50th Anniversary Gala – Thank you from Paula Smith Arrigoni

Published On: May 28, 2026 |

Dear Friends of BAVC Media,

Last Wednesday was an epic milestone for us. We celebrated BAVC Media’s 50th anniversary with many of you at SOMArts! It felt like a big warm family reunion – with supported artists, staff, board members, students, interns and apprentices, and supporters from across the generations. People who took their first class, got their first grant, learned their craft, and got their foot in the door, at BAVC.

Clay Go, Media Specialist, helped kick off the evening with a video recounting BAVC’s legacy that remixed a 1980’s era video, with one from today. It captures how BAVC Media’s mission remains resolute – to help media makers from all backgrounds, income levels and starting points, create and preserve media for social change.

Guests experienced a tactile retrospective exhibit created by artist Miguel Novelo in collaboration with BAVC Preservation’s Christopher Castro, with artifacts from a working Portapak camera from the ’70s to our first Video Networks newsletter. See our gallery below for photos of the exhibition and the evening.

BAVC remains a constant, radical force for community voices. While technology and the media industry change at breathtaking speed today, we continue to serve as a home for media creatives in the Bay Area and beyond, to tell authentic stories.

Thank you to everyone in the room, to all our event sponsors, community partners, board, and board giving committees. And to those near and far, who generously celebrated with us!

If you weren’t able to attend, but still want to be part of supporting our legacy honoring 50 years, you can still get involved and keep an eye out for more 50th Anniversary celebrations, community events, and new publications to be released throughout the year.

Donate to the BAVC 50TH Anniversary campaign

Thank you for being part of BAVC Media’s ever-growing community!

With deep gratitude,
Paula