On Friday, May 24th, the Arts Connection team and The Garcia Center for the Arts amplified our community’s voice by addressing the crucial impact of state Arts and Cultural funding from the California Arts Council (CAC). This meeting addressed a critical issue: potential budget cuts totaling $22.5 million for the arts, alongside a proposal to move the CAC to Go.biz.

Congratulations to muralist Darren Villegas and GTHS students who participated and created this beautiful mural in Grand Terrace High School, with support from JUSD CTE, CCL Redlands, Workforce SBCSS and many others in the community. This is just one of the many amazing projects that emerged from Creative Inland SoCal in collaboration with Arts Connection, Riverside Arts Council, California Desert Arts Council, IECF, and California Arts Council. Keep on supporting your local artists and inspiring youth to create and participate in important conversations as they are not just our future but our present as well!

Art@Transit was an event hosted by the City of Fontana to honor all of the artist that painted bus stop benches. Arts Connection helped selected the artist who would be painting as well as judged the final product. Dre Bonales, Arts Education Supervisor, and Hannah Velasco, Administrative Assistant went on behalf of Arts Connection to table and share resources for artist in the community.

Estudio Aire invited all past artist in residences to celebrate and honor the space and those who have shaped it to what it is today. The intimate event was filled with connection between artists, shirt making with Duan Kellum of Skoolboiz, and diving into the program and its history.