Reconnection and Renewal: A Message from Amy Kitchener, ACTA’s Executive Director

I’m very glad to share that I’ve returned from my planned leave and have resumed my full responsibilities as Executive Director of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts.

I’m deeply grateful to our staff, board, and partners for their care, steadiness, and leadership during this time. I want to offer special thanks to Deputy Director Dr. Leticia Soto Flores for her thoughtful guidance and to the entire ACTA team for carrying the work forward with such integrity. I had full confidence in the team while I was away, ACTA has been in very good hands.

I return at a moment when the broader landscape is asking much of all of us. Across California and the nation, communities are navigating uncertainty, shifting policies, and real pressures on cultural and civic life. In times like these, the role of artists, culture bearers, and community-rooted organizations becomes even more essential. Our work reminds us of who we are, our histories, how we care for one another, and what becomes possible when we move forward together.

More than ever, I believe in the importance of collaboration across communities, agencies, funders, and partners. ACTA’s strength has always come from the relationships we steward and the shared commitment to sustaining living traditions with care, respect, and collective responsibility.

In the months ahead, I’m especially excited to focus on:

• • • Advancing ACTA’s next chapter of statewide impact and strengthening our funding and service programs at a moment when cultural equity and community-rooted work matter deeply.
    • Deepening our partnership with the California Arts Council and national funders to ensure sustained investment in folk and traditional artists across California.
    • Guiding the development of the 2026 Fresno Folklife Festival in collaboration with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage and community partners, centering the Central Valley as a vibrant cultural crossroads.
    • Strengthening ACTA’s work at the intersection of arts, justice, and reentry, including the continued evolution of the Art Breaks In initiative and its expanded digital presence.
    • Building greater coherence and sustainability within ACTA’s internal systems, from communications and media strategy to organizational structure and staff support.
    • Elevating the visibility of Taproot Fellows and exploring what culturally rooted leadership can offer the broader nonprofit sector.
    • Reconnecting with artists, partners, and community leaders across the state through listening, learning, and planning together.
    • Returning with renewed focus on stewardship of relationships, resources, and ACTA’s founding vision.

It is an honor to continue serving alongside all of you. I’m grateful for the spirit of partnership that defines this field and for the ways we continue to show up for one another and for the communities we serve.

With appreciation,
Amy