SUMMER 2020 – WINTER 2021
The North Bay Spirit Awards have recently highlighted two community leaders who utilize the arts to build a more equitable and healthy community. Congratulations to the following awardees:
- Letitia Hanke (Santa Rosa) in June 2020: read the Press Democrat article “North Bay Spirit Award winner Letitia Hanke helps minority youth find path to success” HERE.
- Isabel Lopez (Santa Rosa) in November 2020: read the Press Democrat article “North Bay Spirit Award winner uses art to empower Latinos” HERE.
Healdsburg Jazz Festival (Healdsburg):
- Announced the retirement of festival founder and Artistic Director, Jessica Felix, in August 2020. Read more HERE.
- Announced their new Artistic Director Marcus Shelby, long-time collaborator with Healdsburg Jazz, in November 2020. Read more HERE
- Announced their first official Headlsburg Jazz Poet Laureate, Enid Pickett, in January 2021. Read more HERE.
Eki Shola (Santa Rosa):
- Named “Best of the Bay 2020 Editors’ Pick” in the San Francisco news + culture publication 48hills in their music category. “The physician-turned-musician—who barely escaped the wildfires—brought healing and intention with spacey post-R&B.” Read more HERE.
- Announced the launch of a new digital magazine, Unmute Magazine, to amplify the voices of BIPOC artists across various creative outlets and is now accepting submissions HERE.
The National Endowment for the Arts released their Winter Awards Announcements for FY 2021. Congratulations to the following Sonoma County grantees:
- Green Music Center (Rohnert Park) – Grants for Arts Projects (Music)
- Healdsburg Jazz Festival – Grants for Arts Projects (Music)
- Town of Windsor – Grants for Arts Projects (Local Arts Agencies)
Robert Howard (Santa Rosa), composer, musician, and pianist, was awarded grants from CalHumanities, Center for Cultural Innovation, The National Arts and Disibility Center, and the Hardly Strictly Music Relief fund during summer and fall 2020. He has also released a new album. Read his press release HERE.