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COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT

Using our arts-based data collection method we uplift the hopes and dreams of our communities to inform

Artists create a joy-filled container for our community to dream of “WHERE WE ARE GOING” and HOW planning, design, funding, placemaking...you name it, might help us get there:)

We can’t wait to dream with you.

let's collaborate

001.

Funding, 

Policies,

& Placemaking.

PROJECTS OUT IN THE           • PROJECTS OUT IN THE            • PROJECTS OUT IN THE            • PROJECTS OUT IN THE            • PROJECTS OUT IN THE            • PROJECTS OUT IN THE            • PROJECTS OUT IN THE            • PROJECTS OUT IN THE            • PROJECTS OUT IN THE • 

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An interactive sculpture
An original song + music video
...and a coloring book 
all created for the City of Santa Rosa’s General Plan Update. 

Kimzin Creative, The City of Santa Rosa’s Public Art Program, and Santa Rosa Forward collaborated with local artists to expand their approach in civic engagement surrounding the City of Santa Rosa's General Plan Update as it relates to health, housing, and environmental justice.

Local artists lead a series of arts-inspired workshops to uplift the hopes and dreams of our young people while obtaining data from key populations: Santa Rosa residents under 24 years old with an emphasis on the identified Santa Rosa Equity Priority Populations. Data collected from these workshops/youth visions for the future (1) helped ideate policies for the general plan and (2) were source material for original works created to share back gathered data in an engaging and powerful way.

Journey to the Future

The interactive sculpture is a culmination of several workshops, with over 100 high school participants, where they were empowered to collectively envision a future Santa Rosa that they want to live in. Workshops organized in collaboration with Latino Service Providers’ Youth Promotores, ¡DALE!-educational justice youth program, Sonoma County’s Environmental Justice Coalition, Roseland University Prep’s Environmental Science Class, and Amarosa Academy. 

Life Re-Imagined

This original song and music video was crafted through a series of spoken word workshops that asked participants to answer the prompt: “Dear Future Self.” Workshops organized in collaboration with the SRJC Black Student Union and young adults currently in County Juvenile Hall.

Color for the Culture

This bi-lingual coloring workbook was designed to be a joy filled way of collecting data from students, grades 3-8. Over 800 coloring books were distributed and asked students to “draw what they wanted their neighborhood to look like in 30 years.” Coloring Books were distributed in collaboration with the Jack London YMCA, Charles M. Schulz Museum, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, and Roseland Boys & Girls Club.  

read the full report

more about our work

Artist Collaborators

Erika Lutz 
Briona Hendren 
Kayatta
James Dallara 
Ferne Álvarez
butchonnabeat 
Blanca Molina

Let's Build a Park!

In collaboration with the Petaluma River Park Foundation and CMG Landscape Architecture, Kimzin Creative has designed a wide variety of culturally responsive arts engagements to gather input from communities that have been historically excluded from placemaking. This community-led approach will inform the design, programming and operations of the Petaluma River Park —a new 35-acre riverfront, public park that connects people, art, and nature. 

Additionally, at the center of this process are 15 “Community Park Designers” - a group of individuals nominated by their community to work in hand with the foundation and the concept plan development team to co-design the final vision for the Petaluma River Park. 

WHAT WE’VE HEARD! Over a year + of community dreaming has led to 12 guiding principles that create the “Spirit of the Park”. These standards will be our roadmap moving forward with the park development and design. Check out those findings at the center of this booklet (pg. 14-15).

more about our process and the park 

Artist Collaborators

Blanca Molina
Kayatta
Raizes Collective

Community Partners: 

  • Rivertown Revival Music Festival 
  • Saint Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church Health Fair 
  • (4) Petaluma-based Boys & Girls Club sites 
  • BlueZones Project Petaluma 
  • McDowell Elementary School 
  • McKinley Elementary School 
  • COTS (Committee on the Shelterless)
  • Petaluma Blacks for Community Develop 
  • Amor Para Todos 
  • Petaluma Pride 
  • SRJC Petaluma “OUR HOUSE” Queeer Resource Center 
  • Café Puente 

watch the video

Arts Engagements

“I Wish This Could Be..  |  Deseo Que Este Sea…”

My Dream Park |
El Parque De Mis Sueños

Poems.Parks.Placemakers.

Nuestro Parque

Have a project in mind?

We can’t wait to make incredible things with you!

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"“Loved working with Nikko and the entire Kimzin Creative Team! They brought so much energy, expertise and attitude (in a good way) to our projects. I would work with them again in a heartbeat!”

Kimzin Creative was amazing to work with. I cannot say enough good things about Nikko in particular… his experience in equity work and community engagement, his ability to create safe spaces, and dedication to elevating artists and makers… all so important and exactly what we needed in ongoing work with the City of Santa Rosa Public Art Program. Thank you!”

TARA THOMPSON
Arts & Culture Manager, City of Santa Rosa 

"Thanks Kimzin Creative, community partners, and young residents for your hard work!" 

"We reached out to Kimzin Creative because we needed to boost the way that we engage Santa Rosa residents in planning the future of their city, particularly focused on our young people. Nikko facilitated the collaboration among the Public Art Program, the Planning Division, other community organizations, and artists to provide meaningful art skills and to gather relevant data while providing safe and fun spaces to residents under 24 years old to talk about the future of their city in the next 30 years. Through coloring, poetry, art installations, songs, videos, and music, we heard and amplified the voices of low income communities, people of color, and incarcerated youth and created policy, specifically for our Health, Equity, and Environmental Justice Element.

Beatriz Guerrero Auna
Equity and Public Health Planner, City of Santa Rosa

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