A Conversation with Asheville Creative Advocates
Meet some of the artists and organizations that have shaped Asheville Creative Arts for the past 10 years.
Spotlight: Dulce Porras, Executive Director of Semilla de Vida Huertos
“Fiscal sponsorship is important to me because otherwise I would not be able to focus on serving the community and developing educational programs and technical assistance and developing volunteers and staff.”
– Dulce porras
Since 2019, Asheville Creative Arts has been assisting artists with low incomes and the organizations that benefit them. Our approach to art making and to technical assistance is consistent: with encouragement, resources and spaces that nurture trust, creativity and accountability, audiences, artists, activists and community leaders are able to reach their full potential.
By fiscally sponsoring contributions and offering guidance for developing and implementing systems for financial tracking, reporting, and compliance, we are part of a wraparound services model that demonstrates how arts organizations are integral to developing resilient communities which in turn support the health and wellbeing of the people of our region.
ACA’s Carolina Corona spoke with Dulce Porras from Semilla de Vida Huertos (Seed of Life Gardening Network) about how fiscal sponsorship from Asheville Creative Arts allows them to focus on their mission to recover ancestral practices of agriculture and to learn about mutual aid and climate and food justice. Semilla de Vida Huertos primarily does outreach and serves the Latinx and African American communities that have been affected by displacement and low income.
DULCE: I have been doing community work for about ten years, primarily building and being a part of grassroots organizations. One of the most difficult things to handle is not having a 501c3 status and handling the administrative duties, because we didn’t have access to the systems that have to be in place and the tools that need to be functional. After Helene, Semilla de Vida accelerated its launch. We were supposed to be launching in 2025 but because of the hurricane here in late September of 2024, we wanted to immediately help the community. However, we didn’t have non-profit status, that was our challenge. How were we going to serve more people without it? So we were referred to Asheville Creative Arts by Ami Worthen.
ACA provided us with 501c3 status and with that, all the admin systems for us to be able to receive and manage grants. Also, to have all our finances neat and organized, having records of expenses, and they facilitated communications and technical issues with receiving or applying for grants.
“Without this help, I am not sure if the programs would exist. If they did, it would be with more difficulty and challenges.”
– Dulce porras
As our mission states, we are trying to serve Latinx and African American communities affected by displacement by teaching them about how to grow their own food, how to be in more relation with nature and the cycles of climate. It is also helping resolve a handful of issues such as food insecurity, providing healthier diets, providing hope for the future, better mental health as well, and awareness about how to be proactive in these challenging times when natural disasters are happening. People can be more aware about how to respond to these events.
Fiscal sponsorship is important to me because otherwise I would not be able to focus on serving the community and developing educational programs and technical assistance and developing volunteers and staff. I wouldn’t be able to do that if I didn’t have the systems and the knowledge. It’s important for the community because ultimately they’re the primary focus of the work. Without this help, I am not sure if the programs would exist. If they did, it would be with more difficulty and challenges. We might have a smaller potential of growth.
ACA makes us feel positively supported and more comfortable doing the job required to manage the admin side of the organization. We feel more relaxed and free, comfortable finding the answers and the support we need. Abby has been incredibly sensitive, kind, and thoughtful in the way that she supports us, answers our questions, and tries new things. She also helps us find better and better systems for us to be able to communicate with quality and to be able to accomplish our goals. ACA helps us apply to state and federal grants. ACA also allows us to use their website as a portal to receive donations since we don’t have an official website yet. Abby is very approachable and very kind so I don’t feel shy when approaching her for help to apply for grants and to help us get certain requirements for a grant. She always says yes and always has the things that we need. She pushes me to try things I have never tried by myself before. It’s wonderful to have someone with the knowledge to help us through these processes.