Fremont Creates

Fremont Creates

About

April is Arts, Culture & Creativity Month in California

Arts, Culture & Creativity Month is a month-long, statewide effort organized by California for the Arts.

In 2019, Californians for the Arts (CFTA) successfully campaigned for the state to recognize and celebrate the arts by declaring April as Arts, Culture & Creativity Month (ACCM) through a concurrent resolution passed in the California Senate. In 2021, an additional resolution was declared to recognize artists as second responders.

CFTA directs this annual month-long spotlight on the arts to raise visibility and awareness about the value of the arts sector, to empower arts advocates to take action, and to spur greater investments in the arts industry and workforce.

Our Goals

  • Promote Fremont Creates as an annual April event throughout the City of Fremont, California.
  • Provide an opportunity for the Community to explore the artistic culture in Fremont and for local artists to showcase their talents to the Community.
  • Bring local artists and culture keepers together for a shared artistic experience, to exchange ideas and feature their expertise.
  • Engage businesses and community partners to support Fremont Creates, acknowledging arts and culture are necessary for a vibrant and inclusive community.

News Coverage

March 15, 2024: Check out our story on the Fremont Podcast

Tri-City Voice Articles
2025

2024

Marketing Materials

We have created marketing materials which any hosting organizations are free to use in their own marketing (websites, social media, posters, etc.)

The Team

Fremont Creates is organized and led by a Steering Committee, and there are numerous opportunities to participate and volunteer during the year. If you’re interested in joining the organizing team, please contact us.

Susan Longini, Co-Chair

Susan Longini is a Fremont artist who has been actively involved in the glass world for over three decades as a studio artist, educator, and administrator. Past roles included Adjunct Professor at Ohlone College, Executive Director of the Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI), and board member of the Glass Alliance of Northern California (GLANC). Susan is a 40-year Fremont resident, and since 2014, she’s served as the Program Manager for boxART!, the Fremont-wide program turning 170+ traffic signal control boxes into works of art. She’s a founding member of Fremont Arts Now, and her commissioned work has appeared in public spaces such as Washington, Highland, and O’Connor Hospitals, the Masonic Home, and the Fremont Animal Shelter.

Julie Gilson, Co-Chair

Julie Gilson has served with the Fremont Cultural Arts Council for 20+ years currently as President and previously as Treasurer. A Fremont resident for over 30 years, she’s an avid cyclist, active member of the Fremont Freewheelers Bicycle Club including co-organizer of their annual Primavera cycling event. Her professional experience as a Big 4 accounting firm CPA along with accounting and finance consulting in the high-tech and biopharm industries provide expertise to the various nonprofits with which she is involved, including Fremont Creates. Whether participating in the arts or in the audience, she believes that art is a critical connector for our community.

Phyllis Wood, Steering Committee

Phyllis Wood has been a member of the Fremont community for over 35 years. Her career as a corporate trainer provided her with experience in analyzing the needs of an organization; designing appropriate training for the needs identified; developing the training materials, which allowed her to use her creative skills; publicizing the training classes; presenting them; and evaluating them. Since her skills were easily transferrable, she enjoyed working in various industries including Aerospace, Semiconductors, Banking, and Healthcare. Her strengths are in training, technical writing, organization development, and people engagement with a specific passion for the arts.

Lisa Stambaugh, Steering Committee

Lisa Stambaugh is a zealous wordsmith and Web Diva® with a 700+ site portfolio created over 25 years, including many arts-related sites. Living in Fremont since 1980, she has a particular interest in helping nonprofits enhance their online presence through websites, writing, and social media. In 2020, she co-founded the Tri-City Nonprofit Coalition, whose mission is to “strengthen the ability of all Tri-City nonprofit organizations to accomplish their respective missions by collaborating, sharing information, and raising community awareness.” When she’s not wrangling words and websites, you’ll find her wallowing in yarn, fabric, sequins + glitter, while singing along to Broadway soundtracks and listening for the timer signaling cookies ready to exit the oven.

Janine Pitta, Steering Committee

Janine Pitta is a ceramic artist born and raised in Fremont and is known as a creativity spreader. Since 1992, Janine has been working with students of all ages and abilities in K-12 public education classrooms, after-school programs, international summer camps, and art history programs. She comes from a family of artists and received her BA in Art Studio with an emphasis in sculpture. She has a multiple subject teaching credential and MA in cross-cultural education. Janine left her regular education teaching job in 2022 and created a supportive and joyful studio environment in which to create art, for both children and adults, in the Niles district of Fremont. In 2024, she took on the job of Elementary Art Teacher at Niles Elementary as well. In addition to spreading her love of art, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 daughters, as well as practicing yoga.