More than 55 educators, artists, parents, students, nonprofit leaders and city representatives gathered a couple of Sundays ago at The 222 for the first Healdsburg Community Arts Education Forum, titled “Inspiring Creative Futures.” The event brought together a cross-section of the community, including a strong group of youth voices, who all shared the goal of strengthening arts education as a cornerstone of student success, community wellbeing and Healdsburg’s long-term cultural vitality.
Organized by the City’s Arts and Culture Commission in partnership with Healdsburg Unified School District, and hosted by The 222, the forum reflected a belief that creativity is not an “extra,” but an essential part of a thriving community. “By investing in creative learning today, Healdsburg is laying the foundation for a healthier, more connected, and more vibrant future—for students and for the entire community,” said the project’s preliminary report, still in development for eventual submission to the City Council.
The Jan. 25 forum’s location, in the galleries and halls of the Paul Mahder Art Gallery, helped underscore and added a sometimes surreal, sometimes practical context for conversation to flourish.
A notable feature of the day was the strong participation of young people, whose voices helped shape both the discussion and the proposed next steps. The school district USD is working on this through a Strategic Arts Plan for the district with the help of some Prop. 28 funding. Students from the high school and junior high have started doing visiting lessons at other campuses to help address gaps. This topic was addressed in the Youth Voices discussion group.
Other roundtable conversations were organized around accessibility and equity; wellness and belonging; partnerships and places to make art; lifelong learning; and art practice and environmental stewardship.
Rather than focusing only on broad aspirations, each group was tasked with identifying concrete actions the community could take. For instance, the Wellness and Belonging Through the Arts conversation talked about the rise of mental health issues in schools, and the role the arts can play in addressing these.
Note: The position formerly held by Taryn Nicoll has been announced, and the City of Healdsburg is recruiting for an Arts and Culture Program manager to help carry out the vision, goals and strategies of the City’s Arts and Culture Master Plan. The deadline to apply is Feb. 26 at midnight; applications are available at governmentjobs.com/careers/healdsburgca.
Equity discussions highlighted barriers such as transportation, program fees, scheduling conflicts, language access and staffing shortages. Conversations about Partnerships and Lifelong Learning underscored the importance of affordable classes and accessible spaces to create and experience art. Environmental stewardship discussions explored how public art could inspire individual actions, such as water conservation, with long-term community impact.
“Across all six discussions, several themes emerged,” observed Arts and Culture Commissioner Gina Riner. “Participants consistently emphasized the need for stronger coordination, greater equity, meaningful youth engagement, and long-term investment in facilities and staffing. There was broad agreement that arts education should be viewed as a core public good, closely linked to academic success, wellness and community resilience.”
Another commission member, youth representative Camila Rauda, said, “It means a lot to see youth voices recognized and valued in this way. I’m excited to be part of a space that sees art as a way to connect our community. Art gives people, especially young people, a voice and a way to share their experiences and ideas.”
More than half of the attendees signed up to participate in follow-up working groups, signaling strong momentum. In the months ahead, these groups will focus on pilot programs and strategies, with progress reports shared with the Healdsburg City Council and school district leadership.
“Honestly, I came to a deeper understanding of the importance of human creativity, and how it contributes to our overall happiness in life,” said parent Pat Kirkish. “It’s not an optional hobby, but in one form or another, a necessity for humanity.”
“Part of increasing arts opportunities in the community means strengthening partnerships and increasing communication between the city, the schools, non-profits, and individual artists,” said Linus Lancaster, who with Riner, Rauda and the 222’s Erin Partridge organized the forum. “That was the motivation for putting the forums together and we plan for them to continue, also as a way to keep education front and center in these conversations.
