The Pony Farm is a community arts center and garden functioning to create an inclusive, supportive home for artistic innovation with the goal of bringing diversity and dynamic creativity to rural Amador County, California. We believe in the power of nature to inspire, and transform, and we believe that everyone should have access to the resources they need for innovative creative expression. The Pony Farm was founded in 2016 to provide a space for low-income emerging artists to explore, develop, and strengthen their artistic practices. The program aims to facilitate creative production through an immersive residency experience while bringing art and diversity to the Amador community. While the residency primarily highlights work from visiting artists, our programming also creates a safe space for Amador’s own marginalized voices through studio access and inclusive community workshops and events.
Racial Equity Statement
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to the purpose of Pony Farm. We believe in the power of the arts to innovate, inspire, and transform, and that a diversity of wisdom and experience makes our communities stronger and more resilient. We believe that everyone should have access to the resources they need for creative expression, that all people deserve to live in healthy, safe communities and participate in the decisions that affect their lives. We value transparency, accountability and respect, and strive to create a safe, welcoming environment for people of all identities and experiences.
We acknowledge that slavery, segregation, and a system of laws, policies, and practices entrenched in white supremacy continue to create barriers for people of color and we are committed to finding new ways to instill equity in our work while continuing to: center marginalized voices; cultivate partnerships; and honor nature.
The Pony Farm’s core value is to bring diverse perspectives to Amador County to share in California’s natural wealth. We believe that representation and opportunity are effective ways to promote racial equity. Our programming and the environment we strive to create is supportive, inclusive, anti-racist, and critical of systems of oppression.
Land Acknowledgement
What is now called Amador County is the ancestral land of the Nisenan, Washoe, Plains Miwok, and Northern Sierra Miwok indigenous people. Located southeast of Sacramento in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, the region is primarily known for its place in the Mother Lode, a stretch of mountains heavily developed and mined in the 1850s during the California gold rush. We acknowledge the destruction of these communities throughout this time by European and Early-American settlers. Throughout our time in this area we will continue to hold these truths at the heart of our curriculum.
Meet Our Management Team
Elizabeth Grandsaert- Founder and Executive Director
Elizabeth Grandsaert, co-owner and Director of Pony Farm programs, is a queer painter, writer, and gardener who, in addition to maintaining the permaculture garden and facilitating the Pony Farm Residency, works part-time as an art teacher with Amador Arts Council. Born in Mountain View, California, Elizabeth received a degree in Painting from UCLA. Her programming draws on this formal training as well as experiences living in artist communities, squats, and farms in Berlin, Los Angeles, New York City, and New Orleans. In 2022 Elizabeth received a CALI Catalyst grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation, which awards unrestricted funds to changemakers who are shifting the arts and culture sector in ways that tangibly give underrepresented voices more power and influence. Under Elizabeth’s direction, the Pony Farm has expanded its partnerships to include organizations across the state, and the organization maintains a 5 out of 6 rating as a California Arts Council (CAC) grantee. See more of Elizabeth’s work at
www.lizgrandsaert.com and www.onthefarmcomics.com
Meghan Joy O’keefe - Fund Manager
The Pony Farm Residency Fund is managed by Meghan O’Keefe, a queer, interdisciplinary artist who is focused on documenting and producing the stories of rural American life through theater, dance, music, poetry, storytelling, and radio production. In her current role as Executive Director of Pony Farm’s fiscal sponsor, AmadorArts, O’Keefe tripled the organization’s operating revenue, spearheaded several new programs and services, and pivoted the non-profit into alignment with the governing agency, California Arts Council. Meghan is a liaison and mentor for Elizabeth Grandsaert. Meghan’s leadership has positioned AmadorArts as the top-ranking county arts council funded by the CAC, with a rating of 6 out of 6.
Advisory Committee (Rotating)
Residency appointments are made by a rotating committee of local Amador changemakers who volunteer their time in order to rank applications. These committees consist of 4-6 volunteers along with the Management Team who hold equal voting power but can also make executive decisions based on unforeseen circumstances such as issues presented during a discovery period or circumstances based on budget or weather.