The news of Erin Graffy de Garcia’s passing has been met with profound sorrow by her friends, family, and community.
A true Santa Barbara treasure, she was full of joy and life and, of course, always had a twinkle in her eye and a bit of humor up her sleeve!
Erin was one of our earliest supporters, contributing her time and depth of expertise as our organization began its journey. Through the years, she continued to be an integral part of the organization, serving as a vital committee member, MC, and amazing auctioneer for our annual gala.
We are genuinely grateful to Erin for all she brought to our mission. We are honored to have known her and consider her a delightful member of our family.
In this spirit we are pleased to announce, in collaboration with Erin’s sister Colleen, her brother Neal, and her husband Jim, the creation of the Erin Graffy de Garcia Legacy Fund. The mission of this new project is to honor her legacy in a manner that befits the animating force she gave this community. And we invite you to join us in the celebration of Erin’s legacy!
With all our love,
Lyn Profant, President
Mary Blackwood Collier, Secretary
Michele, Marie, Musette, and Mignonne Profant, Cofounders
Thank you for being with us for Holiday Finale 2025!
On January 5, 2025 we enjoyed a Festive Piano Sing-Along featuring classic songs from Broadway
Local favorite John Douglas entertained us throughout the evening on the piano, with a special appearance by Santa Barbara treasure Gil Rosas!
Fiesta Finale Gala 2024
This year’s Fiesta Finale Gala was held on Sunday, August 4th at the historic El Paseo Restaurant from 5:30 until 9:30 p.m.
Continuing a Profant tradition which began in the year 2000, the performance will feature artwork that “comes to life.” Our “Tableau Vivant” this year is a special surprise that will be revealed on the evening of our Gala. It will be brought to life in spectacular fashion by world class Flamenco dancers Lakshmi Basile and Aldo Ruiz.
The entire evening promises to be a lively and memorable event presenting a special performance by Santa Barbara’s own Gil Rosas on the piano, as well as Popular Spanish Vocals, Ballroom Dance, Esquela Bolera, Opera, Ballet,
and of course, Flamenco!
An evening not to be missed!
Scholarships: since 2000 we have given over $250,000 in awards to artists of all ages.
Our drive to assist developing artists of all ages is fueled by the belief that as we support the lives of artists, they will enrich the lives of countless other people.
We realize that life can often get in the way of the pursuit of dreams and artistic talents, and so we seek to support those who have talent and determination to develop their skills, regardless of their chronological age. Our scholarship application process does not have age limits, and over the years our recipients have ranged from 9 years old to 75!
In this photo, and the collages above, you’ll see some of our scholarship recipients through the years.
Rosabella Portfolio: a multi-media group of works combining literature, music and dance for an unforgettable experience!
Rosabella is a delightful new fairytale with a charming old-world look, and a timeless message for all: “Find, Follow and Live Your Dreams.” Parents and grandparents will enjoy snuggling up with children and reading this beautiful, heirloom-quality, hardcover book.
The story of Rosabella has also been brought to life in a full-length ballet by award-winning choreographer Francisco Martinez. The music is a seamless intertwining of works by Alexander Glazunov, Alexander Borodin and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The ballet has been professionally produced and filmed in High Definition, suitable for broadcast, directed by Emmy winner Gary Bush.
This project brings joy and delight to everyone who reads the
book or watches the ballet. Eventually this project will also be
a self-sustaining source for our scholarship fund.
You can learn more at Rosabella-Portfolio.org.
The Brosik Mask Collection: preserving some of Santa Barbara’s cultural history for the future.
In the 1950s and 60s at the Santa Barbara Courthouse the audience at “Noches de Ronda” was treated to several dances enhanced by “the Brosik Masks” each year during the “Old Spanish Days” Fiesta.
This amazing collection was created by Jerry Brosik to help the vast audience understand the stories of the folkloric dances performed on the Courthouse stage during the annual Fiesta. In the past few years we have obtained the collection, and now loan them out for exhibition and performances so that they may once again be enjoyed by the Santa Barbara community.
