The Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative has announced the addition of four new board members, Sharyn Main, Vanae Rivera, Dug Uyesaka, and Joseph Velasco.

“We are thrilled that these four dynamic leaders have joined our Board of Directors,” said Helene Schneider, newly appointed board president. “Each brings incredible expertise, connections to the Santa Barbara community, and a wealth of wisdom and energy for growing and sustaining our local arts scene.”

“All and all, it’s a sign of great things to come for the Arts Collaborative.” said Casey Caldwell, SBAC managing director. “I have so much respect for Sharyn, Joe, Vanae and Dug as community leaders, full of intriguing schemes, deep integrity, and love for our community.”

Main has been involved in Santa Barbara County’s philanthropic and the nonprofit sector for nearly four decades. After starting her environmental career at the Community Environmental Council (CEC), she returned to the organization in 2018 to develop a new Climate Resilience program.

Previously, she served as senior director of community investments at the Santa Barbara Foundation, where she developed initiatives for environmental conservation and strategic planning for the arts.

Main currently works as a consultant for nonprofit organizations and community groups.

She has always had a passion for the arts. From an early age she began drawing and painting and has also had a life-long love of theater and dance, performing on stages throughout Santa Barbara for over two decades.

Rivera is a self-taught artist working with ink, acrylic, pencil, block-printing, assemblage, and more, as well as being a tattoo artist and owner of Mary Tattoo. Vanae has organized many beloved local art shows, pop-ups, and community curated events since 2007. 

Uyesaka has been a working artist and involved in the community arts scene since the 1970’s. He is currently teaching art at Laguna Blanca School and has taught at the Center for Life Long Learning in Santa Barbara.

In 2009 he received the Laguna Blanca School Faculty Excellence Award for the Middle School and a William T. Colville Foundation grant. In 2010 he was awarded the Individual Artist Award for Assemblage and Collage by The Arts Fund of Santa Barbara.

He was privileged to have a mid-career survey, “long story short” at the Westmont Ridley Tree Museum of Art in 2016. Dug was also a Santa Barbara County Arts Commissioner for the Second District 2007 – 2019.

Velasco attended UCSB and began his career in 1991 with the renowned Chicano theater company, El Teatro Campesino as an intern before becoming a Resident Director for a year. In 1994, he co-founded BOXTALES Theatre Company, helping create a hybrid style of physical theater and storytelling which continues to this day. He is the former Artistic Director for City at Peace Santa Barbara. He currently teaches English with an emphasis in Ethnic Studies at Santa Barbara High School and continues to be a storyteller and performer working on various projects in his spare time. 

“Each of these folks has a rich history with the Arts Collaborative,” said Rod Hare, co-founder of the organization. “Sharyn was instrumental in the Arts Collaborative receiving one of its very first grants in the early days, from the Santa Barbara Foundation for the Enterprise Arts Grant Program. She was one of the first people to take us seriously when we were just a baby organization. Joe was an Artist in Residence in our pilot Arts Residency program in 2018, running Cuentos del Pueblo, a moving community storytelling project. Vanae designed the Arts Collaborative’s very first t-shirt in what must have been about 2010. She has for four years now organized one of the most popular annual events at the CAW, an arts and crafts pop-up that brings a wonderful diversity of artists and people together. Dug helped shape and lend credence to the Ready to Hang art show, and has participated in numerous other art shows here at the CAW. Each brings a diverse background and unique set of perspectives to our growing organization. It’s exciting news for the Arts Collaborative.”