RWC Parks and Arts Foundation Launches Art Exhibition, “The Meaning of Home”

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - The Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation (RWCPAF) celebrated the launch of its sixth annual art exhibition, The Meaning of Home, on March 20, 2026, at the Chan Zuckerberg Community Space (CZ Community Space) in downtown Redwood City. Eight talented local artists came together to share work exploring historical and contemporary experiences of place and belonging, spanning paintings, photography, digital compositions, and 3D installations.

Now in its sixth year, the annual exhibition has become a cornerstone of the Chan Zuckerberg Community Space, providing San Mateo County artists with a platform to share their voices and connect with the broader community. This year's cohort reflects the remarkable diversity of the region - from a nationally recognized architectural photographer to a high school senior pushing the limits of her medium, from a culinary historian who treats food as fine art to a multidisciplinary artist bridging ancestral traditions and contemporary digital media.

"Home is one of the most universal and deeply personal concepts we share as human beings. Through this exhibition, our artists explore what home means across generations, cultures, and lived experiences - from the places we come from to the communities we build," said Pamela Estes, Executive Director of the Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation. "We are so proud to offer these eight artists a platform to share their voices and connect with the Redwood City community."

Artists were selected through a community-wide call issued by RWCPAF's Art Advisory Work Group - a panel of three San Mateo County residents from diverse backgrounds who review applications and choose each year's cohort. The group also selects the annual theme, conducts community outreach, and serves as liaisons with artists throughout the exhibition.

"We are honored to continue our partnership with RWCPAF and to see this program grow year after year," said Alma Pulido, Program Officer at CZI. "The CZ Community Space exists to bring people together, and these artists exemplify exactly what that means - sharing pieces of their identities, histories, and perspectives so the whole community can reflect alongside them."

The artwork is now on display at the CZ Community Space, 801 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 100, Redwood City, 94063, and will remain through Spring 2027.

The public is invited to view the exhibit at upcoming open house events on May 6, August 5, and November 4, 2026. Advanced registration is required; visit https://signup.com/go/SeeArt to reserve a spot.

Meet the Artists

Mariana Acosta Burns | Mariana Acosta Burns is a Mexican multimedia artist and designer driven by a deep passion for Latin American representation in arts and entertainment. Her creative practice spans story development for animation and digital arts, and visual design for Latin American and tradition-driven independent films recognized at festivals across Mexico and the United States. She bridges ancestral traditions with contemporary digital media, creating space for diverse voices through work that honors cultural authenticity.

Gunnar Cheetham | Gunnar Cheetham has been developing his skills in oil painting for the past five to six years, with a focus on portraiture and figurative work. Inspired by Baroque painters and American illustrators, he incorporates elements of modernism by intentionally leaving areas of his canvases underdeveloped. Gunnar has studied art abroad in Italy and Austria alongside his father, a professional drawing and painting instructor. He is also the guitarist and lead singer in a band, viewing music and art as intertwined expressions of creativity.

Beth Grossman | Beth Grossman is an "Artist at Large" whose social art practice uses visual art and participatory performance to question interpretations of history, authoritative documents, and our place in nature. Her artworks invite unexpected shared experiences that bring people together for conversations, challenge assumptions, and foster civic engagement. She has collaborated with universities, parks, corporations, non-profits, and museums across the U.S. and internationally, including in Russia, Ukraine, China, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Finland, and Norway.

Swee Choo Oh | Swee Choo Oh is an internationally acclaimed photographer known for her fine art and commercial architectural work. Her images are shaped by a strong sense of light, form, shadow, and texture. She won the Hasselblad Masters Award in the Architecture category in 2016, was awarded First Place at the Sony World Photography Awards, and was named a Hasselblad Heroine in 2020. Her photographs have been exhibited at venues including Somerset House in London and the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah, UAE.

Gabriela Romero | Gabriela "Gabi" Romero is a Bay Area-born visual artist currently in her senior year of high school, where she takes studio art and continues to experiment with new mediums. Working primarily in acrylic paint on canvas, she explores themes of identity and community, most recently through a mural project at a local nonprofit. Gabi is eager to follow her passion for art and challenge her own creative limits.

Faina Shpiler | Faina Shpiler is a multidisciplinary artist based in Foster City, CA. Practicing since 1995, her work explores joy and seriousness, playfulness and vulnerability, through subjects ranging from whimsical animals and intimate portraits to abstract compositions and cultural narratives. Working primarily in acrylic, she is known for bold underpainting, vivid color relationships, and expressive contrast. Shaped by her experience growing up Jewish in the former Soviet Union and later embracing her LGBTQ identity, her work centers themes of visibility, resilience, belonging, and the quiet power of joy.

Carolyn Tillie | Carolyn "Carrie" Tillie is a culinary historian, author, artist, and curator whose work explores the rich intersections of food, art, and history. She co-founded Bay Area Culinary Historians (BACH) and curates talks and exhibitions weaving together culinary heritage, aesthetics, and material culture. A member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, she is the author of "Oysters, A Global History" and "Feast Your Eyes: Food Art from Apple to Zucchini," with writings appearing in Edible SF, Gastro Obscura, and Gastronomica, among others.

Lesly Vazquez | Lesly Vazquez is a Bay Area-born and raised artist whose work is shaped by her experiences as a first-generation, queer Xicana woman and daughter of immigrants. She studied film photography in Guadalajara, Jalisco, before returning home to complete her BA at UC Berkeley. Vazquez uses charcoal portraits to center underrepresented bodies, communities, and untold stories, making visible those whose voices are too often overlooked.

The exhibit will be on view through Spring 2027, giving community members ample opportunity to experience the work. To learn more about each artist and watch artist videos, visit https://www.rwcpaf.org/art-at-the-czi-community-space.

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About the Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation Established in 2012, RWCPAF is a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to advocate, advance, and develop support for parks, recreational programming, community services, cultural activities, and the arts in Redwood City and surrounding unincorporated areas. The board works closely with the City of Redwood City's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services to provide technical, volunteer, and financial support for community events that enhance quality of life. For more information, visit https://www.rwcpaf.org.

About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded in 2015 by Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg to help solve some of society's toughest challenges - from curing or preventing disease to improving education and addressing the needs of our local communities. We provide the operational support across our areas of work. For more information, please visit chanzuckerberg.com.

Press Contact
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Jane Packer
[email protected]

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