Sebastopol Center for the Arts () in Sebastopol, California, recently lost its NEA funding. And there's concerns that federal arts dollars are now tied to political loyalty oaths. It's one of many local arts organizations being directly affected.
Their Response? Double down on private giving, kindness and inclusion, and turn their town into a living work of art that focuses on belonging.
Serafina Palandech, who moved to California from Boring, Oregon, is Executive Director of SebArts and joins the Exchange.
SebArts Belonging Project, alongside Piazza Hospitality Group, is creating an art exhibit that spans the entire town of Sebastopol, including an empty downtown lot. It's a public art installation that uses art to reflect the “SF values” of diversity, kindness, and grassroots power — core to many communities across the Bay. It will include works of art throughout the city, and will include very large pieces by artists like: Marc Rivera, Erica Dincalci, and Hunter Franks.
is a city in Sonoma County, California, with a recorded population of roughly 7,500. Sebastopol was once a plum- and apple-growing region. Today, wine grapes are the predominant agriculture crop, and nearly all lands once used for orchards are now vineyards.
