We Recap a Whirlwind 2023

An overview of some highlights from a bountiful 2023 for Local Color!

When I founded this organization nine (NINE?!?) years ago, I could not have imagined what Local Color is today.

We are a mighty team of 6 (six!?!) with plans to hire again 2024. We have opened over $3.3 million in in-kind donation of space for artists, contracted with over 250 independent artists, and facilitated over 255 transformative murals. Together, we have forever altered public spaces.

Local Color is not just an arts organization; Local Color is an Artists Organization. The spaces we've nurtured have become hubs for creativity and innovation, challenging traditional notions and fostering a sense of belonging. Our work doesn't merely beautify walls; it transforms neighborhoods, giving them a new heartbeat pulsating with cultural richness.

Key numbers in focus for Fund Public Art and Creative Services initiatives.

Earlier this year, I was tallying up some numbers and was gobsmacked by one in particular: Local Color has captured and redistributed $1,140,816 to artists and their visions. These are numbers and statistics beyond my wildest dreams. We did that together, with the support of creatives, the community, partnering organizations, city governments, foundations, and visionary donors who believe in our mission to build equitable pathways for creatives to thrive.

From the bottom of my little heart, thank you for the opportunity to lead this organization that I love so much. Please join me in celebrating a tremendous 2023 and cheers to a wildly ambitious 2024.

Erin Salazar

Executive Director | Founder

Local Color

erin@localcolorsj.org

Below, we look back on Local Color’s fruitful 2023.

You know the drill — prepare that warm beverage for a relaxing recap!

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Fund Public Art & Creative Services

Safi “Chachaa” Kolosvari-Regalado assisting Elba Raquel on "Unexpected Heights."

Elba Raquel's completed mural for "Unexpected Heights," as seen from Alum Rock Avenue.

Muralist Elba Raquel hand painting elements of her design "Unexpected Heights."

Photos by Stuart Rhodes.

What a year for Public Art and Creative Services!

Together with amazing artists, volunteers, and partners, we covered over 8,900 square feet of walls in 2023. We would not have been able to complete this work without commissioning 38 artists to design and paint these murals, as well as creatives to document the process.

In total, we paid out $171,642 to collaborators contracted through the Creative Services Program, and facilitated in the creation and documentation of 20 murals throughout 2023.

Interested in working with Local Color?
Reach out to us here: Artists | Clients

From L to R: Safi "Chachaa" Kolsovari-Regalado, Elba Raquel, and Chris Barrios stand in front of completed mural "Healing."

Unexpected Heights and Healing with Elba Raquel and Resources for Community Development

Over the Spring and Summer, Elba Raquel was finally able to get down on over 1,500 square feet of wall at Quetzal Gardens off of King Rd. and Alum Rock Ave. Elba worked with residents and community members to develop well-informed designs for the Alum Rock facing wall (“Unexpected Heights”) of the building as well as an interior mural (“Healing”) for those living at Quetzal Gardens. Elba’s designs represent the growth and hope cultivated within the walls of Quetzal Gardens.

Both murals were created with the assistance of Safi “Chachaa” Kolosvari-Regalado. Additional assistance on Healing by Chris Barros. (Photo: Alexknowbody)

Volunteer Mural with Anthony Combs and the San Jose Downtown Association

In January 2023, Local Color commissioned Studio Member Anthony Combs to design and paint a mural with volunteers. The San Jose Downtown Association worked with Local Color to find volunteer help and secure space for this mural near the corner of First St. and Santa Clara St., next to Hammer and Lewis.
(Photo: Miguel Ozuna)

Volunteers work together to paint in a mural designed by artist Anthony Combs.

Completed look at "Terra," on view on the side of the Valley Title building in downtown San Jose.

Terra by Luna for Adobe and the San Jose Earthquakes

Local Color was excited to work with the San José Earthquakes on an exciting mural project that extended the impact of their Mexican Heritage Match. We identified local artist Luis Luna to create a digital design speaking to his heritage and love for the city. The completed mural can be seen on the San Carlos facing side of the Valley Title building, located at 300 S First St. (Photo: Local Color)

Volunteer Murals on S Second St.

In partnership with the San Jose Downtown Association, Local Color facilitated a volunteer mural painting event in June 2023 to activate blank wooden boards used to cover the windows of the closed Emile’s restaurant. Designed by Jessica Punzalan and painted with volunteers, the artist’s design takes inspiration from the many jacaranda trees found throughout downtown San José.
(Photo: Alexknowbody)

Volunteers work together to complete a mural in front of the old Emile's Restaurant.

Brush House Murals at Avatar Hotel

During the Spring and Summer, Local Color worked with Lori Yeomans Design to create mural work for the Avatar Hotel, located on Great America Pkwy. in Santa Clara. Local Color identified artist Ben Henderson, owner of Brush House, to design two mural installations as well as creatively paint the corridors of the four story hotel. Ben pulled from the Avatar Hotel’s retro desert oasis design cues and found inspiration in other artwork used on site. The 900 square foot mural and hand-painted signage bring a beautiful analog feel to the hotel based in the heart of Silicon Valley. The mural was done with assistance from Andrew Sumner and J. Duh. (Photo: Miguel Ozuna)

Bobo Design Mural at Avatar Hotel

Since 2020, Local Color has been working with Angie Chua, owner of Bobo Design Studio, on the design and installation of this beautiful mural on the Great America Pkwy. facing side of the Avatar Hotel and Starbucks remodel. Angie made her way back up to San Jose from her Palm Springs business HQ to paint this long-awaited mural with assistance from Mia Biagini. The two artists completed this 243 square foot mural in three days!
(Photo: Andrew Sumner)

Completed mural designs by Jessica Cao (top) and Sidylife, on display at Waymo's offices in Mountain View.

Waymo Lobby

Local Color commissioned muralist Jessica Cao to create this welcoming mural inside Waymo’s new lobby in their Mountain View Office. Cao creatively incorporated Waymo’s values and locations in this colorful piece.

Waymo 2nd Floor Mural

We were excited to work with Sidylife again on this detailed road map of a mural on Waymo’s 2nd Floor. The design also highlights Waymo’s areas of operation, with easter-egg nods to Austin, LA, and SF in each section.
(Photos by Local Color)

Freedom by Wisper Talamantes at La Esquina

Throughout the Fall, Local Color was lucky enough to work with Wisper Talamantes on an interior mural at the shared lobby of Somos Mayfair, Excite Credit Union, and the Latino Business Foundation. The lobby, dubbed La Esquina, served as Wisper’s canvas. His mural features themes of economic mobility, diversity, and inclusion for all of those who walk into the space to utilize these partners’ resources. (Photo: Buggsy Malone)

Wisper sharing a concept for his mural "Freedom."

Muralist Francisco Ramirez in front of his new painting. Photo credit: Miguel Ozuna.

Charities Housing Murals by Francisco Ramirez

Since 2021, Local Color has been working with Charities Housing to develop a mural with Francisco Ramirez for their latest senior housing development project on Blossom Hill Rd. Francisco was able to beautify the new building with two murals that showcase San Jose’s rich history and incorporate native flora and fauna.
(Photo: Alexknowbody)

Christmas in the Park

Local Color was ecstatic to partner with the legendary Christmas in the Park to commission four local artists to adorn their fences with feel-good artwork. John Barrick, Alyssarhaye Graciano, Francisco Ramirez and Alyssa Wigant individually created works that speak to their favorite parts of the holiday season. The murals can be seen on the corner of Market St. and San Carlos St. at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, and will continue to be displayed for seasons to come. Thanks to Sal Pizarro and the Mercury News for sharing about these new works! (Photo: Brandon Roos)

Muralist and illustrator Alyssa Wigant's design for "Maligayang Pasko." Image credit: Brandon Roos.

Creative Experiences

Photos by Alexknowbody.

This Spring, Local Color launched the Creative Experiences program! Our latest initiative was created to develop opportunities for local artists to share their knowledge and expertise directly with community members and partners.

So far, the program has empowered 51 artists to collaborate with the greater community. Creative Experiences opened up the chance for Local Color to participate in 11 annual festivals and public engagements. From March to December, $25,790 was paid directly to artists from this program.

We’re excited to share even more creative opportunities with more artists as this program grows. If you’re a creative with a great idea for an interactive workshop, contact janet@localcolorsj.org!

Listed below are this year’s Creative Experiences engagements and highlights.

Key figures from the first year of Local Color's Creative Experiences program.

Viva Calle

We popped up at two Viva Calle street festivals this year (Willow to Roses and Downtown to Westbound) to offer free button making with Aliks Mahn, Jimmy Paints, Anthony Combs, and Smooth Jazz. (Photo: Alexknowbody)

Berryessa Art Festival

Artist Alondra Paco created a canvas mural design and co-facilitated a community painting alongside Local Color at the Berryessa Art Festival. Over 250 community members contributed to creating the beautiful artwork, which now hangs in the District 4 office in San José City Hall. (Photo: Carman Gaines)

A woman paints her own custom mini lowrider. Image credit: Alex Knowbody

Lowrider Art Showcase at Montalvo
Arts Center

To celebrate Lowrider Arts, culture, and community, the beautiful Montalvo Arts Center hosted a collaborative effort with Local Color, the United Lowrider Council of San José, and a selection of Latinx vendors, artists, chefs, and musicians. With nearly 70 lowriders present, Flipside Lovers, Miguel Ozuna, Mario Dimas, Artes Luna, StreetGlam, Txutxo Perez, Jessica Carman, Francisco Ramirez, Priscilla Marquez, and Samuel Reyes all featured through participatory art making and display of work. (Photo: Alexknowbody)

Shoreline Rocks Anniversary

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Shoreline Regional Park, the city of Mountain View invited Local Color to host an all ages rock painting workshop. The painted rocks will be permanently installed in the park for visitors to see for many years to come. (Photo: Janet Appleton)

Crowd participant putting the finishing touches on a painted rock.

Artist Shanti Nagwani places a clay creation inside a toaster oven to bake. Image credit: Alex Knowbody.

Creekside Socials Events with
Jamestown and Google

Our partnership with Creekside Socials kicked off with a street festival that featured 10 live painters (Julie Meridian, Smooth Jazz, Sasha Mufasa, Edgar Ochoa, Mike Balingit, Jimmy Paints, Andrew Sumner, Wisper, Rayos Magos and Dion Kickback) and postcards to loved ones (by Shanti Nagwani); we continued with workshops in Cyanotype (Amy Hibbs), Photography 101 (Alex Knowbody), Clay Creations (Shanti Nagwani, pictured), and Nature Collage (Tani Belomytsina); and we finished with Lowrider Community Screen Printing (Aliks Mahn) during Ricardo Cortez’s launch of the ABC’s of Low Riding. (Photo: Alexknowbody)

Google Visitor Experience Center,
Mountain View

To celebrate the opening of Google’s Visitor Experience Center in Mountain View, Local Color produced five custom workshops that embraced Google’s values of innovation, community, sustainability, and creativity. Sasha Mufasa (pictured) shared a fun Paint-A-Long workshop, Anthony Combs pressed over 200 customized buttons, Charlene Alcanices of Momstera Lounge taught folks how to make serene moss art, Amy Hibbs amused and inspired with her collage workshop, and Alyssa Wigant rounded out the year with a warm and fun ornament making workshop.
(Photo: Alexknowbody)

Artist Sasha Mufasa leads Google employees and visitors through a guided Paint-A-Long workshop. Photo credit: Alex Knowbody.

Alondra Paco helps community members select letters to create their own custom holiday ornaments. Photo credit: Janet Appleton.

Run Local Ornament Workshop

In partnership with Run Local and Jamestown, Local Color set up a festive ornament decorating station led by artist Alondra Paco. 150 people stopped by to make customized ornaments in the winter sunshine.
(Photo: Alexknowbody)

Additional Pop Ups, Events, and Activations

CREW Camp at Monroe Middle School
To inspire students at Monroe Middle School during their CREW summer camp, Jessica Gutierrez taught a workshop in Collagraphy, and Trisha Leeper set up a multi-scene stop motion studio set up for the students to learn these fun art mediums.

Walking Mural Tours
Throughout the year, Local Color staff guided groups on walking mural tours throughout downtown San José. This included students from San José State University’s Creative Process seminar, Avenues of the World School, Sacred Heart Nativity School, and Hillbrook School. Staff also welcomed the leaders of C.A.S.T to Local Color’s Artist in Residence spaces.

San José Roots Festival, hosted by History San José
Local Color offered an info table at San José Roots, a festival that celebrates San José's history, starting with its indigenous, Spanish, and Mexican pasts to its present innovative spirit.

Qpocalypose
Local Color offered an info table at Qpocalypse, the Santa Clara University resource fair for QPOC and other allies committed to fostering a community and safe space by and for queer students of color.

Youth Empowerment Series (YES)

A family poses in front of a Color Me Rad participants finished work. Photo credit: Alex Knowbody.

Workshop leader Shanti Nagwani poses with Color Me Rad graduates. Photo credit: Alex Knowbody.

A Color Me Rad artist's design is on display as a print, t-shirt, and tote bag. Photo credit: Alex Knowbody.

Photos by Alexknowbody.

19 young creative minds joined Local Color over the Summer for five weeks of art workshops to learn the art of screen printing and lino cut printing. Aliks Mahn and Shanti Nagwani enthusiastically led the group of burgeoning creatives to be more confident and skilled artists.

The program concluded with a fantastic showcase of the students’ work, with each youth vending their collection of printed artworks (see photos above). Every participant received $100 for their creative participation. This was possible through the generous support of SV Creates’ Arts Access Grant and California Arts Council Youth Development Grant, and the Sare Regis Foundation.

Do you know a young emerging artist who would love to participate in this program next Summer? Learn more about our Youth Empowerment Series.

Artist in Residence (AIR)

Hello, I am Rebecca (Bex) and I care for Local Color’s members and facilities. I have had the pleasure of managing the Digital Underground and 50 Barack Obama Studios, totaling roughly 23,000 square feet of creative workspace for 40 artists.

In the very near future, our team is looking forward to adding 800 more feet of workspace to our portfolio! We anticipate moving into the ARYA affordable housing project from SAHA, located on the corner of Balbach St. and S Almaden Ave. in downtown San José, in early 2024. This new space will allow us to provide art workshops to the community as well as the families who reside within the building.

A final note for y’all: our studios are interim and we appreciate everyone’s continuous support in finding our forever “home.” If you have a lead or want to talk about memberships and facilities, come to the bar in the back for a conversation.

Interested in a studio, or looking for a fun, creative place to work with others?
Click here to schedule a chat with Rebecca, Artist In Residence Program Manager

Creative projects funded through Local Color's Local Commons initiative.

Local Commons | Fiscal Sponsorship

Via the Local Commons, we provide fiscal sponsorship services to expand access to restricted funding resources and foster pathways toward sustainability for local community organizers.

Today, we celebrate three years of the Local Commons after beginning this work through mentorship with Social Impact Commons and generous support from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation’s Arts Opportunity Fund.

Alone in 2023, Local Color has supported 11 projects in accessing $188,032 in funding for:

ArcTangent Dance ᐧ Creative Ambassador Amy Hibbs ᐧ Creative Ambassador Stephanie Barajas

Built Environment ᐧ Culture Night Market ᐧ Galllery in the Alley

La Ofrenda: Gilroy’s Inaugural Dia De Los Muertos Festival ᐧ RMFL Productions

The 5th Annual San José Day ᐧ Sampaguitas Literary Magazine ᐧ T.E.Y.A

Additionally, Local Color recently welcomed the following projects to the Local Commons:

1800TATLINE ᐧ Editorial Fashion Collective ᐧ Prime Lens Creative ᐧ RubyRae Productions

San Jo Lo Down Podcast ᐧ SJ Film Collective

The generous funders of the Local Commons have been individuals in addition to foundations and support systems within local government, including: Applied Materials, City of San José Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs, City of San José Councilmember Maya Esparza, City of San José Councilmember Peter Ortiz, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Southern Exposure’s Alternative Exposure Grant, SVCreates’ Gilroy Elevate the Arts Grant supported by the County of Santa Clara and David Lucille Packard Foundation, and the Gilroy Foundation.

Since 2020 through the Local Commons, we have helped direct $295,254 to 27 underfunded grassroots projects in San José, a majority of which are led by and support BIPOC creatives. To mark this collective achievement and honor the folx behind the work, we held our first overnight retreat at the Uvas Canyon Santa Clara County park. (Photos below by Miguel Ozuna)

A collections of foundations who help support the work of Local Color.

Foundations, initiatives, and organizations that support Local Color’s work.

Greetings From Grantland!

“Grantland” is a special place. It’s a land where Local Color’s greatest ambitions, hopes and dreams are described in character counts and metrics. Local Color’s 2023 grants were co-written by our Associate Director Carman Gaines, Executive Director Erin Salazar, and writer Michelle Wallace. Through practice and many “Thank you for applying but your request is declined at this time” responses in 2023, Local Color secured $526,161 from 17 foundations, businesses and San José agencies.

This includes:
Unrestricted General Operating Funds from: Adobe Hometown Initiative, City of San José Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs, County of Santa Clara, David and Lucille Packard Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and SVCreates.

Programmatic Support for our Youth Empowerment Series from: California Arts Council Creative Youth Development Grant, SVCreates Arts Access Grant, and the Sare-Regis Foundation

Additional Support from: Amazon, Applied Materials, City of San José Parks & Rec Abierto Program, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Listen4Good, Sharks Community Foundation, Rotary Club of San José, and Valley Health Foundation

With that said, it’s not all cherries and roses all the time. We would like to share our wins and losses. We went for big and ambitious funding this year and were declined 11 out of 23 times, with $1,600,000 filed in the “Funding Denied” category. We share this information in the spirit of transparency. If there’s anyone out there reading this who’s been dealt a “no,” remember to keep going! Shed a tear, dust yourself off, ask for feedback, and keep applying. If we can do it, you can too!

An overhead view of this year's 31 Skulls fundraiser. Photo credit: Miguel Ozuna.

An overhead view of this year’s 31 Skulls fundraiser. Photo by Miguel Ozuna.

FUNdraising

Fourth Annual 31 Skulls

Back for the fourth year in a row, Local Color hit a new milestone by working with over 31 artists for 2023’s 31 Skulls and hosting the event at the San José Women’s Club! Local Color raised over $30,000 and entertained over 250 guests on October 27.

Artists: Wisper, Elba Raquel, Houyee Chow-Jimenez, Frankie McFly, Alondra Paco, Chetna Mehta, Janet Appleton, Alyssarhaye Graciano, Jessica Carmen, Shanti Nagwani, John Barrick, Augie WK, Rayos Magos, Francisco Ramirez, Lucia Maldonado, Dion Kickback, Erin Salazar, Eddie Ramirez, Drew Roulette, JDuh, Mr.Fuchila, Force129, Mario Dimas, Eric Vasquez, Sasha Mufasa, León Hernandez, Jimmy Paints, Artes Luna, Aliks Mahn, Patrick Hofmeister, Corbrae Smith, Ben Henderson

A special thank you to Miguel Ozuna and Alexknowbody for documenting the night, and the staff at the San José Women’s Club for sharing their space with us!

SAVE THE DATE! The 5th Annual 31 Skulls Showcase & Auction is on October 25, 2024

We ❤️‍🔥 Our Visionary Donors!

Our Visionary Donors support the organization's creative and forward-thinking initiatives, contributing to Local Color’s actions towards a future where the artists flourish and the community is enriched. In 2023, Local Color’s Visionary Donors contributed $19,442 to building cities where all people see themselves represented in their public space. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Click here to join Local Color’s Visionary Donors and contribute to real, meaningful change in the lives of Creatives.

To our Board of Directors +
Local Color’s Extended Team

We would like to highlight Local Color’s incredible Board of Directors and Consultants. Their invaluable work and support behind-the-scenes keeps us aligned with our mission and track to our big audacious goals.

Lisanna Dominguez, Board President and Executive Committee Chair

Samantha Hull, Board Vice President and Executive Committee and Governance Committee Chair

Manny Fernandez, Board Treasurer and Finance Committe Chair

Antonio J. Mendoza, Board Secretary

Amanda Hill, Board Member and Fund Development Committee Co-Chair

Ramiro Torrez, Board Member and Fund Development Committee Co-Chair

Chad Johnston, Board Member and Governance Committee Chair

Amelia Abramson, Board Member

Shalonda Baldwin, Board Member

Nicole Lecheler, Board Member

Angie Guatemala, Board Member

A special thank you to Local Color’s outgoing Board Vice President of 2 years, Samantha Hull.

Chris Del Pilar: Bookkeeper and Accountant
Michelle Robles Wallace, Grant Writer
Kimberly Hess and Nelson Layag, Strategic Framework Partners
Social Impact Commons
Build Advisory

Reflections from the Team at Local Color

Jessica Punzalan
Creative Services Manager

It’s officially been two years since I joined the Local Color team and I’m constantly learning new things in this role.

This year, I found a lot of inspiration in the volunteers and kids I crossed paths with. I hope to continue lowering the barrier folks might feel when it comes to calling themselves “artists” or “creatives” – anyone can do it! I’ve been building up my confidence as an artist and exhibited my work at three shows this year as well as small vending pop-ups.

Please enjoy me looking like a goober next to one of my wood burnings for the Lunar New Year show at Tamper Room in February (wow my hair grows fast). Cheers!

Janet Appleton
Creative Experiences Manager

I LOVE LOCAL COLOR!!!

Since I joined in March, I’ve been so grateful to be part of this team of badasses and meet the wildly talented community of artists connected to Local Color. I want to see each one of them flourish as working artists, so I spend my days hunting out opportunities for them. The special part of last year was getting to meet the youth artists. They, like the adults, had so much creativity to share, and it meant so much to be able to create space for them to shine through our Youth Empowerment Program.

This year has been great because I've had more time and inspiration to do my two favorite things: tinker away on art projects in my backyard studio and chat with Jolene (my cat). It also gave me a tremendously fun Halloween when me and my husband Don dressed as ourselves in 30 years (see photo) and trick-or-treated the neighborhood yelling at people to slow down and enjoy their youth.

Bring on 2024, more workshops, more youth programming, and more money in artists' pockets!

Rebecca Lee
Artists in Residence Facilities Coordinator

I’ve been working part-time at Local Color for 2.5 years and I’ve cherished every minute of it. I appreciate the variety of work I am able to do, and the encouragement I receive from my team to explore additional skills and grow as the membership and facility manager.

This year was a solid year in facilities! We onboarded 12 new artists and sustained our studio on Barack Obama Blvd.

My hope for next year is we will be able to expand our square footage even more because we are at 90% capacity with the space we have now!

Brandon Roos
Communications Consultant

While my time with Local Color still feels fresh, I won’t hesitate to say my tenure so far has reignited my love for local culture. It’s been a privilege to work alongside a team of similarly passionate folks driven by a desire to bring more beauty into the world.

So far, my highlight has been the great press response to Local Color’s Christmas in the Park murals. My contributions have made me re-assess what my role is in facilitating and building community, and how I can best serve that purpose going forward. I’m pumped to see what’s in store for 2024.

Sharon Troung
Office Manager

I've been part of the Local Color team as Office Manager for about six months now, and it has been an incredible journey. The dedication and passion that my team brings to their work is truly inspiring.

Despite coming from a different industry, I've been absorbing valuable insights into our field and the impactful work our organization is doing. I find myself in awe of the collective efforts of my team, and I'm eager to witness our continued growth in the upcoming year.

Here's to more learning, collaboration, and success!

Alejandro Berber
Documentarian

My name is Alejandro, also known in the community as Alexknowbody. As a creative first, I’ve been able to lean on my experience to help Local Color tell the beautiful stories behind the artists they partner with.

In 2023, I helped LC with their social media presence but also helped bridge gaps and tell artists’ stories. I look forward to continuing to help tell these stories and highlight what the organization is accomplishing out here for our local community as well as for our artist community.

I’m here to stay and help the LC familia well document their part in this beautiful city and beyond. Looking forward to an amazing 2024, and to continuing to work with real dope creatives and such a dope organization!

Carman Gaines
Associate Director

2023 was a year of remarkable personal transformation. Several meaningful moments helped reaffirm my commitment to community service, starting with the City of San José’s Commendation for my support of Haley Cardamon during the 5th Annual San José Day. Next was the opportunity to complete the Harvard School of Business Young American Leadership Program, thanks to an anonymous nomination and the Knight Foundation’s generous support. The experience gave me a toolkit for coalition work and catalyzed increased volunteerism with the San José Arts Advocates. I even stepped back into the role of an artist and contributed a piece to Current Tattoo’s Photo’s Only exhibition.

In the Fall, a trip to Detroit, Michigan to attend the Social Purpose Real Estate Summit expanded my horizons and offered invaluable lessons on resiliency and the interconnectedness of finding community solutions. Sharing a panel with inspiring individuals like Brandon Quintanilla and Thaddeus Squire was also an honor.

Lastly, I feel immense gratitude for the invitation to share my story with Daniel Garcia on the Content Magazine podcast. The outpouring of support has been humbling and reaffirms that my small actions have rippled impacts.

As we embark on a new year, I am in mourning and equally grateful for more time to continue this work.

Stay tuned, and take care,

Carman

(Photo: Miguel Ozuna)

Erin Salazar
Executive Director

23 is my favorite number since childhood because it was the day of my birthday and I KNEW in my heart that this would be an incredible year… and boy was it! Creatively, professionally, and personally, 2023 was a year of growth, planning, and absolute unbridled joy.

Artistically, I had four big milestones.

1) I took on a solo Art Show at Redwood Records in Santa Cruz and that kicked off a whole new exploration of my artistic work and practice.

2) I dabbled in jewelry-making and invented hand-painted leather earrings that I absolutely love.

3) I got to paint a dozen tequila, mezcal, and Mexican wine bottles that were raffled off for a Dia De Los Muertos event in partnership with Signia Hotel. I love being able to use my creativity to benefit Local Color!

4) My design was selected by the San José Sharks for their Women of Teal night (pictured!).

Cheers to 2024, my friends!