Logo of California Heartland Creative Corps with colorful text.

Provided $1,656,963 in awards for Stanislaus County arts projects in 2024.

Heartland Creative Corps is a collaboration between Stanislaus Arts Council, Tuolumne County Arts, Merced County Arts Council, & United Way of Merced County.

Heartland Creative Corps was given $4.2 million by the California Arts Council to fund art projects in the 3 counties that meet specific criteria. Through this program, over $1.6 million was awarded to 17 Stanislaus County art projects.

Heartland Project Updates

17 Funded Projects

Four people posing in front of a colorful mural featuring a woman with vibrant hair, a leopard, palm trees, a classic car, and ocean waves.

209 Murals - Jose Manriquez

The 209 Murals project will produce 3-5 murals primarily located in Ceres, West Modesto, Airport District in Modesto, and South Modesto. The aim of the project is to beautify the community, especially the historically low-income areas that suffer from crime, trash, and other causes that lead to unsafe, underserved, blighted neighborhoods that tend to get worse over time.

Two men standing in front of a colorful mural with geometric patterns on a wall, one wearing a gray T-shirt and khaki shorts, the other wearing a black shirt and jeans.

Bottled Ecology: Mosaic Mural
- Boys & Girls Club of Stanislaus County

The “Bottled Ecology" project involves the design and construction of an 8' x 15' outdoor water bottle window mural made from colorful transparent tiles. Made from recycled water bottles, this vibrant plastic panel will resemble the type of stained-glass windows often seen in churches.

Students walking in front of a modern building with a large abstract sculpture nearby. The area is surrounded by trees and greenery.

1st Generation Mural Project
- Jaqueline Villegas

This project aims to bring together young people at the CSU Stanislaus campus. The artists are planning a mural project at the Innovative Center's patio wall located at the University in Turlock, CA.

Person with curly hair wearing a gray vest and white shirt, seated outdoors at a café, holding their hair with one hand.

Air Quality Intermedia Sculptural Installations
- Cyprin Mason

This project will spread awareness of the role of ventilation and indoor air quality in the spread of COVID-19, as well as bring intermedia and electronic arts to youth in underserved populations. A short series of intermedia sculptures will be made with an electronic component to incorporate visualization of air quality measurements, to be installed in community centers.

Logo of South Modesto Business United with the acronym S.M.B.U and figures of people, promoting community support.

Familias & Cultura for Community Change
- South Modesto Businesses United

This project will amplify the rich, vibrant culture of the South Modesto community’s musicians, artists, and dancers. This project will produce original musical and dance performances that our predominantly Latino South Modesto population can relate to; and strengthen pride in our Latino culture and identity.

Two people in a modern office setting, one seated and working on a laptop, the other standing and looking over their shoulder. The room features minimalist decor with a vase of flowers and stylish furniture against a neutral backdrop.

Families Felices / Happy Families
- Cristina Avalos

With support from Heartland Creative Corps, the project will produce, perform, and promote online 3 children's songs in Spanish related to Public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19 and two songs in Spanish related to Civic engagement, including election participation.

Ballet dancers performing on stage in classical costumes, with one dancer in a dynamic pose and others in the background.

Frankenstein: A Community Connected
- Central West Ballet

The Central West Ballet will bring Modesto’s performing arts community together to participate in a massive collaboration and celebration of live dance, theater, and music, giving underserved students the opportunity to see the diversity in, and the interconnectedness of our art forms in a completely new and different way.

A person sitting on a bench wearing a black jacket, ripped jeans, and brown boots, with a blue Nike duffel bag next to them.

Instinct Community Tour - Orlin Reyes

This project will create a musical composition through artistic performances that will be educational, uplifting, and inclusive. The album titled "Instinct" is an autobiography of a conflicted adolescent who was born and raised by a single, Afro-Latino mother of four children, in the neglected community of Westside Modesto. This musical composition embodies the pursuit of higher education, artistic creative expression, and raising awareness of social justice.

Woman in black top and teal pants holding a camera against a dark background.

Letters Home - Thelma Saldivar

This project will use photography to generate a sense of value, understanding, respect, and empathy for the experiences of immigrants and refugees starting new lives in our community. The “Letters Home” project began with the idea of allowing immigrant and refugee students to share the story of their resettlement experiences and achievements with their families in their native countries.

Three people performing on stage with a cowboy theme. One is wearing a cowboy hat, another is dressed in casual shirt and pants, and the third in a yellow jacket. A backdrop with bookshelves is behind them.

The Free Season - Lightbox Theatre Company

LightBox’s foundational goal is to make live art that instructs and entertains elementary school children. In order to better serve our community and increase our reach, LightBox will offer one season free to the public and use that season as the foundation of a traveling theater program. We will commission two new plays, present them free to the public for four to eight performances each, and invite up to 1,200 school children per production to attend for free.

View of a music performance inside Prospect Theater Project, illuminated with purple lighting and string lights. Visible through a glass window, there are musicians playing instruments and audience members seated inside. Signs on the door read "Artist Lab."

One Valley, Many Stories
- Prospect Theater Project

One Valley, Many Stories will provide a performance space for diverse groups to develop and share stories of their history, values, reasons for settling in Stanislaus County, lifestyle changes, and intergenerational challenges; and facilitate a process for creating a joint culture in our community with the objective of bringing awareness to the Heartland Grant's focus areas.

A person in a red dress reading from a book at a microphone in a gift shop.

Poesia y Arte Curando el Alma en Condado de Stanislaus - Yudelka Solano

The project will create artwork through the concept of “la cultura cura.” In the form of poetry, music, and visual arts which has the power to heal trauma caused by war, domestic violence, racism, poverty, and other inequities. I want Latinos to experience Spanish and their culture as a source of pride instead of shame, as our language and cultures have all too frequently been disparaged.

Two men sitting on a concrete step against a brick wall with graffiti, wearing casual black jackets and sneakers.

Pride War Documentary - Mark Runnels

PRIDE WAR is a 50-minute documentary chronicling the nation’s first Straight Pride Parade, which first occurred in 2019 in Modesto, California. It has since become a yearly occasion. Our film provides a voice to many in the community who are lower income or considered to be outcasts in a county with strong conservatism. Many of the counter-protesters are members of the Latino, African-American, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Person wearing sunglasses and a white t-shirt standing under colorful artificial flowers with green foliage background.

Print for Progress - Marisa Segovia

This project will use printmaking to create social awareness. Print for Progress is a community project that creates public awareness about critical issues affecting our communities in Stanislaus County through printmaking. This project will use various printmaking techniques to create individual and collaborative artworks that focus on social justice. The prints created in these workshops will be displayed in local galleries and public spaces in Modesto, CA.

Two people interacting in front of a spotlight, one wearing a red face mask and cap, while the other faces away.

The Central Valley Film Anthology - Jacob True

The Central Valley Film Anthology aims to tell the stories of our underrepresented communities, mentor and educate aspiring filmmakers within our region, and provide infrastructure and resources to our community which normally lacks the opportunity to share their unique perspectives through the medium of film.

Two people in a modern office setting; one is standing and leaning over to look at the other person's laptop. The scene includes a table with cups, a vase with flowers, and a phone with a notebook.

The Indigo Project - Nicole Jones

The Indigo Project will paint 5-7 large murals in neighborhoods of Stanislaus County, California. The murals will be about health, stopping the spread of COVID-19, mental health, energy and water conservation, climate mitigation, social justice, civic engagement, and positivity. Each of the murals will be approximately 20 ft by 20 ft. and will have a common theme to beautify the space while sending powerful messages to the community.

Three people smiling next to a truck with painting supplies, including paint cans and a ladder.

West Side Story Mural Project
- Carnegie Arts Center Foundation

The “West Side Story” Mural Project consists of two murals created for Turlock’s West Side neighborhood. Together, the two murals will represent aspects of community life in the neighborhoods on Turlock’s West Side. The murals will be designed and executed by Richard Gomez and a team of assistants.