From left: PVI’s 2022 ArteVism Fellows Joshua Slack, Hana Luna Her, Michael Piña and Paulina Rodriguez Ruiz. Eduardo Stanley
In 2021, when I first applied for the Pan Valley Institute's ArteVism Fellowship, I didn't realize how profoundly it would impact my future.
Later in March 2022, when my daughter was born, she required hospitalization due to respiratory issues. At that time, I sat by her side, frightened and unsure of anything. The one thing I did know about how to express these feelings at that time, however, was to write.
It was in the NICU that I wrote what is now my solo performance piece, CODESWITCH. This marked the beginning of a larger examination of my identity, blackness, fatherhood, and understanding the complexities of navigating these systems. Through my fellowship with ArteVism, I was able to turn this concept into reality and share CODESWITCH with community members from across the Central Valley.
Actors in a 2024 performance of “My Relationship with AMERICA” (from left): Shane Lara, Joshua Slack, Carlos Sanchez and Julian Hang. Eduardo Stanley
The Pan Valley Institute provided a platform for me to tell my story; ArteVism allowed me to demonstrate how something so personal and private could be transformed into artistic expression that inspires thought and builds relationships. It shaped my view of what it means to be an artist and is still shaping the work I am creating today.
Now, I have had the privilege of being PVI’s Cultural Organizer for ArteVism, where I get to provide opportunities for other artists to discover what they can produce through their own creativity. I’ve worked with muralists, poets, dancers, actors, etc. from across the Central Valley who see their creative expressions as tools to understand their identities, histories, and lived experiences.
For me, PVI has taught me that art does not only exist to entertain but also serves to record history. To ask hard questions. To spark conversations. To build connections among communities. And to remind individuals of their ability to tell their own stories.
The cast of My Relationship With America following their July 2025 performance at the Unheard Echoes: The Silencing of Due Process event. The play was directed by Rodolfo Robles-Cruz and performed by Joshua Slack, Carlos Sanchez, Julian Hang, Shane Lara and Dalicia Torrecillas. It reflects the culmination of months of script rewriting, rehearsals, and collaborative production, as well as the successful integration of political theatre into PVI’s public programming. PVI
With your continued financial support, I believe we can begin building on the legacy of the Pan Valley Institute as it embarks upon its new journey as an independent organization. PVI will continue to invest in artists, youth, immigrants, refugees, and community leaders. Collectively, PVI will continue developing places where culturally rooted creative expression, dialogue, and a sense of belonging can grow in the Central Valley.
I know firsthand what an investment like this can produce. A story I began writing while holding my newborn daughter soon became a significant part of my artistic development. Now, I have the privilege of providing similar opportunities for others to discover what their stories may become.
Thank you for contributing financially to the Pan Valley Institute and recognizing the power that exists in our communities to create and envision together.
Joshua Slack, PVI ArteVism Cultural Organizer, is in his fifth year working with PVI. PVI
P.S. Your support will help an independent PVI begin this next chapter by ensuring that more people throughout the Central Valley have the opportunity to tell their stories, build community, and recognize the power of their own voices.