SVCREATES

The @cityofsunnyvale Public Art Program seeks to commission an artist or artistic team to design and execute an original work of art for the renovation of Lakewood Park and is issuing a request for qualifications. Interested applicants may submit their qualifications by Sunday, May 31. Design ideas and proposals are not requested at this time. Learn more and apply today by visiting @cityofsunnyvale 's profile.

In partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the @cityofgilroy , SVCREATES is excited to invite artists, groups, and organizations who serve Gilroy to apply to the Gilroy Elevate the Arts Grant program for projects and/or programs to be delivered in Gilroy between September 2026 and August 2027. These grants aim to elevate artists and the arts community in Gilroy by demonstrating the role arts can play in equitable community empowerment, activation, and revitalization. Applications open Monday, June 1 and close on Friday, July 10. Use the link in our bio to sign up for the Applicant Information Session on Monday, June 22 at 6:00pm.

“The moral of the story is to be strong through the darkest hour. My goal in life is to teach this to other people. Even beyond playing music, that is how I can touch people’s lives.” — DJ John Beaver Featured: Fall 2017 Issue 9.5 “Profiles” — DJ John Beaver, @djjohnbeaver After beating the odds in a legendary fight for life, John is returning to the stage to prove that music can indeed touch lives and heal. We are honored to have DJ John Beaver opening up the party at our Issue 18.3 Pick-Up Party this Friday at West Valley College. This homecoming is the local kickoff for his upcoming “John Beaver Is Alive Tour.” Come celebrate life, creativity, and the power of art. Friday, May 15, 2026 | 6:30–10p DJ John Beaver: 6:30p (Main Stage) Cilker Art Center, West Valley College (Saratoga, CA) @westvalleycollege @wvccilkersoad The Evening’s Schedule: 6:30p: DJ John Beaver, @djjohnbeaver (Main Stage) & Los Panaderos, @los_panaderos (Courtyard) 8p: @ wvccilkersoadAnnual Graduating Fashion Design Student Fashion Show 9p: Silk Road, @silkroadtheband (Main Stage) Ongoing: @sjculture /@j.duh Pop-Up Truck Gallery Exhibition & Grad EXPO RSVP: bit.ly/PUP_183 (Link in Profile) Read the feature: bit.ly/95JohnBeaver ✍️: @nathanzzzzzzz | 📸: @thecultivator #JohnBeaver #JohnBeaverIsAlive #PickUpParty #ContentMagazine #SJArts

On April 21, hundreds of arts leaders from all over California gathered in Sacramento for Arts Advocacy Day. Local arts leaders joined SVCREATES to demonstrate the impact of the arts to state legislators serving Santa Clara County, meeting with the offices of Assemblymembers @alex_lee , @ash_kalra , @marc_berman , and @patrickjamesahrens , and Senators @josh.becker.ca and @senatordavecortese to advocate for our budget priorities: $50 million for the @calartscouncil and $40 million for Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund (PAEPF). Continue the momentum! Visit @caartsadvocates for actions to protect public arts funding. 📷 : Wisa Uemura, Anjee Helstrup-Alvarez (@anjeearte ), Jessica Kwong (@jesworld.inc ), Carman Gaines, and Ron Muriera (@rpmuriera ) meet with Erika Ngo (third from left) at the Office of Assemblymember Ash Kalra.

Bay Area Cultural Funders for Equity (BACFE) is a collaborative of public and private funders working to shift arts and culture funding toward communities that have been historically under-resourced. The Crisis Fund provides timely, flexible $25,000 grants to Bay Area arts and cultural organizations responding to urgent threats related to: - Immigration status, enforcement, or legal vulnerability - Safety of trans and gender-expansive communities - Digital and public safety risks, including harassment, targeting, or surveillance Visit their website (bacfe.org) to learn more and apply by Sunday, May 31.

SVCREATES is pleased to receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (@neaarts ) for “Arts Projects Spotlighting the Spirit of Sports.” In anticipation of FIFA World Cup 2026™ soccer tournaments being hosted in the United States, these grants support arts projects that celebrate American creativity and highlight local artistic and cultural traditions in connection with soccer-related celebrations. This grant will support SVCREATES' partnership with the @sjculture to produce CityDance San Jose 2026, a free series of dance and music events on select dates in June. NEA Chairman Mary Anne Carter said, “As audiences around the world focus on this global moment, the National Endowment for the Arts is excited to support these community-centered projects that link American cultural expression and highlight local creativity with the excitement of international soccer."

We are pleased to feature a guest blog from Carolyn Schuk, President of Silicon Valley Arts Coalition (@artssiliconvalley ). A coalition of performing arts organizations with a collective audience of more than 15,000 patrons, SVAC provides its members with shared visibility, operational knowledge, and civic presence and advocacy. "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." Use the link in our bio to read and share Carolyn's full piece.

Some of the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance team spent Tuesday at SVCREATES Town Hall 2026: Stronger. Together. From cross-sector partnerships to conversations on systems change, we were reminded that meaningful impact starts with connection—and a willingness to think beyond our own sectors. One theme that stood out: collaboration requires more than shared goals. It asks us to understand the language, priorities, and challenges of those we’re working alongside. We also explored the role organizations play in either reinforcing or disrupting the systems we operate within—pushing us to reflect on how we show up, who we center, and how we build with community. Grateful to be in a space with leaders committed to learning, collaboration, and driving real change. Continue the conversation with us at our upcoming Grantmakers Forum on May 7 as we bring together funders and nonprofit leaders to explore what’s next for our sector.

@applied__materials Foundation has been one of the strongest ongoing institutional champions of arts and culture in Santa Clara County for over 25 years. SVCREATES is thrilled to receive a 2026 grant from Applied Materials Foundation to power our ArtsWeb capacity-building programs, including Peer Support Roundtables, Mindshare, and our annual Town Hall. We are deeply grateful to Applied Materials Foundation for their investment into our community's creative infrastructure and to our additional funders of this work.

Presented by @california_humanities , Connecting California Quick Grants support publicly accessible activities and events that strengthen social connection and cohesion across California’s diverse communities. Funded projects help foster understanding, empathy, and trust by creating opportunities for people to come together across differences and discover shared values, experiences, and aspirations. Grants range from $1,000 to $5,000 and require a 1:1 match using non-federal funds and/or in-kind support. The deadline to apply is Monday, May 4. Learn more by visiting @california_humanities ' profile.

**GIA WEBINAR** TODAY! It's not too late to register and secure your spot. Meet our guest speaker, Alexandra Urbanowski! Alexandra is CEO of SVCreates, the county-wide local arts agency in Santa Clara County, CA. SVCreates builds the cultural sector’s capacity through grantmaking and technical support, raises the voices and visibility of local artists through its Content Magazine and other publications , and increases access to arts for historically underserved communities through a range of programs. Prior to becoming CEO in January 2024, she served as SVCreates' Deputy Director for six years where she directed all grant programs, designed capacity building and training curriculum, and led SVCreates' regional expansion to agricultural and rural parts of the county. She currently serves on the leadership committee for the California Coalition of County Arts Agencies and the board of California Arts Advocates. Learn more about Alexandra and register for today's webinar at the link in our bio 🔗

The @calartscouncil is celebrating 50 years of creative impact across the state — a milestone year dedicated to honoring the agency’s legacy, recognizing the resilience of the state’s cultural landscape, and charting a strategic vision for the next 50 years of arts accessibility and innovation. Earlier this week, SVCREATES went to Sacramento to advocate with arts leaders from across the state for an increased budget of $50 million to the CAC to sustain its long-term impact as a creative economy driver, community builder, and equitable funder for all communities in California. Show your support for the CAC! Use the link in our bio to sign on to the coalition letter for the state budget request for the CAC.