You are invited to our first annual Arts Salon!
September 17, 2026 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Join Anywhere There’s WiFi by Registering Below
Join DBSA California and friends for a special edition of our Third Thursday Inspiration Series as we celebrate the creativity, resilience, and voices of our peer community through our Arts Salon!
The Arts Salon will feature a powerhouse of Peer Creatives throughout the USA performing in multiple mediums: poetry, spoken word, music, visual arts, and film.
As a finale, the premiere of the short film The Photo in My Wallet, starring writer and director Katya Kuykendall, 16-year-old champion of mental health from Silicon Valley.
Katya Kuykendall is an emerging filmmaker and actor who's passionate about stories revolving around social issues that can interact with mediums such as film and theatre. As a rising senior at Palo Alto High School, Katya used her passion for theatre to speak out for mental health awareness through film with her latest project titled That Photo in My Wallet in collaboration with the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of California. Through That Photo in My Wallet, Katya hopes to shed some light on the complexity around depression among teens.
Featured Artists
Sophia Falco… Aptos, CA • https://www.sophiafalco.com/
Ace Baker… San Diego, CA
Adam Bernier… Los Angeles, CA
Len Byrd… Dallas, TX
Heather Caldwell… Santa Rosa, CA
Stephanie Eisler Vance… Brooklyn, NY
Stephanie Diederich… Washington, DC • https://www.stephaniediederich.com/
Danielle Gardina… Los Angeles, CA
Tera Gardner… San Diego, CA
Andy Johnsrud… Scobey, MT
Zube Khan… Daly City, CA
Sheri Levine… Portland, OR • sherrilevine.com
Amanda Majors… Los Angeles, CA
April Marshall… Kansas City, MO
Olivia Mercedes… San Diego, CA • @oliviamercedesart
Chrissy Phillips… Atlanta, GA
Jake Wade… San Diego, CA
Dan White... Santa Cruz, CA
Artist Testimonials
Stephanie Eisler Vance
I would not be where I am today without my artistic process. My quest for self-knowledge through expression — most prominently in my writing practice, but elsewhere as well — has been an essential component in my lifelong healing journey. When I’m able to express a long-held, long-feared thought or feeling, I can diminish the power of what Anne Lamott calls my “monsters.” And when that power of self-expression is applied in community, the effect multiplies tenfold. To be able to share and be shared with — to be held and seen by your peers — is sacred community. This is, to me, the magic of peer support. Living with serious mental illness can be a lonely road. When we gather in community, and particularly of the expressive kind, we are not only vanquishing our own monsters, but each other’s as well.
Gabriel Gutierrez
My journey as an artist has been an absolute whirlwind. For a lot of my time, I wasn’t really sure who I was– I knew to an extent, but at the same time, I didn’t fully have the dots connected. I used my poetry, my music, and my game development to express myself. It became more of “is what I’m saying enough? “Am I being authentic?” “Am I being clear, or am I still holding myself back?” Slowly and surely, I began calling out the things that were haunting me. My journey has allowed me to name the skeletons I was carrying. I was able to do that, and then it became permission time. “Am I OK to recover?” “Am I worth this?” The magic of peer support is knowing that we’re not here to tell you what to do. We’re here to be your lighthouse. We’re gonna be by your side, whether you believe you even deserve to be acknowledged…. Whatever happens, we’re here, and we keep that lighthouse on for you.
Andy Jonsrud
I believe the magic of Peer Support lies within people VOLUNTARILY coming to a space with the intention of validating and supporting each other. The fact that someone else can listen to what I've been through and relate, validate, and believe i have what it takes within me to keep going is invaluable...especially in the tough moments…What an incredible gift it is to hear someone else's experience, what they felt, how they reacted, and what they did to get through it. Expressing myself has given the opportunity to be myself...my most authentic self, something that was never encouraged or learned. It allows me to be unapologetically me.
Calling All
Sponsors!
The Arts Salon is made possible through the generosity of individuals, businesses, and community partners who believe that mental health recovery deserves a stage.
Your support would directly fund our peer support programming, and in return we'll spotlight your business in the credits of the film premiere and/or to our community of 5,000+ newsletter subscribers:
Member Sponsor — $1–$99
Recognition in the closing credits of the Arts Salon short film.
Memorial Sponsor — $100
Honor or remember someone meaningful with a special acknowledgment in the closing credits of the Arts Salon short film.
Family Member Sponsor — $500
Includes recognition in the short film credits and a sponsor acknowledgment in the DBSA California newsletter.
Contributor Sponsor — $1,000
Includes prominent recognition in the short film credits and a sponsor acknowledgment in the DBSA California newsletter.
Producer Sponsor — $2,500
Our premier sponsorship level includes:
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Prominent recognition in the short film credits
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A sponsor acknowledgment in the DBSA California newsletter
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Name and logo placement throughout the virtual event
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Recognition in event materials and promotional branding
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Designation as a primary Arts Salon sponsor
Your support helps us continue offering peer-led education, inspiration, and community at no cost to participants.
Interested in becoming an Arts Salon sponsor? To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact: info@dbsacalifornia.org
