Investing in Place: Arts, Culture, and Community Power
Investing in Place: Arts, Culture, and Community Power
How can arts funders effectively engage in place-based investment and community development? How can we intentionally build sustainable futures for this work for ourselves and our communities?
In this 75-minute webinar moderated by Johanna Taylor (Arizona State University), leaders from The Culture & Community Power Fund and SVCreates' Gilroy Arts Initiative will discuss how arts and community development sectors can collaborate to strengthen local ecosystems in support of community power and cultural self-determination.
Through an interactive dialogue, speakers will reflect on the successes and challenges of navigating local power dynamics and cross-sector partnerships, and how funders can build more responsive, community-centered approaches to cultural investment.
- Johanna Taylor, Associate Professor, Arizona State University
- Jaci Muro, Executive Director, Gilroy Foundation
- Erik Takeshita, Director, The Culture & Community Power Fund
- Alexandra Urbanowski, CEO, SVCreates
Speaker Bios
Johanna Taylor, Associate Professor, Arizona State University
Johanna K. Taylor is a scholar and arts administrator whose work explores how artists and designers collaboratively expand democratic actions in arts institutions and civic systems. Her research focuses on how the arts unite communities to shape policy and innovate shared futures. She holds a PhD in Public Policy and is Associate Professor at Arizona State University. She is co-founder of CAIR Lab, a creative collective building more just places through arts-led, cross-sectoral collaboration.
Jaci Muro, Executive Director, Gilroy Foundation
Jaci Muro is the Executive Director of Gilroy Foundation, a community foundation serving South Santa Clara County. Born and raised in Gilroy, she brings a deep commitment to community-rooted philanthropy and place-based investment that reflects the values, culture, and aspirations of the region she calls home.
As the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants and the daughter of a farmworker, Jaci’s leadership is grounded in lived experience and a belief that communities closest to the work should help shape the solutions. At Gilroy Foundation, she leads efforts to strengthen local nonprofit ecosystems, support youth and family opportunity, and expand access to philanthropy through donor partnerships, community initiatives, and cross-sector collaboration.
Jaci has helped advance several community-driven initiatives that connect philanthropy with local leadership, including efforts that integrate arts and cultural expression into broader strategies for community development and belonging. She works closely with regional partners, funders, and civic leaders to ensure that investment in the arts is connected to broader goals around economic mobility, cultural preservation, and community power.
Through her work, Jaci is focused on building long-term systems of support that allow local communities, artists, and nonprofit organizations to shape the future of the places they live.
Erik Takeshita, Director, The Culture & Community Power Fund
Erik Takeshita has spent more than 25 years supporting community development with an emphasis on the role of art and culture. Erik has held a variety of positions including with ArtPlace America, the Bush Foundation in St. Paul, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Erik was trained as a ceramic artist and holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Kennedy School. He currently lives in Minneapolis, MN.
Alexandra Urbanowski, CEO, SVCreates
Alexandra Urbanowski, is CEO of SVCreates, the county-wide local arts agency in Santa Clara County, CA. SVCreates builds the cultural sector’s capacity through grantmaking and technical support, raises the voices and visibility of local artists through its Content Magazine and other publications , and increases access to arts for historically underserved communities through a range of programs. She has provided leadership, advocacy, and strategic management for a range of cultural initiatives and community development projects on both the east and west coasts including American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley, New Hampshire Public Radio, and San Jose Repertory Theatre. Prior to becoming CEO in January 2024, she served as SVCreates' Deputy Director for six years where she directed all grant programs, designed capacity building and training curriculum, and led SVCreates' regional expansion to agricultural and rural parts of the county. She currently serves on the leadership committee for the California Coalition of County Arts Agencies and the board of California Arts Advocates, is a member of SJ Rotary Club, and a guest columnist for San Jose Spotlight News. Alexandra is an independent theater producer and an alumna of Smith College and Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program.