OUR TEAM
"A SMALL TEAM, COMMITTED TO A CAUSE BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES,
CAN ACHIEVE ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING."
-SIMON SINEK
The Arts Fund could not carry out it's mission without the talented staff, volunteers and board of directors.
Angela Cantu (she/her/they), Volunteer
Angela Cantu (pronounced Ann-guh-luh), pronouns she/her/they, grew up in Hanford, CA. Growing up they’ve always had a passion for visual and performing arts whether it was choir, musical theatre, drawing, you name it. Angela attended UC Santa Barbara where they studied Black Studies & took various art courses to sharpen their artistic style. They’ve had the privilege to be featured in their first-ever gallery with the Healing Justice SB & SB Arts Fund collab exhibition, Melanin, and since have been continuing to collaborate with the Arts Fund. Angela’s primary medium is acrylic paint. In addition to the arts, Angela is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community (shout out to Crush Bar!!) and is part of the Santa Barbara Young Black Professionals networking group. You can keep up with her art on Instagram @paintingsbyacantu.
Terra Cobian (they/them), Program Manager
Terra Cobian (they/them) was born and raised in Santa Barbara, and is a product of how the Arts Fund truly helps artists. They had the privilege of being a part of the Teen Arts Mentorship Program when they were in high school, and in 2021 had the honor of teaching photography through Studio 2 Student to youth over zoom in the midst of the pandemic. Outside of the Arts Fund, they are a photographer, curator, educator, painter, and manages the Melanin Gallery, Santa Barbara’s first semi-permanent art space to center Black artists, which is in partnership with Healing Justice of Santa Barbara and the Arts Fund.
Terra’s heart lies with providing art based opportunity for minority groups especially the youth, LGBTQIA+, the Black community, and other people of color. They believe that art is activism!
Chiara Corbo (she/her), Program Intern
Chiara Corbo (she/her) grew up on the central coast and is excited to give back to a community that gave so much to her. After working as an AuPair in Switzerland Chiara came back to the central coast to pursue a degree in Earth Science. She is currently majoring in Geology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Chiara is new to the Arts Fund but has been involved with other community outreach programs like the Orcutt Children's Art Foundation.
Jamie Dufek (she/her), Acting Executive Director
Jamie Dufek has been serving on the board of the Arts Fund since 2015. A native Minnesotan, she earned a BA in Studio Art and holds a MBA with a specific focus in nonprofit management and corporate social responsibility. Currently she works for TIGER 21, a membership organization for successful, high-net worth entrepreneurs and has her own consulting business for non-profits focused on fundraising and board cultivation.
Jamie's passion is centered around service and community, and currently serves as Communications Chair for The Women's Fund and also serves on the board of A Different Point of View. Jamie is a mixed media and print artist and teaches art classes on the West Side with students K-12.
Christina Andrea (she/her) (they/them), Gallery Attendant & Programs
christina andrea is nonbinary, multimedia artist originally from Kerman, CA, in the Central Valley, but is currently occupying Chumash land in Santa Barbara. With a B.A. in Art from UCSB C/O ‘22, their artistic practice focuses on utilizing materials to their fullest ability, holding space for appreciation of all art forms, and creating sustainability and change through various artistic practices. Because of their familiarity with the lack of accessibility in the art world, especially in lower-income, underrepresented communities, christina andrea appreciates the ArtsFund and their dedication to continuing and encouraging artistic practices. In terms of christina andrea’s mediums, they range from acrylic, watercolor, and oil paint to collage and textile, to performance and public art.
Kylah Jordan (she/her), Gallery Attendant
Kylah Jordan (she/her) grew up in Fresno and Los Angeles, California, with the strong motivation to make change within the Black community. After graduating high school, she attended UC Santa Barbara fall of 2019 majoring in Sociology and Black Studies. Where she was exposed to the life of art through her community upon becoming an intern for Healing Justice Santa Barbara. Working at Melanin she fell in love for Art and was determined on how she could get more involved— which is when she was introduced to the Arts Fund. Kylah is new to the Arts Fund but familiar with the community and members due to her current and past involvement within the community. She will continue her goal of outreach through other organizations she is apart of such as UCSB Black Student Union, and her own organization Justified Healing.
Izzy Pinter, Gallery Attendant
Izzy currently works for the Arts Fund supporting administrative duties, curating guest experiences, and promoting MSME on various social media platforms. When Izzy is off the clock, Izzy loves listening to music, watching TV, and writing- both fiction and non-fiction. Izzy is so honored and excited to be a part of the Arts Fund team.
