Art Garden at Vanguard Culture

Join Vanguard Culture and UC San Diego Craft Center for a vibrant gathering of visual art, storytelling, dance, and community care. This special evening also marks the national launch of the Jimi Appleseed Initiative (JAI), a cultural storytelling movement rooted in creativity, sustainability, and shared humanity.

Launching from San Diego, the event will be streamed with interactive participation from 8–12 communities across the United States, creating a real-time national storytelling experience—while remaining deeply grounded in local voices and connection.

Purchase a Bowl. Sow a Seed.

Make a $15 donation to receive a beautiful, handmade ceramic bowl created by artists at the UC San Diego Craft Center. Proceeds directly support the San Diego Rescue Mission, helping ensure nourishing meals for neighbors in need.

Event Highlights

• Invisible Nation: Portraits of the Unhoused, an exhibition by artist Neil Shigley
• National launch of the Jimi Appleseed Initiative, a national storytelling and wisdom-sharing movement that fosters unity and cultural understanding.
• Live theatre by Blindspot Collective
• Live dance by Culture Shock San Diego
• Interactive springtime art and storytelling activities by Storytellers of San Diego

More than an event, this is a space to sow empathy, spark conversation, and rediscover our shared humanity—because once we hear each other’s stories, we stop being strangers.

Thursday, April 30th, 2026
UCSD Park & Market
1100 Market Street
San Diego, CA 92101
6pm-9pm
(Guests are encouraged to bring unexpired canned goods.)
$15.00 donation directly benefits the San Diego Rescue Mission and includes a beautiful, handmade ceramic bowl.