Episode 1: CA Arts & Culture "Summit Opening Ceremony & Keynote Speaker”

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CA Arts & Culture Summit Opening Ceremony and Keynote Speaker - Photos Courtesy of Doug Cupid Photography

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"The arts can serve as a unifier and a touchstone for our humanity, directly impacting our individual and collective wellbeing. They remind us of our shared experiences and foster empathy and understanding." - Nataki Garrett

Welcome to the kickoff of our second season! This episode features highlights from the second annual California Arts & Culture Summit, organized by our partner, California for the Arts. The theme, "Art Work is Real Work," emphasizes the crucial role artists play in our economy and well-being, often without the support they deserve.

Join us as we hear from leading voices on topics such as arts and health, economic justice, climate change, youth engagement, and the public policies needed to support our creative industries.

The summit's opening ceremony includes inspiring speeches from Nefesha Yisra'el of California for the Arts, Leticia Rhi Buckley from LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Julie Baker of California for the Arts, and keynote speaker Nataki Garrett of One Nation / One Project and Arts for Everybody.

Nefesha Yisra'el-Dir. Program,California for the Arts

Nefesha Yisra’el - Director of Program, California for the Arts NeFesha is an arts professional and advocate with a belief in the transformative and healing power of the arts. NeFesha worked as an Arts Administrator and Community Organizer in Philadelphia, PA, before moving to Fresno, CA, to work with a startup nonprofit called Royal Roots. NeFesha’s experience in nonprofit and creative community development led her to consult with Fresno- based nonprofit organizations such as Another Level Training Director of Programs Academy, and she served as the executive director at the African American Historical and Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley. NeFesha serves as the Arts Facet Chair for the Fresno (CA) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated.

NeFesha founded Black Folk Art, Arts and Culture Magazine, a platform dedicated to preserving and celebrating African American heritage. Additionally, she participated in the Museum Professionals Seminar with the Studio Museum in Harlem, further honing her skills and expanding her perspective on art and museum practices. NeFesha earned her B.A. in Fashion Design and Merchandising from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and her M.A. in Urban Studies from Eastern University, where she is currently advancing her scholarly pursuits as a Ph.D. student in Organizational Leadership.

Leticia Rhi Buckley-CEO, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes 

Leticia is a mom, wife, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, born and raised in East Los Angeles. She has built a career developing programs and guiding public policy that connects the dots between historically under-resourced communities and the arts. Leticia is Chief Executive Officer of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, a museum and cultural center dedicated to centering the history of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Los Angeles, and collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories, accomplishments, and experiences of Latinx people and Latino culture.

She is an LA County Arts Commissioner, representing the First District, Board Chair of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network, and Board President for Californians for the Arts. Leticia also serves as a board member for California Arts Advocates, Downtown Works Los Angeles, The Music Man Foundation, and the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. A former adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University’s Center for Business and Management of the Arts, Leticia holds a degree in political science from Loyola Marymount University and recently received the Alumni Role Model Award from the LMU Latino Alumni Association. She is an urban dweller raising two children and two cats in downtown Los Angeles with her composer husband.

Julie Baker-CEO,California For The Arts/CA Arts Advocates

As the CEO of California’s statewide arts advocacy organizations since 2018, Julie has worked to increase the legislative clout and visibility of the arts and culture communities by building coalition across the for and non-profit sectors of California’s creative industries, producing a month-long arts awareness and advocacy campaign every April, and fighting for resources and legislation to serve and protect artists and cultural workers. She was recently appointed to the Board of the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF).

Julie has served as the California State Captain to Americans for the Arts’ National Arts Action Summit, as the recent co-chair of the Western Arts Advocacy network for WESTAF, as well as co-chair of the creative economy working group at the CA Economic Summit. She is the Board President of California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project and was elected to the Nevada County school board in November of 2020. She is also an appointed member of the State of California’s 2022 Entrepreneurship & Economic Mobility Task Force (EEMTF) and the Creative Economy Working Group under the California Arts Council. Julie is the recipient of the 2021 Americans for the Arts Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award that honors an individual at the state level whose arts advocacy efforts have dramatically affected the political landscape.

Over the years, Julie has owned a fine arts gallery for emerging artists, co-founded Flow art fair — a satellite to Art Basel Miami Beach — opened a consulting firm, Julie Baker Projects, and curated an annual music series at the Crocker Art Museum. Earlier in her career she was President of her family’s arts marketing firm in New York City and worked at Christie’s Auction house before moving to California in 1998. Julie also served for eight years as the Executive Director of The Center for the Arts, a non-profit performing arts venue and California WorldFest, an annual music and camping festival located in Grass Valley, CA. She is also the recipient of the inaugural Peggy Levine Arts & Community Service Award from the Nevada County Arts Council.

Nataki Garrett-Co-Artistic Dir. One Nation / One Project & Arts for Every Body

A change-maker, trailblazer, Nataki Garrett is the CEO and Executive Director of the The Ladder Approach: Executive coaching, as well as the co-Artistic Director of One Nation/One Project and is leading their national arts and health initiative Arts for EveryBody. In 2020, She co-founded the theater advocacy organization Professional Non-Profit Theater Coalition (PNTC) – a national coalition organized to help the theater industry advocate for the $15B Shuttered Venue Operators Grant of historically unprecedented funding from the federal government. Nataki Garrett served as the Executive and Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) and the Acting Artistic Director of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA). Her vision is to support artists; to manifest innovation; to inspire creativity and to ensure the future of performance by centering artists as thought leaders and change makers who transform culture.

An accomplished Director and Producer of Stage, Film and in the Immersive (XR/VR) arena, Garrett created and produced “Quills Fest,” the first of its kind event intersecting XR and Theater as well as The Cymbeline Project (Young-Howze Award for Digital Theater, 2023). Garrett is the executive producer the films YOU GO GIRL! (Sundance Award, 2022), and ASHLAND both by Shariffa Ali as well as Bottled Spirits, directed by Elizabeth Carter. Additional awards and recognition include Bronze Telly Award(2023) and the OMPA Creative Innovation award, the Ammerman Award for Directing (2019), the United States Artist Fellowship (2022), and the National Directing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and Theater Communications Group.

Garrett has served on nominating committees, panels and countless juries supporting artists around the world. Frequently sought voice for her thought leadership and expertise, Garrett can be read, watched, or listened to regularly across regional and national news media.

Deborah Cullinan-VP for the Arts, Stanford University

Deborah Cullinan is one of the nation’s leading thinkers on the pivotal role artists and arts organizations can play in shaping our social and political landscape, and has spent years mobilizing communities through arts and culture. She joined Stanford University in early 2022 as the first full-time vice president for the arts. Previously, she was CEO of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), where she launched several bold new programs, engagement strategies, and civic coalitions. Prior to joining YBCA in 2013, she was the executive director of San Francisco’s Intersection for the Arts. She is a co- founder of CultureBank, board member of the Community Arts Stabilization Trust and EPACENTER, and recently served as co-chair of the San Francisco Arts Alliance and vice chair of the Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy.

She was the inaugural National Field Leader in Residence at Arizona State University’s National Accelerator for Cultural Innovation and a former innovator-in-residence at the Kauffman Foundation. She served on Mayor London Breed’s San Francisco Economic Recovery Task Force and also on Governor Gavin Newsom’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery. Her passion for using art and creativity to shift culture and advance equity and justice has made her a sought-after speaker at events and conferences around the world.

Lyz Luke-Executive Director, Living Jazz

Lyz Luke is a futuristic leader with over 15 years of dedicated work amplifying the intersection between arts, culture, and community empowerment. A resident of Oakland, Luke has presented concerts and events throughout the Bay Area and has worked with over 150 diverse local bands and over 2,000 local musicians. Her passion is building a stronger community through music and the arts. Lyz started as a member of Living Jazz’s Advisory Council in 2019 and officially joined Living Jazz as Associate Director in early 2020. In February 2023, she was selected to step into the Executive Director role. Luke’s performance management, production, and development background is bolstered by extensive experience nonprofit fundraising, event planning, and public relations. Lyz is known for founding the award winning series UnderCover Presents in 2010 and has since released 15 studio recorded albums and showcases as part of the series. She has also worked with Oakland Symphony, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), Embodiment Project, Red Poppy Art House, ArtSpan (SF Open Studios), AIDS Walk, The San Francisco Marathon, and others.

Lyz Luke achievements include being a certified mediator, serving on the board of Californians for the Arts/Californian Arts Advocates, serving on the Advisory Board of the California Jazz Conservatory, former three-term Governor on the SF Board of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs); Leadership Oakland Class of 2017, serving as an Oakland Rotarian, 2017’s YBCA 100 List; East Bay Express "Best of", SF Weekly's “Best of” (2x), and SF Guardian "Best of", Grants Panelist for Oakland Cultural Funding Program and City of Denver Music Advancement Fund, 3 Oakland Mayoral Proclamations presented at UnderCover shows to Sly & The Family Stone, Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest, and Green Day, B.S. in Economics from St. John’s University, NCAA Championship ring in fencing.

California For The Arts & California Arts Advocates

California For The Arts:

Mission: CFA's mission is to advance arts and culture in California by building awareness of programs and services for artists. They aim to raise awareness about the true value of the arts and help Californians across the state become advocates for the arts in government, business, and communities.

Vision: CFA envisions California as the most creative state, where artists and arts workers thrive—from designers and teachers to ballerinas and musicians.

Values: Advancing arts and culture workers' careers: They recognize that arts and culture workers are integral to California's economy, society, and communities. Their goal is to make it easy for any Californian to become an advocate for the arts. Educating Californians on the value of the arts: They circulate news, guides, and press materials to emphasize why the arts matter at a fundamental level. Engaging Californians to spread arts awareness: They encourage more Californians to become advocates for the arts. Offering arts advocacy programs across the state: They provide resources and programs for arts advocates.

California Arts Advocates:

Mission: As a sister organization to California for the Arts, California Arts Advocates ensures that the arts are represented on a legislative level. While Californians for the Arts focuses on awareness and advocacy, California Arts Advocates works specifically to ensure that arts-related issues are considered in legislation. California Arts Advocates collaborates with Californians for the Arts to promote awareness of the arts and advocate for their importance in government and policy decisions.

Both organizations play crucial roles in supporting and promoting the arts in California, from raising awareness to advocating for legislative changes that benefit artists and communities. Become a Member, Find out more about their Programs and get engaged in supporting the arts in your community. Support CFTA’s work

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes 

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is a community hub where people gather to celebrate Latinx culture through transformative exhibitions, music, dance, culinary arts, and multigenerational artmaking and storytelling experiences.  

An anchor cultural institution in Los Angeles County, LA Plaza centers the Latino experience and provides a space to uplift, share, and preserve the stories of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Latinx people in Southern California. 

Our team members collaborate with artists, guest curators, educators, historians, activists, and community members to activate the campus by providing free or low-cost programs for Los Angeles County residents. 

Housed in two historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles, LA Plaza is adjacent to Olvera Street at El Pueblo de Los Angeles. The main campus includes a museum, a 30,000-square-foot outdoor space with a performance stage, an edible garden and LA Cocina de Gloria Molina, a teaching kitchen and flexible event space that spotlights the history, culture, and influence of Mexican and Mexican American cuisine. LA Cocina is located directly across the street and offers cooking classes and demonstrations, a Culinary Youth Training Program, and private tastings. 

Established in 2011, LA Plaza is a non-profit organization and a Smithsonian affiliate museum. Support LA Plaza de Cultural y Artes’s work

One Nation One Project

One Nation/One Project is a national arts and health initiative designed to activate the power of the arts to repair the social fabric of our nation and heal our communities. We are bringing together Artists, Local Governments, and Community Health Providers to foster equitable recovery and improved health in communities across America.

Our audacious new campaign titled Arts For EveryBody will show how the arts can lead to healthier people and healthier communities.

On July 27, 2024, in big cities and rural counties, hundreds of actors, muralists, poets, folk dancers, circus clowns, farmers, flower artists, skaters, cooks, architects, DJs, puppeteers, nurses, mariachi players, bamboo weavers and more will create new works that show the world where they come from. The result will be a celebration of American pluralism–of unity through diversity. It will be an outpouring of local joy.

Arts For EveryBody will do more than entertain, inspire, and galvanize: it marks a breakthrough moment in the relationship between the arts and health in America. Join the movement

Make a donation to support the local artists and organizations working on the ground in 18 cities and towns to foster their communities' health, vibrancy, and connection

Stanford Arts

Stanford Arts - The Vice Presidency for the Arts (VPA) is dedicated to increasing the visibility and impact of the arts at Stanford. The VPA offers extracurricular and interdisciplinary student programs, public exhibitions and performances, and central resources for navigating the arts within the university. The School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) is the center of a liberal arts education at Stanford and houses the academic arts departments.

The Office of the Vice President for the Arts provides operational support for all of the units of the Vice President for the Arts, and operates as a central resource for students and faculty. This includes funding, space, and materials for student extracurricular arts activities; opportunities for student professional development; faculty grants; and oversight of visiting artist programs. Deborah Cullinan is the vice president for the arts and Anne Shulock is the assistant vice president for the arts.

Living Jazz

Mission: Living Jazz Transforms Lives- through the music, spirit, and culture of jazz in the Bay Area community, by educating students and artists of all ages and abilities.

The programs of Living Jazz are known not only for their artistic quality, but also for their commitment to build community based on diversity, inclusion and accessibility; the distinctive way in which they encourage and support artists of all skill levels; and the artistic and personal growth they foster in participants of all ages.

Living Jazz has developed a reputation for designing and launching programs that go on to become Bay Area treasures, as well as for incubating programs to the point of maturity at which time they successfully spin off to stand on their own, and continue to develop and grow independently. Support Living Jazz’s work and Connect with Living Jazz.

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Thanks to our Sponsors

Voices of the Community is supported by a grant from the Zellerbach Family Foundation, whose Arts and Culture grants ensure vibrant work is created, new voices are celebrated, and artists and audiences inclusive of the Bay Area’s diverse communities and cultures have opportunities to thrive. Find out more at ZFF dot org

Voices of the Community is supported by a grant from the Peaceful World Foundation dedicated to fostering a culture of global peace through the promotion of hosted conversations and education. You can learn more at peaceful world foundation dot org.

Thanks to our CoProduction Partner

BAVC Media is a community hub and resource for media makers in the Bay Area and across the country, serving several thousand freelancers, filmmakers, job-seekers, activists, and artists every year. BAVC Media provides access to media making technology, storytelling workshops, a diverse and engaged community of makers and producers, services and resources. Get Training, participate in the MediaMaker Fellowship, become a member and produce shows through the SF Commons program.

Thanks to our CoProduction Partner

California for the Arts (CFTA) and California Arts Advocates (CAA) are sister organizations working together to support and strengthen the arts in California.

California for the Arts (CFTA) focuses on grassroots advocacy and empowering individuals to become advocates for the arts. They provide resources, programs, and services to raise awareness about the importance of the arts and help build a more creative California.

California Arts Advocates (CAA)focuses on professional public policy advocacy at the state level. They work to secure funding for the arts, advance policies that benefit artists and arts organizations, and ensure that the arts are represented in legislative decisions.

Together, CFTA and CAA work to create a thriving arts ecosystem in California by mobilizing grassroots support and advocating for policies that sustain and grow the arts sector. Learn more about their programs and get engaged.

Donate to Voices of the Community

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