Sonoma Report
Healdsburg’s inaugural Arts for All grants program will support three public arts projects after the city’s Arts & Culture Commission divided $20,000 in available funding among them.
The grants are intended to support projects that broaden public access to the arts, celebrate creativity and contribute to Healdsburg’s cultural life, commission Chair Noah Jepperson said.
The largest award, $9,000, went to artist Jake Messing for “River Dreams,” a 40-foot mural at Russian Riverkeeper. The artwork occupies a highly visible location and highlights the organization’s environmental stewardship of the Russian River, according to the Healdsburg Tribune.
Sonoma Art School received $6,500 for an interactive, oversized flip-book sculpture focused on children’s literature, reading and creativity. The project is being developed with the Healdsburg Regional Library and will involve children in creating a public art installation that combines storytelling with hands-on art.
The remaining $4,500 went to Heartizens, a youth art campus led by Executive Director Tess Aston, for a community Street Puppet Brigade. The planned project is designed to bring different parts of the community together for public celebrations, including the FFA Twilight Parade.
Arts and Culture Commissioner Gianna Davy said the review committee selected three projects rather than distributing the money through a larger number of smaller awards. The chosen projects were considered to have the greatest community impact while remaining free and accessible, she said.
The awards were made during the program’s first year, 2026. The mural’s recent unveiling at Russian Riverkeeper was one of the three projects recognized through the grant program.
