A Collaboration Between Wake UP Sonoma and Art Escape
WHAT: Art for Inclusion – Youth Art Show – Project Kick Off Event
WHERE: Sunflower Caffé – 421 First St. West, Sonoma
WHEN: Sunday, November 8
TIME: 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Included: Children’s art activity, small bites and wine, music by Jeff Falconer, and Ribbon cutting with Chamber of Commerce.
ADMISSION: Free with RSVP requested for planning but not required
RSVP – “Art for Inclusion” “Arte De Una” Art Show and Kick Off Event.
Wake UP Sonoma and Art Escape proudly announce the launch of Art for Inclusion / Arte que Nos Una, a new community‑driven initiative designed to elevate youth and Latino voices across Sonoma Valley through the power of art. This project invites every business and nonprofit in the Valley to participate by displaying window clings featuring original youth artwork — a visible symbol of welcoming, supportive, and inclusive spaces.
This kickoff event will be hosted at Sunflower Caffé with small bites provided by Sunflower Caffé. Wine by Winery Sixteen 600. You are encouraged to bring your young ones to participate in free art activities provided by the talented Art Escape instructors. Music will be provided by Jeffery Falconer, a longtime and very popular musician who has deep community roots and collaborations across Sonoma Valley.
A Mission Rooted in Belonging
The Art for Inclusion initiative showcases artwork created by local youth and Latino voices that celebrates belonging, diversity, and inclusivity. By weaving these artistic expressions throughout storefronts and organizations across Sonoma Valley, the project creates a visible thread of unity, encouraging partnerships with businesses that share the values of connection and community, and that provides a welcoming supportive space.
Community Input and Cultural Alignment
Inspired by the need to keep DEI visible and vibrant in Sonoma Valley, Wake UP Sonoma partnered with Art Escape in 2024 to bring this vision to life. Lisa Storment, President of Wake UP Sonoma talked about what inspired the project.
“This has been a dream and passion project of mine ever since the Lefever/Mattson investors, who were openly homophobic, began buying up Sonoma Valley. I started to feel like it would be hard to know which businesses my family could feel welcomed into a community with so much owned by them in Sonoma Valley. I longed for a visible symbol of inclusive welcoming from businesses. Thank goodness we no longer have them to worry about but this project is even more relevant now with the threat of losing DEI visibility across the nation.”
Over two years, a Wake UP Sonoma Community Action Team came together including a combination of community members who identify as LGBTQIA+, immigrants, Latino, BIPOC, different gender identities and backgrounds. This team shaped the initiative with intention, authenticity and cultural sensitivity.
The team sought input from La Luz, Latino community members, and local business owners on the project’s cultural appropriateness and potential community impact. The feedback encouraged the team to move forward, feeling that as window clings appear in local business windows, recognition will grow signaling safe, welcoming spaces throughout Sonoma Valley. This is a dynamic project that is hoped to continue to grow and form over time, with new art refreshing the project annually.
Youth Art at the Center
To launch the initiative, Art Escape curated five youth art workshops for ages 10–17, each incorporating an educational component on inclusion. Youth were invited to express their understanding of belonging through art, resulting in 30 original pieces, with 19 of them to be displayed at the November 8th kickoff event at Sunflower Caffé. All 30 will be displayed on the Art for Inclusion website, with some submitted anonymously.
Four pieces were selected to be incorporated into the first series of window clings that will soon be available for businesses and organizations to proudly display..
Alma Murillo Bastress, Operations & Community Engagement Director at Art Escape, shared: “Art Escape was excited to give local teens a space to explore what inclusion and belonging mean to them through art. What makes this project special is that their voices won’t stay within the walls of a classroom; their artwork will be shared throughout the community, giving young artists an opportunity to see their ideas and creativity become part of a larger conversation about belonging in Sonoma Valley.”
Design, Identity, and Visibility
A concept design team was formed by Wake UP Sonoma, which was led by Matthew Long Design to develop the campaign identity, the original concept of the window clings and a unique butterfly logo symbolizing inclusiveness and welcoming. The team hopes this logo will become a recognizable emblem of safe spaces throughout Sonoma Valley. Lori Winter of Explore Creative joined the team recently and brought the concept to life with the final designs.
The initiative also features a dedicated webpage on the Wake UP Sonoma website, designed by Jocelyn Simone Rhude, which showcases all of the submitted artwork, shares artist information, (including anonymous submissions that were not displayed in the art show), You can also register to become part of the initiative by ordering a window cling from the website if you cannot make it to the opening event. You can choose to become a sponsor of the project by either donating towards a window cling or become an Art for Inclusion Sponsor at various levels of support outlined on the website.
Donations will go towards keeping the initiative funded. You can order a window cling here: Window Cling Registration – Art for Inclusion or by visiting the webpage here: https://wakeupsonoma.com/artforinclusion
Community Partners Leading the Way
Although the actual art pieces will not be for sale at this time, you can view the art at the kickoff event, and window clings will be onsite to pick up at the event.
Youth art will be featured in a series of rotating art shows hosted by community partners, businesses, and sponsors. The kickoff event will be held at Sunflower Caffé, one of the earliest supporters of the initiative. Leading up to the Kick off event, the pieces will be on display at Sunflower Caffé starting the week of October 12th.
James Hahn, owner of Sunflower Caffé, shared: “When young people share their vision of belonging through art, the whole community gains a fresh perspective. Sunflower Caffé has always been a gathering place for the whole Valley, so opening our doors to host and support the Art for Inclusion kickoff was an easy decision. It’s a privilege to back our youth, celebrate their voices, and help launch a project that brings more unity and connection to our storefronts.”
A future art show will be hosted at Art Escape, with the date to be announced. You can stay informed about where the show will be next by visiting the website here: https://wakeupsonoma.com/artforinclusion
Businesses interested in hosting an art display can contact [email protected]
Sponsors
This initiative is made possible through the generosity of: Barbara Benson; Art Escape, The Framery, Wake UP Sonoma, Sunflower Caffé, Winery Sixteen 600, Jeffery Falconer, Matthew Long Design and Lori Winter of Explore Creative.
JOIN US
The November 8th kickoff event is more than an art show — it’s an invitation to stand with Sonoma Valley’s youth, celebrate inclusive voices, and help build a community where everyone feels seen, welcomed, and valued. Admission is free, but an RSVP is requested for planning purposes.
RSVP – “Art for Inclusion” “Arte De Una” Art Show and Kick Off Event.
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