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Silicon Valley Creates reports on 'Elevate Gilroy through the Arts' grants; La Frenda festival drew roughly 10,000 attendees, organizer says
Summary
Silicon Valley Creates told the Gilroy City Council on April 14 that the Elevate Gilroy through the Arts program awarded just over $55,000 to five projects in 2024–25, leveraging the city’s $25,000 investment into additional funding and volunteer support.
Silicon Valley Creates, the Santa Clara County arts council, presented the second‑year results of the Elevate Gilroy through the Arts grant program at the April 14 meeting, telling council the program leveraged a $25,000 city commitment into just over $55,000 in grants to five local projects in the 2024–25 cycle.
Alexandra Urbanowski, CEO of Silicon Valley Creates, said the grants produced further cash and in‑kind leverage, more than doubling the initial grant total through other funds and volunteer hours. She described program goals the city had previously approved — support culturally relevant work, raise visibility of local artists, activate public spaces, build organizational capacity and catalyze additional funding and public support for arts as part of local economic development.
Urbanowski highlighted several funded projects, including the La Frenda (La Flenda/LaFrenda) Festival — presented by members of the Gilroy arts community — which she said engaged 50 sponsors and community partners and drew approximately 10,000 attendees this year. She told the council the festival brought an estimated $700,000 in economic activity to the local area and paid out more than $50,000 to local Gilroy artists. Other projects included youth mentorship mural work coordinated by Sixth Street Studios and the Shades of Brown Alliance, and exhibitions showcasing Latinx and Indigenous arts.
Urbanowski said SV Creates provided hands‑on application support, engaged local reviewers on grant panels, and ran workshops in partnership with the Gilroy Arts Roundtable to strengthen applications. She left the council packet’s written annual report with the city clerk and invited council and the public to view detailed project descriptions in the full report. No council action was required; councilmembers thanked the presenter and had no questions.
