Palenke Arts
Martin Luther King School of the Arts, 1713 Broadway Ave, Seaside, CA 93955
About
Palenke Arts offers classes in beginning orchestra and beginning band, choral singing, Latin jazz, hip hop dance, visual arts, AfroCaribbean and West African drumming, and instruments such as piano, guitar, violin, clarinet, and trumpet. The program also includes cinematic arts, audio production, danza Mexika, Latin dance, Middle School and High School Latin Jazz combos, and a bilingual chorus. In addition, it offers a book club in Spanish for adults.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Price: Palenke Arts provides free and low cost arts-based classes and events. Over the past 8 years, they have offered low and no-cost weekly classes.
Palenke Arts is a multicultural arts organization whose mission is to educate, inspire and transform the community of Seaside through the arts. Professional teachers and volunteers are recruited and trained to teach classes. The organization is led by Executive Director Juan L. Sánchez.
Palenke Arts was founded in 2015. In February 2016 it obtained fiscal sponsorship status under the Action Council of Monterey County, and in October 2016 it started offering classes and events at its first site. On December 24, 2018, it filed articles of incorporation with the State of California, adopted bylaws, and elected a founding Board of Directors. On July 15, 2019 it filed for tax exempt status as a nonprofit corporation. In June 2024 it opened its second site, the Palenke Arts Teen Center and Administrative Offices.
Palenke Arts has established partnerships with over 20 nonprofits, institutions, and businesses, including MPUSD, UCSC, The Epicenter, Arts Council of Monterey County, City of Seaside, CSUMB, Monterey Jazz Festival, CPY, Sustainable Seaside, Village Project, Building Health Communities, and Seaside Rising. It has organized and participated in events such as the annual Palenke Arts Festival, Moonflower Festival, Family Arts Workshops, Art Against Bullying and Día de los Muertos Celebrations. It presents youth ensembles for over 5000 audience members yearly at its centers and at venues including the World Theater, Colton Hall's Memorial Day concerts with the Monterey County Pops, the Golden State Theater, and the City of Seaside’s Winterland and Earth Day celebrations. It has held monthly community events and performances, including a World music series featuring performers from Morocco, Veracruz, Oaxaca (Mexico), Japan, Perú, Senegal, Brazil, Mali, Cameroon, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Spain and the United States.
In 2019, Palenke Arts received the award as the Nonprofit of Year in Arts and Culture from the Nonprofit Alliance of Monterey County. In 2022, its Executive Director Juan L. Sánchez obtained the Champion of the Arts Award from the Arts Council of Monterey County. One parent described Palenke Arts as “community” and a way to bring people and the arts together, and another described it as “family, culture, teachings, and trust” and “a comfortable space for everyone.”
Last updated June 15, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Price: Palenke Arts provides free and low cost arts-based classes and events. Over the past 8 years, they have offered low and no-cost weekly classes.
Palenke Arts is a multicultural arts organization whose mission is to educate, inspire and transform the community of Seaside through the arts. Professional teachers and volunteers are recruited and trained to teach classes. The organization is led by Executive Director Juan L. Sánchez.
Palenke Arts was founded in 2015. In February 2016 it obtained fiscal sponsorship status under the Action Council of Monterey County, and in October 2016 it started offering classes and events at its first site. On December 24, 2018, it filed articles of incorporation with the State of California, adopted bylaws, and elected a founding Board of Directors. On July 15, 2019 it filed for tax exempt status as a nonprofit corporation. In June 2024 it opened its second site, the Palenke Arts Teen Center and Administrative Offices.
Palenke Arts has established partnerships with over 20 nonprofits, institutions, and businesses, including MPUSD, UCSC, The Epicenter, Arts Council of Monterey County, City of Seaside, CSUMB, Monterey Jazz Festival, CPY, Sustainable Seaside, Village Project, Building Health Communities, and Seaside Rising. It has organized and participated in events such as the annual Palenke Arts Festival, Moonflower Festival, Family Arts Workshops, Art Against Bullying and Día de los Muertos Celebrations. It presents youth ensembles for over 5000 audience members yearly at its centers and at venues including the World Theater, Colton Hall's Memorial Day concerts with the Monterey County Pops, the Golden State Theater, and the City of Seaside’s Winterland and Earth Day celebrations. It has held monthly community events and performances, including a World music series featuring performers from Morocco, Veracruz, Oaxaca (Mexico), Japan, Perú, Senegal, Brazil, Mali, Cameroon, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Spain and the United States.
In 2019, Palenke Arts received the award as the Nonprofit of Year in Arts and Culture from the Nonprofit Alliance of Monterey County. In 2022, its Executive Director Juan L. Sánchez obtained the Champion of the Arts Award from the Arts Council of Monterey County. One parent described Palenke Arts as “community” and a way to bring people and the arts together, and another described it as “family, culture, teachings, and trust” and “a comfortable space for everyone.”
Last updated June 15, 2026.
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