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Since the beginning of 2025, Blue Sky Center, in collaboration with Quail Springs, is hosting artists to engage the residents of the Cuyama Valley on issues of groundwater and water justice that directly affect their lives. Artists are creating fun, all-ages, inclusive activities and events, working directly with the 1,100 residents of the agricultural Cuyama Valley.
The 2025 Cuyama Water Justice Fellowship is part of the larger project “Building the Cuyama Valley Coalition of Water Stewards” led by Quail Springs, supported by Blue Sky Center. This project aims to involve and engage the residents of the Cuyama Valley on conversations and advocacy related to the critical issue of water use and sustainability. The Cuyama Basin is “critically overdrafted” according to the Department of Water Resources.
“The Cuyama Water Justice Fellowship uplifts the voices and lived experiences of rural residents who have long been excluded from water decision-making. Through art, storytelling, and shared creativity, we’re building power and deepening our collective connection to the land and each other. At Quail Springs, we believe this kind of community-rooted engagement is essential for a just and sustainable water future.” — Blaine Morris, Executive Director, Quail Springs
Funding for these fellowships is provided by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) through the California Environmental Justice Action Grants program.
The 2025 Cuyama Water Justice Fellowship commenced in January with writer, oral historian, audio producer, and goat farmer, Rae Garringer. March 2025 brought documentary filmmaking team Sean Huntley and Alex Brown. Ash Hanson and Alex Barreto-Hathaway, of PlaceBase Productions, will be the third artist team. Arriving in May, the duo will organize a community play and parade about water in the Cuyama Valley.
For more information please call Jack Forinash at 661-413-3005 or email at jack@blueskycenter.org
