The Humboldt Arts Council is proud to announce that one local artist, Denise Hernandez, has been awarded a 2026 Upstate Individual Artists Fellowship.
Administered by Nevada County Arts & Culture in partnership with the California Arts Council and a coalition of regional county arts agencies, the fellowship delivers unrestricted funding directly to individual artists and culture bearers at key moments in their careers.
The 2026 Fellow representing Humboldt County is Denise Hernandez. Denise Hernandez collaborates with grassroots organizations in Humboldt County on environmental and cultural advocacy, focusing on art education, animation, media, and event organization for BIPOC, 2S/LGBTQ+AI, immigrant, neurodivergent, and disabled communities. In 2022, she launched mini-workshops on Color Maíz, later funded by the Upstate California Corps grant.
Across California’s 19-county Upstate Region, a total of $240,000 was awarded to 15 fellows across three distinct career tiers: Emerging ($5,000), Established ($10,000), and Legacy ($50,000). The selection followed months of regional outreach and a competitive multi-round peer review process evaluating 243 applications from across Northern California.
“Investing directly in artists and culture bearers is foundational to the health and vitality of our entire region,” says Eliza Tudor, Executive Director at Nevada County Arts & Culture. “Unrestricted funding empowers artists at pivotal career moments—providing the freedom and stability needed to deepen their creative practices, sustain ancestral traditions, and continue uplifting the cultural and civic fabric of California’s rural and mountain communities.”
Sofia Vivanco Airaghi, Grants Manager for the program, adds: “Evaluating these applications through a rigorous peer review process revealed the sheer depth, diversity, and resilience of Northern California’s artistic workforce. We couldn’t be more proud to uplift this remarkable cohort of 15 fellows as leaders and changemakers in their communities.”
“The Humboldt Arts Council extends its enthusiastic congratulations to Denise Hernandez on being awarded the California Arts Council Artist Fellowship. As the state-local partner for Humboldt County, we take immense pride in seeing our regional creators honored on a state platform. This award is a testament to Denise’s remarkable vision, artistic dedication, and invaluable contribution to our local arts landscape.”—Jemima Harr, Humboldt Arts Council Executive Director-Curator
To learn more about the 2026 Upstate Individual Artist Fellows and view the full regional cohort, visit www.upstateiaf.org/2026fellows.
About The Humboldt Arts Council
The Humboldt Arts Council, located in the Morris Graves Museum of Art, is located at 636 F Street, Eureka is open to the public noon-5p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults; $2 for seniors (age 65 and over), military veterans, and students with ID; children 17 and under free; Families with an EBT Card and valid ID receive free admission through the Museums for All initiative, Museum members are free. Admission is always free for everyone on the first Saturday of every month, including First Saturday Night Arts Alive!, 6-9 p.m. and Mini Masters at the MGMA.