In 2001, Event Coordinator Brenda Jew Waters was a state board member of California Arts Advocates. She organized the Arts Celebration Rally at the State Capitol and funding substantially increased for the California Arts Council that year.

In 2003 Funding for the California Arts Council was substantially reduced to $1.5 million and arts organizations suffered. Many went out of business.

As a recipient of the 2003 Directors Award from the California Arts Council, Ms. Waters felt a way to at least help some of Sacramento’s artists was promoting them at the same time at an arts festival and showing off the diversity of the performing and the visual arts. Performers included Conquista Musical, Salsa Capital, Doug Crawford Heart Drummer, DreamWalker, Sacramento Black Art of Dance, Lil Luana Island Dancers, Sinag Tala Filipino Dancers, Camellia Waldorf School circus. 50 arts organizations and artist vendors participated. It was called H Street Festival and was on September 11, 2004.

Due to lack of available parking, we moved the festival to River Park in 2006 and called it Arts in River Park. Attendance grew and we found many artisans residing in River Park. The festival on May 12, 2007 was held at Scottish Rite Masonic Center. We included the healing arts, storytelling and a puppet show by the Sacramento Philharmonic League. Sponsors of the 2007 festival included Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn, Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson, SMUD, Inside Publications, Craft Connections, Health and Fitness Magazine, ASCE, Balanced Life Magazine, McKinley Elvas Neighborhood Association, Y92.5 f.m., Sacramento Magazine, River Park Neighborhood Association, Parent’s Monthly, Central United Methodist Church and Volunteer Center of Sacramento. Wells Fargo has named Arts in River Park as a community partner in 2006.

The Volunteer Center of Sacramento is our fiscal receiver.

Brenda, Event and Promotions Coordinator with Joy Gee, Arts in River Park committee member, MatrixArts, and D&J Studios