downtown. This project is more than just construction — it’s revitalization through culture.

What’s Inside?

Set to open in Spring 2026, the Shared Arts Center will include:

• Five state-of-the-art rehearsal studios
• A 5,000 square foot flexible rehearsal space and black box theater
• Scene and costume shops
• A makerspace for hands-on creative work
• Offices and a shared lobby
• Storage and shared amenities

This project is not just about walls and floors — it’s about building opportunity. Building access. Building the future.

Meet the Anchor Partners

We’re proud to be joining forces with four phenomenal local arts organizations as anchor tenants:

• Cashion Legacy Cultural Legacy and Los Lupeños de San José
• Silicon Valley Shakespeare
• Playful People Productions
• ArtHouse Studio

Together, we’re building a space that invites cross-pollination of ideas, shared resources, and community-first programming — and we’re not done yet. The Shared Arts Center will also welcome additional tenants, prioritizing local nonprofits that center youth and culturally relevant programming.

The Shared Arts Center is more than a dream — it’s happening. Tenant improvements are already underway. Partnerships have been forged. And the momentum is real. If you are interested in learning more about the Shared Arts Center and joining our coalition of arts nonprofits, please contact Ann Watts at ann@startingarts.com.

In Silicon Valley, where the challenges are many and the resources often few, collaboration is not optional — it’s essential. And thanks to the passion, persistence, and partnership of so many, we’re proving that a new model for arts infrastructure is not only possible — it’s powerful.

Together, we’re not just building a facility — we’re building possibility. A stage where a child discovers their voice. A studio where cultures meet. A hub where the South Bay comes alive with creativity. This is the future of the arts in San José, and we invite you to be part of it.

Ann Watts is the Founder and Executive Director of Starting Arts; a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to make arts education accessible to Bay Area students, with a focus on supporting underserved youth in Title 1 schools.

Ms. Watts is a seasoned nonprofit leader with a proven track record of success. She brings a strong focus on long-term vision, collaboration, and strategic thinking, paired with creative and high-quality execution. Ann is passionate about the transformative power of the arts as a catalyst for positive change.

genARTS Silicon Valley is dedicated to empowering a thriving community of arts and culture leaders so that they can participate in and serve this region’s arts and culture community of tomorrow. Focused locally on San José and Silicon Valley as a whole, our goal is to serve as a hub and connecting tissue for creatives in the region.

Incubated in 2007 by SVCREATES with initial support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the genARTS Silicon Valley program was a response to a shifting landscape of leadership. As established creative sector leaders retired and the arts nonprofit model was challenged by the forces of digital culture, demographic shifts, and the changing nature of “creative consumption,” it was important to leverage local talent, prepare the sector for the next generation of audiences, navigate new economic realities, and bridge the past with the future.

genARTS Silicon Valley continues to serve emerging arts and cultural leaders, and bridge gaps between emerging, mid-career, and established leaders through our programs and events. Over the years, we have hosted Power Brunches and other networking mixers, grant fellowships, Mover & Shaker awards, Creative Conversations (panels), hands-on workshops, professional development opportunities, and so much more.

In 2023, genARTS transitioned to being fiscally sponsored by SVCREATES. As such, we are 100% volunteer-run and value partnerships and collaborations with artists, art advocates, and local organizations. Our volunteers range from full-time artists and art hobbyists to arts administrators and nonprofit staff.

Earlier this year, genARTS hosted a four-part professional development series, How To Art, which gave artists of all backgrounds the opportunity to learn about creative careers, artist statements and resumes, grant writing, and portfolio development.

Up next for genARTS, we will be co-hosting a Creative Meetup in collaboration with Content Magazine and San José Museum of Art on Thursday, September 4 from 6:00pm-8:30pm. This mixer celebrates emerging arts leadership and will bring together arts professionals, artists, designers, and creatives of all fields for an evening of lively conversation and free admission to the galleries.

Committed to uplifting emerging artists, we will be hosting our 5th Annual Experimental Exhibition this fall. The exhibition is an accessible, entry-level opportunity for local artists to participate in a curated gallery exhibit to build relationships between new artists and more established arts professionals. Through a free and straightforward call for art, genARTS intentionally removes financial and institutional barriers to participation and ensures that the arts remain a vital and equitable part of our community.

Over the past four years, the exhibition has featured 150+ artists and hosted in various spaces including a brewery, gallery, cafe, and museum. The theme of the exhibition always reflects our artist community’s needs and perspectives and, in an effort to spark dialogue about the ties that hold us together during the current turbulent political climate, the 2025 theme is interwoven: the threads that bind (US).

In conjunction with the exhibition, we will be hosting several community-focused programs and events throughout the month, including opening and closing receptions, artist talks, and a hands-on art workshop. And, for the first time, the 2025 exhibition will introduce monetary awards for three artists, recognizing their artistic relevance, potential, and connection to the local arts community.

interwoven will be on view from Friday, October 3 to Thursday, October 30 at Local Color’s noble workshop & gallery in Downtown San José.

To learn more or get involved with genARTS, please visit our website. Our Leadership Team includes Co-Chairs Margaret Luo (visual artist) and Marissa Martinez (playwright); Programming Lead Stephanie Barajas (multidisciplinary artist); and Development Lead Sendy Tapia (writer).

In addition to serving as Co-Chair for genARTS Silicon Valley, Marissa May Macaraeg Martinez is a playwright and arts advocate born and raised in East San José. Since 2007, she has written plays, short stories, and poetry inspired by her experience as a second generation Latina-Filipina. She writes about identity, growing up, mental health, friendship, and fruit with the goal of expressing herself and representing her communities, emerging artists, and youth. She also enjoys painting and making zines!

There is something magical about artists and arts leaders meeting around a shared purpose.

On July 18, alumni of SVCREATES’ Mindshare program met for the 7th annual Mindshare Reunion. This year, we met for some casual connecting and fun in the sun at Los Gatos Creek County Park for a Mindshare Picnic.

The Mindshare Reunion is an opportunity for the 75+ Mindshare alumni to reconnect with the group, share new ideas and experiences, learn more about what is happening for SVCREATES, and grow their personal network. It is an opportunity to relax and reflect, and figure out what comes next.

In and amongst the uncertainty of the arts industry nationwide, these leaders took an afternoon to put their leadership and values first. Leaders got to know each other by identifying themselves with the animal that they felt most represented them (fish, owl, lion, or rabbit), and by playing a version of Bingo that encouraged them to learn information about their peers to get a Bingo (or in our case, a “CREATE”).

After brief remarks from CEO Alexandra Urbanowski, Director of Programs Sinjin Jones, and Mindshare Visionary Alyssa Byrkit, the alumni enjoyed catering from LUNA Mexican Kitchen while creating leadership-centric art together and discussing the challenges faced by leaders here in the Bay Area. Additionally, alumni were asked to share ideas about how to further activate this incredible network of leaders and what Mindshare Reunions might look like in the future.

As a values-based leadership community program, SVCREATES Mindshare has been building a strong community of leaders for the last seven years.

We are now recruiting for our 8th Cohort! If you are a Bay Area arts non-profit leader with a passion for community and you want to explore the power of values-based leadership, check out the SVCREATES Mindshare page for more information before Friday, August 8 to submit your application!