New director for SebARTS

Serafina Palandech, the artistic owner of Luminarium and Bubbles Boba and Tea, will take over the leadership of Sebastopol Center for the Arts in June

Edited from a press release from Sebastopol Center for the Arts

The Board of the Sebastopol Center for the Arts announces local innovator and arts supporter Serafina Palandech as its new executive director.

Sebastopol innovator and entrepreneur Serafina Palandech will be the new executive director for the Sebastopol Center for the Arts (SebArts) starting in June.

“Serafina is a perfect fit for SebARTS,”' said SebARTS Board President Sally Baker, “to lead and support our transition into the future.”

Palandech comes to the position with deep commitment to the arts, service to the community as well as commercial and non-profit business administration experience, training as an artist and service as a non-profit board member in Sonoma County.

‘Every great journey begins with a leap of faith and a willingness to embrace new challenges,” Palandech said. “With passion, creativity, and a commitment to fostering artistic excellence, I eagerly accept this opportunity to lead and inspire a vibrant community of artists, patrons, and supporters. Together, let us venture into uncharted territories, nurturing artistic expression and transforming lives through the power of the arts. I am honored to be entrusted with this role and look forward to building a future filled with imagination, innovation, and boundless possibilities."

For the past decade, Palandech has built memorable Sebastopol-based brands and sustainable companies including Hip Chicks Farms, Bubbles Boba and her newly opened Main Street store Luminarium Curated Goods. As the director of finance and later event director at MZA Events, Palandech began her fundraising career and production of mass-participation charity events with AIDS Walk San Francisco, where she also served as chair of their board of directors. She is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz where she studied painting and women studies.

As Executive Director of SebARTS, Palandech will oversee organizational planning, programming, finances and operations of the organization. She will work with the board to navigate the Center’s transition into its post-pandemic role as a world-class arts institution serving the San Francisco North Bay.