I have been looking forward to this issue, 16.3, Summer 2024, partly because it has been a rainy winter and spring but mostly because it is our annual issue that features some aspects of West Valley College’s Cilker School of Art and Design. I look forward to the students we feature who demonstrate the hard work and creativity that is alive in the South Bay, and I look forward to the Pick-Up Party, complete with a fashion show.

Also, I am excited to feature the careers of Elizabeth Santana and Aldo Billingslea, long-time contributors to the South Bay theater scene. They have been on my features list for longer than I care to admit. Their stories, combined with the legacy of Diane Hurd, demonstrate the quality and completeness there has been in the South Bay art scene for decades. When you think of the number of lives impacted just by these three, your eyes are opened to the many dedicated individuals that make up the richness of our region. By reading their profiles, the profiles of the launching students, the emerging work of those at The Coterie Den, and the artwork of RC, you will deepen your appreciation for our community and have your palate broadened to match the diversity of our county.

Thank you for reading and supporting the creative community with us.

Enjoy,

Daniel Garcia 

The Cultivator

Featuring:

The Coterie Den, Lucas Millan, Isandro Biaco, Danny Cardona, Wyatt Perkins, Angel Cabebe, and Bryan Reed | Arts Supporter, Pamela Hornik | Interior Design Professor, Diane Hurd | West Valley College Student Profiles, Joel Hangai, Joshua Cruz, Shraddha Karalkar | Artist, RC | Artist, Xiaoze Xie | SJZ Break Room, Scott Fulton | Actor/Educator, Aldo Billingslea | Youth Poet and Activist, Thy Hope Luong | Palo Alto Players, Elizabeth Santana | Performing Artist, Carolina Pérez | Red Rock Coffee Open Mic Night, Ashley Markowicz & Henri Boulanger | SJZ Break Room, Scott Fulton