It's a new year, with hope on the horizon in the form of new vaccines, but the reality is we're still in this for a while, and the State's Stay Home Order is still in effect. The list of stats and updates I'll share on today's show is a bit daunting, which is one reason I'm glad I have a great community leader to interview. As Executive Director of International House Davis, longtime Davis resident Shelly Gilbride and her team have been guiding the venerable nonprofit through the challenges and changes of the past year. Before joining I-House, Shelly served for five years as the Programs Officer of the California Arts Council, where she was responsible for grant programs to support arts, culture, and creativity across the state. Shelly oversaw the programs at the Arts Council during a period of tremendous growth, initiating and implementing new programs that extended the agency’s reach to support cultural communities, artists, and grassroots organizations.
During the pandemic, we've worked together to highlight how arts and culture organizations have been largely left out of organized relief funds. We'll talk about this and also hear from Shelly about taking a huge community event virtual, keeping programs running, and I-House's evolving emphasis on anti-racism work.