Creating exhibitions, public programs, and collaborative projects through sound, musical instruments, and cultural traditions.
Soundworks Foundation brings together artists, musicians, instrument makers, cultural bearers, and community organizations to create experiences that connect people with sound, craftsmanship, creativity, and living traditions.
Mission
Expanding access to cultural knowledge through participatory experiences with music, sound, and musical instruments, fostering creative expression and connection across traditions.
Current and Upcoming InitiativesPublic ProgramThe Groove Collective
Featuring David Leach, Clarice Castilho, and Hector Torres
Celebration Park North, Ontario
August 20, 2026A public percussion performance and community-engaged music program featuring internationally recognized performers exploring rhythms and musical traditions from diverse cultures. Through live performance, storytelling, and audience participation, rhythm creates opportunities for cultural awareness, connection, and community.Made possible in part by the City of Ontario Artist Microgrant program through a partnership between Arts Connection — The Arts Council of San Bernardino County and the City of Ontario.Museum ExhibitionWhere Sound Takes Shape
Riverside Art Museum
July 31, 2027 - January 9, 2028
Guest Curator: Michael KotzenAn exhibition and public programming initiative exploring the musical instrument as a meeting place for craftsmanship, cultural tradition, creative experimentation, and human connection. Featuring contemporary instrument making, sculptural sound works, performances, demonstrations, workshops, and participatory experiences, the exhibition also celebrates the Inland Empire's vibrant community of instrument makers, artists, musicians, and cultural organizations whose work reflects both innovation and living traditions.Educational ProgramsInstrument Making and Cultural Learning
Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts
May 2026Hands-on programs introduce participants to instrument making while exploring rhythm, craftsmanship, creativity, and cultural traditions. Participants build playable instruments while learning about Afro-Peruvian musical traditions through making and music.Community PartnershipSt. Elmo Village
Los Angeles
Summer 2027Soundworks Foundation is developing a collaborative program with St. Elmo Village. The program combines instrument making, visual expression, and rhythm-based ensemble playing, with participants building and personalizing their own cajóns while exploring creativity, identity, and community through art and music.The program is grounded in Afro-Peruvian musical traditions, positioning the cajón as a vehicle for cultural learning and transmission rooted in the African diaspora of coastal Peru. Participants are introduced to foundational rhythms, songs, and ensemble techniques that reflect the cultural lineage of the cajón within Afro-Peruvian practice through both making and performance.The workshops emphasize listening, collaboration, and shared musical experience, connecting individual expression to collective rhythm and sound while supporting communication, coordination, and creative participation through ensemble-based learning.
About
Soundworks Foundation is a multidisciplinary cultural arts organization exploring the relationships between sound, instruments, craftsmanship, performance, material culture, and artistic practice.
The Foundation develops exhibitions, public programs, and collaborative projects that examine how sound is shaped and experienced through objects, materials, design, performance, and cultural tradition. Its work moves between curatorial and community-centered contexts, bringing together instrument makers, visual artists, musicians, cultural bearers, and partner organizations through projects that engage both contemporary artistic practice and living cultural traditions.Across exhibitions, performances, workshops, and collaborative initiatives, Soundworks Foundation explores instruments as carriers of resonance, craftsmanship, creativity, cultural experience, and human connection. Some projects investigate instruments as sculptural and material forms that exist between object and artwork, while others focus on cultural transmission, participatory learning, and shared musical experience across communities.Building on years of curatorial development and collaborative programming by its leadership, Soundworks Foundation grew out of projects including Artisans of Musical Design at the dA Center for the Arts. Initiated through collaboration with the grassroots arts organization and the vision of its founder, the recurring exhibition series became an important model for collaborative, community-centered programming and demonstrated the value of sustained partnerships between artists, musicians, curators, and local arts organizations.Expanding with each iteration in participation, cultural diversity, and public engagement, the series helped lay the groundwork for later interdisciplinary projects and exhibitions, including Sound Formations: Artist, Musician, Instrument Maker at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art.
What We DoExhibitions
We develop and curate exhibitions that present instruments as cultural objects through sculpture, performance, and artist-led reinterpretation.
Projects include both playable works and collaborations with visual artists in which instruments are developed as shared works between builder and artist, moving between functional instruments, sculptural forms, and visual forms.Workshops and Educational Programs
We offer hands-on workshops that introduce participants to rhythm, instrument construction, and global musical traditions.
Programs are designed to adapt to different communities, settings, and age groups, and may include elements such as building and assembling instruments, visual customization and decoration, or learning to play individually and in group settings, along with workshops focused on rhythm, listening, and ensemble practice. Depending on the context, programs may also extend into related forms of musical and cultural expression, including voice, movement, and cross-cultural exploration. These workshops emphasize creative expression, cultural awareness, and collaborative learning through shared musical experience.Performances and Public Programs
We present performances, artist-led demonstrations, and participatory programs that connect audiences with musical traditions, instruments, and cultural context. These programs take place in both exhibition environments and community settings, using live performance and interaction to deepen engagement and understanding.Recent programs include a collaborative performance by Yukiko Matsuyama and ensemble at the Claremont Folk Music Center, blending traditional Japanese koto with electric guitar, keyboards, and guest musicians from Japan.Collaborative Projects
We partner with artists, institutions, and community organizations to develop collaborative and multidisciplinary work. These projects focus on bringing together instrument makers, visual artists, and musicians to develop work across disciplines. They support shared authorship, experimentation, and the development of ideas that extend beyond a single exhibition or performance context. Through this process, instruments become platforms for storytelling, cultural perspective, and artistic exchange, shaped by the perspectives and practices of multiple contributors.
Recent Community EngagementCajón Building Workshop at the Maloof Foundation
On May 23–24, 2026, Soundworks Foundation partnered with the Maloof Foundation to present a hands-on cajón building workshop in the Maloof woodshop, guiding participants through the complete process of constructing their own playable instruments.The program explored the origins, Afro-Peruvian history, and cultural significance of the cajón while introducing how materials, dimensions, design, and ergonomics influence tone, resonance, and playability.Through hands-on making and cultural context, the program reflected the Foundation’s mission to connect sound, craftsmanship, material culture, and community-based learning experiences.
Participants with completed cajón drums during a May 2026 cajón building workshop presented by the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts in partnership with Soundworks Foundation.
LeadershipSoundworks Foundation is guided by a leadership team with experience in instrument making, musical performance, arts programming, and nonprofit governance.
Michael Kotzen
PresidentSouthern California–based instrument maker, musician, and curator working across performance, exhibition development, and public programming. His involvement in organizing concerts and jazz performances began in the early 1980s and later expanded into exhibition curation in the early 2010s. Founder of Soundworks Foundation, he has developed and co-curated exhibitions presented in museum, gallery, and community contexts, including the Artisans of Musical Design series at the dA Center for the Arts and Sound Formations at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art. His work reflects a deep commitment to collaboration, creative exchange, and community.
Paula Watson-Ware
Secretary and TreasurerSenior executive support professional with more than thirty years of organizational experience across the music, entertainment, and technology sectors. Her background includes roles at Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and The Walt Disney Company, as well as service on the Board of Directors of the California Jazz Foundation and in public service roles with the City of Duarte. She brings a thoughtful, steady approach to supporting the Foundation’s operations, governance, and long-term sustainability.
Marco Renteria
DirectorInternational touring and recording musician known for his work with Caifanes and Jaguares, and for his deep connection to jazz. With a long-standing career across diverse musical settings, he brings a nuanced understanding of rhythm, cultural tradition, and audience engagement, along with a longstanding commitment to teaching and mentorship. His perspective helps keep the Foundation closely connected to the lived experience of musicians, education, and the energy of live performance.
Support Soundworks Foundation
Your support helps expand access to music-making, cultural learning, and community performance.
Soundworks Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.