With support from the California Arts Council, Urban Arts Collaborative (UAC) will hold biweekly workshops in visual and interdisciplinary arts and wellness, mentoring, and monthly community public art installations/events, engaging more than 700 youth ages 5-24 in Salinas. Reflecting UAC’s ethos of “Nature is Art ~ Art is Healing,” young artists will develop visual arts skills to creatively give voice to the issues that impact their lives through a healing-informed approach to the arts.
Together, these programs overlap holistically and intersect to create a uniquely cohesive, dynamic, and strength-based approach to advancing artistic expression, food justice, environmental stewardship, community belonging, and social justice leadership.
Urban Arts Collaborative provides art and wellness workshops, mentoring, and public art events that engage youth in developing their creative voice. Guided by experienced artists, youth gain arts skills and techniques, express themselves about issues that matter to them, and gain collaborative and leadership skills they need to succeed as artists, in higher education and employment, and in life.
-Art Instruction & Creation: Workshops, events, and exhibits create a safe, inclusive space for youth to learn arts skills using mixed media and build a portfolio
LGBTQ+ Spectrum of Expressions: This program offers members of the LGBTQ+ community of all ages the opportunity to participate throughout the year in artistic workshops and exhibitions.
-Food Justice/Wellness: Organic farm visits engage youth in creating living food mandalas to teach a healthy lifestyle and stewardship of the earth.
-Youth Mentoring: Mentoring sessions prepare young artists to combine leadership and artistry to make a difference in their lives and community.
-Public Arts: Community events and collaborations (such as Salinas Ciclovia) engage participants in creative art making to celebrate arts and culture in public space and venues.

