What We Do

We select exemplary artists through a competitive process using independent expert panels and honor these artists with unrestricted cash prizes, promotion, and recognition.

Who We Serve

We serve Santa Clara County artists across multiple disciplines, as showcased in our SVLaureate Directory. These artists were selected for the quality of their work and their commitment to enriching our community with exhibitions, performances, presentations, and service. Additionally, we serve the broader community by introducing new artists and new artwork to arts lovers, students, and community leaders.

Why It’s Important

Artists contribute socially and culturally to a vibrant and creative community, challenge our hearts and minds, and bring joy, new insights and learning to our lives. We believe they deserve our encouragement, recognition, and financial support.

What’s Been Done
  • Celebrated the achievements of over 160 artists since 1991, across a wide range of artistic disciplines, and invested over $400,000 in their work 
  • Developed SVLaureate Directory to highlight the work of these artists and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Artist Laureate program in 2015
  • Expanded the annual celebration into a grand party, including a special edition of Content Magazine featuring the Laureates and Emerging Artists
  • Increased investment in the Content Emerging Artist Awards to provide support to our region’s best up and coming creatives
What’s Next
2023 SVCREATES Content Emerging Artists

DAN FENSTERMACHER
Dan Fenstermacher is a photographer, professor, and West Valley College photography program chair. His compositions are rooted in detail and use juxtaposition to reveal reality at the core of often misunderstood situations. His documentarian approach to street photography captures an honest and visually energizing depiction of his subjects.

KEANA AGUILA LABRA
Keana Aguila Labra is an author, co-director of the Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate program, and co-founder of Sampaguita Press. Keana’s poetry begins with a thought or feeling nurtured through revision and the unpacking of history and ancestry. By sculpting emotion into multilingual poetry, Keana hopes to foster representation for readers unseen in society’s cultural hierarchy.

DAVIED MORALES
Davied Morales is a San José-born actor and rapper who has worked for numerous Bay Area theater companies, appeared on television and film, and amassed a large social media following. He hopes to be an example and pillar of support for Bay Area creatives by manifesting honest positivity through his craft.

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