PVA is proud to bring the community together through the arts in Watsonville! Beyond our gallery exhibitions, we collaborate with local artists and community organizations to make art accessible.
Look for PVA programming beyond the gallery walls, including our annual Escultura ES exhibits at Sierra Azul Nursery & Garden, Movable Murals at 250 Main Street, and the Teen Artes mural at Ramsay Park!
The Youth Community Calendar is your go-to guide for fun, learning, and connection! Each month, exciting events and opportunities are highlighted from our amazing partners in the Asset Builder’s Collaborative — all designed to help young people across Santa Cruz County stay inspired, connected, and engaged with their community.
Don’t miss out! Be sure to check back every month and see what’s happening in the Youth Community Calendar!
- Second Saturdays bring Historic Downtown Watsonville to life each month with performances, art demonstrations, interactive activities, culture, food, and fun. PVA is proud to join in the celebration, sharing art experiences that connect with the community in the heart of downtown.
- Sierra Azul Nursery – Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens is a family-owned and operated business located in the Pajaro Valley, at the edge of Watsonville, adjacent to the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Sierra Azul hosts PVA’s annual Sculpture IS: In the Garden in their demonstration garden free to the public. The sculpture exhibit runs June 1 – October 31 every year.
- Pajaro Valley Pride has been creating safe and affirming spaces for the LGBTQIA2S+ community since 2015 through scholarships, events, partnerships, and advocacy in Watsonville and beyond. PVA was proud to partner with them on Hers, His, Theirs, Ours: Queer Expression, celebrating queer creativity and expression in the Pajaro Valley.
- El Programa de Jóvenes Escritores, trabaja con los estudiantes para responder verbalmente y por escrito a la obra de arte. Esto ha resultado en la publicación de una serie de libros que combina las imágenes con la reacción escrita de los estudiantes. En 2016, las imágenes de este proyecto se colocaron en toda la comunidad de Watsonville como puntos focales de una caminata por las calles. Varios de los artistas estuvieron presentes para discutir su trabajo y responder preguntas al público general. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, founded in 1905, connects people with nature through exhibits, education, and community programs. PVA partners with the Museum on Let’s Go Outside and other collaborations that inspire curiosity, stewardship, and creativity at the intersection of art and the natural world.
- Watsonville Center for the Arts – A collective of artistic and cultural groups sharing classes with the Watsonville community. Watsonville Center for the Arts is a project of Arts Council Santa Cruz County.
- Mariposa Arts – Mariposa Arts after-school programs bring visual art, music, dance, and theatre to more than 3,000 students in schools that have little or no funding for the arts during the regular school day.
- Festival de cine de Watsonville – The Watsonville Film Festival highlights Latinx filmmakers and stories that illuminate our shared humanity and inspire positive change. Most recently, PVA proudly partnered with Watsonville Film Festival for More Than Cars: Celebrating Lowrider Culture
- Community Arts & Empowerment (Watsonville Brillante) – Community Arts & Empowerment is formed to make art for, by and with the public, to build community identity, pride and connections through public art projects, and foster creativity and empower communities through the arts.
- Muzzio Mosaic Arts Center – Community Arts & Empowerment has a free mosaic arts center in Watsonville for the design and fabrication work for Watsonville Brillante.
- Arte del Corazon – What started as a small group of community members and artists banding together to put on an art market, has developed into a well-rounded and committed non-profit organization, dedicated to providing artists – especially those historically excluded from the arts sector – opportunities for financial advancement, professional development and community engagement.
- Watsonville Public Library – Programs and events at Watsonville Public Library celebrating art and expression in our community.
Watsonville Mural Archive
Website by Marisol Medina-Cadena
Podcast Producer, KQED’s Rightnowish
The website watsonvillemurals.wixsite strives to archive murals and give long overdue credit to the artists who have made Watsonville, CA a place of murals. The photos included on this website are not a complete record of every mural in Watsonville (as some have already been removed) and more recent ones have yet to be archived.