SALINAS, Calif. — The Hartnell College Foundation will host its Annual Gala for the Arts on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Hartnell College’s main campus to honor three outstanding honorees and raise funds for scholarships and internships supporting student artists.

The Gala for the Arts is one of Hartnell’s most anticipated events, uniting students, faculty, alumni and the community to celebrate local arts leaders while creating new opportunities for the next generation.

This year’s honorees include:

• Jesús Ruvalcaba, Distinguished Alumnus in the Arts — A Castroville native, Ruvalcaba discovered his passion for digital art and design at Hartnell. He is now an award-winning art director and founder of Paper Tacos, a greeting card company known for its Spanglish wordplay celebrating Mexican American culture.
• Gary Smith, Distinguished Service to the Arts — Smith served Hartnell as a ceramics and art history instructor for 30 years and co-directed the Hartnell Art Gallery for 48 years. His teaching, advocacy and patronage enriched generations of students and broadened community access to art and travel experiences.
• Anika Noni Rose, The Western Stage Distinguished Honoree — A Tony Award-winning actress and singer, Rose performed at The Western Stage in 1996 in Pippin and The Pajama Game. She is widely recognized as the voice of Princess Tiana in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog and for her acclaimed roles on Broadway, in Dreamgirls, and in film and television.

The evening will feature live music from the Hilltown Bluegrass Band, a special exhibition in the newly renovated Hartnell Art Gallery, and a post-gala performance of Bright Star at The Western Stage. The musical, written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains between the 1920s and 1940s.

For more information about the Gala for the Arts or to purchase tickets, visit https://hartnellfoundation.org/event/gala/.