Palenke Arts is a multicultural arts organization whose mission is to educate, inspire and transform the community of Seaside through the arts. Our organization was founded in 2015 by a committed group of artists, educators and community members who recognized the urgent need for multicultural arts and music programs and events in the city of Seaside, especially for the youth, and envisioned the creation of a vibrant, safe and inclusive home for the arts in our town that would benefit all of Monterey County.  

In February 2016 we obtained fiscal sponsorship status under the Action Council of Monterey County. In October 2016, Palenke Arts started offering classes and events at our first site: a refurbished locker room at the Martin Luther King School of the Arts campus in Seaside. On December 24, 2018, Palenke Arts filed articles of incorporation with the State of California, adopted bylaws, elected a founding Board of Directors and on July 15, 2019 filed for 501c3 tax exempt status as a nonprofit corporation. In June 2024 we opened our second site: the Palenke Arts Teen Center and Administrative Offices at 530 Elm Ave in Seaside.

Palenke Arts provides a space that does not exist elsewhere in Seaside: a dedicated multicultural arts center offering free and low cost arts-based classes and events to many families who would not traditionally be able to afford them. We aim to address the issue of inequity in the arts by imbuing our programs with high-interest, culturally-relevant offerings that are accessible for everyone.

Over the past 8 years, we have offered low and no-cost weekly classes to hundreds of students yearly in beginning orchestra, beginning band, choral singing, Latin jazz, hip hop dance, visual arts, AfroCaribbean drumming, West African drumming, piano, guitar, violin, clarinet, trumpet, cinematic arts, audio production, danza Mexika, Latin dance, and even a book club in Spanish for adults.

In addition to our educational programs, Palenke Arts offers an awe-inspiring concert series that features local and international artists from the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe, including Grammy and Emmy winners. Some of the

We have likewise organized and participated in countless community events such as our own annual Palenke Arts Festival, Moonflower Festival, Family Arts Workshops, Art Against Bullying and Día de los Muertos Celebrations.

“Palenke Arts means community. In today's culture, I feel like we all can retreat into their own digital bubble, disassociated from people and the arts, and Palenke brings community and the arts into our lives, with others to share it with. I feel like this connection is what our society needs more than ever.”

Anonymous Parent

"Palenke is family, culture, teachings, and trust. It is a comfortable space for everyone."

What We've Achieved

  • Transformed an old gym locker room into a multifunctional and vibrant arts center to host classes and performances, featuring a baby grand piano, visual arts gallery, an arts resource library, a versatile common area used for dance, music and visual arts classes, professional sound and light equipment, an outdoor stage and small lounge area for parents.

  • Opened a second site: the Palenke Arts Teen Center and Administrative Offices where we are hosting teen-specific programming, community meetings and staff trainings.

  • Recruited and trained professional teachers and volunteers to teach classes such as violin, bilingual chorus, Middle School and High School Latin Jazz combos , hip hop dance, visual arts, AfroCaribbean drumming, West African drumming, piano, guitar, clarinet, trumpet, cinematic arts, audio production, danza Mexika, Latin dance, and even a book club in Spanish for adults.

  • Established partnerships with over 20 different nonprofits institutions, and businesses, including MPUSD, UCSC, The Epicenter, Arts Council of Monterey County, City of Seaside, CSUMB, Monterey Jazz Festival, CPY, Sustainable Seaside, Village Project, Building Health Communities, Seaside Rising among many.

  • Presented our youth ensembles for over 5000 audience members yearly, including performances at our two centers, the World Theater, Colton Hall's Memorial Day concerts with the Monterey County Pops, the Golden State Theater, and the City of Seaside’s Winterland and Earth Day celebrations.

  • We have also held monthly community events and performances at our site, including a World music series featuring performers from Morocco, Veracruz, Oaxaca (Mexico), Japan, Perú, Senegal, Brazil, Mali, Cameroon, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Spain and the United States.

  • Presented eight editions of the Palenke Arts Festival, a free event at Laguna Grande Park in Seaside, featuring professional and touring bands as well as student ensembles, family art activities, and local nonprofits assisted by over dozens of volunteers.

  • In recognition of our work, in 2019, we received the award as the Nonprofit of Year in Arts and Culture from the Nonprofit Alliance of Monterey County. In 2022 our Executive Director Juan L. Sánchez obtained the Champion of the Arts Award from the Arts Council of Monterey County.