On a mission “to heal others through their art experience,” artist, healer, and instructor Cece Cruz of Indio is hosting paint parties on Instagram and Facebook Live until Gov. Gavin Newsom lifts California’s stay-at-home order. She launched the free program, which she calls Quarantine Creations With Cece, in late March to offer a positive creative outlet for children and adults to cope with confinement and anxiety.
“Every week I post what the paintings will be, and together we create masterpieces,” says Cruz, whose work earned a $500 grant to “Keep Art Alive” from the California Desert Arts Council (CDAC). The nonprofit organization is offering relief to working visual and performing artists in the Coachella Valley whose livelihood has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “[Participants] look forward to these evenings to take their mind off COVID-19.”
CDAC and affiliate La Quinta Arts Foundation established a $50,000 Keep Art Alive fund to award grants to Coachella Valley artists and arts organizations who create thoughtful, inspiring, and relevant works responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As owner/operator of Cece’s Artistic Touch, Cruz, a mother of four who left a corporate career for a life in art, focuses on healing, empowerment, self-love, and making true connections through retreats, sessions, and workshops where the guided creation of art leads to self-discovery.
Visit Cece’s Artistic Touch at cecesartistictouch.com
