A resident of Los Angeles for the past two decades, photographer Noe Montes first collaborated with Blue Sky Center in 2017. Over the past few years, between various creative endeavors, most of Montes’ trips to the Cuyama Valley have doubled as family outings—refreshing breaks for him, his wife, and children from the hustle and bustle of city life.
“We appreciate the open space, the pace of life, and the great natural beauty of the place,” Montes told the Sun. “We find ourselves going there more often and for longer periods of time. Who knows, maybe we might end up living there one day.”
Thanks to a recent grant from the California Arts Council (CAC) to Blue Sky Center, starting July 1, Montes’ next venture with the Cuyama nonprofit will be leading a series of photography workshops. Participants of the series will produce content to be included in a special newsprint piece, which will be distributed to Cuyama residents.
Beginners are welcome to join the classes, Montes said, as basic photography instruction will be provided. The goal of the finished piece is to illustrate the complexities that define the town, Montes explained.
“We will be working with local residents to make work about the community and the issues that are important to them, such as housing, the economy, and education,” Montes said of the project, which will pair its photos with written pieces and infographics detailing various aspects of life in Cuyama.
“One thing I really appreciate about working with [Blue Sky Center] is that they are willing to make the space and time to try ideas, something that is very important for this kind of work but does not happen often,” Montes added.
Similar to the 2019 photo exhibition titled Cuyama—one of Montes’ previous collaborations with Blue Sky Center—the newsprint project will hopefully provide “voice” to residents of the small town, only this time in a more forum-like setting.
“All of Noe’s work with Blue Sky Center has an undercurrent of seeking to connect neighbors to neighbors, to bring forward stories of the Cuyaman human experience so that we can perhaps grow in our appreciation of each other and what challenges we’re able to address together as a community,” Jack Forinash, executive director of Blue Sky Center, told the Sun.
The Artist in Communities Grant will support Montes’ project, while an additional grant from the CAC, the Organizational Development Grant, will support another venture from a frequent collaborator—graphic designer Corbin LaMont, who coincidentally also began her journey with the center in 2017.
She reached out to the nonprofit that year, offering to volunteer at its Rural Summit, to get a better sense of the organization, she said.
“A few different friends sent me Blue Sky Center’s work and asked something like, ‘Hey, do you know what’s up with these guys?’” LaMont said. “I’ve always had an immediate interest in community design studios, the desert, and the rural—making Blue Sky Center a kind of trifecta of my creative research.”
As part of the Cuyama Valley Community Action Plan, the Blue Sky Center implemented a 63-question community-wide survey to Cuyama households. The survey yielded a 42 percent response rate, results that LaMont will compile into user-friendly graphics.
“All that data needs to get off of spreadsheets and into the hands of the community,” Forinash said, “so that it can empower local organizations and community advocates to pursue community-verified goals and opportunities.”
LaMont, working remotely from her current residence in Veracruz, Mexico, lovingly referred to her data-organizing process as a creation of “cultural artifacts.”
“I’ve made this kind of work my practice because I believe through creating cultural artifacts, we can transform the way we see ourselves,” said LaMont, who offers such services through her mobile design studio, The Office of Virtue.
“Corbin’s ability to present information in a compelling way has been critical for Blue Sky Center,” Forinash said, “as we serve our role in the broader rural American context to highlight case studies and learnings through thoughtful, beautiful reports.”
With funding available from both grants, providing a combined total of $17,500 to the center, Forinash feels honored and grateful for the CAC’s support.
“CAC’s funding of these two projects enfranchises Cuyama to tell its own story from its own voice,” Forinash said, “a narrative that if listened to can be a valuable case study for both other rural communities in America and for larger urban populations.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood wants to hear your stories at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 4, 2020.