After tree crushes studio, community rallies for renowned Sacramento-area artist
Stan Padilla acknowledged Tuesday that he still was feeling shock.
Two days prior, wind brought down a heritage oak tree at the Colfax-area property of Padilla, 80, a longtime Sacramento-area artist. The tree landed squarely on his art studio, destroying it.
“I went out this morning to go to work, and it was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s real, I didn’t dream that it really happened,’” Padilla said. “So there’s a lot of grief involved.”
Now, people Padilla has helped are trying to do something to show their appreciation at a tough time. Rocky Zapata, a co-creator of Auburn Hip Hop Congress, a community organization which Padilla has advised, has organized a GoFundMe fundraiser to help him rebuild his studio. Padilla had insurance for his home, but not for the studio.
The campaign had raised $2,700 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Who Stan Padilla is
Padilla described himself in an interview for this story as an artist, cultural activist and indigenous educator who had worked with youth for half a century.
He has been a key member of the Royal Chicano Air Force, or RCAF, a Sacramento art and social activism collective in existence for more than half a century and known in part for a Southside Park mural some of its members created. Padilla spoke at a Feb. 20 event at the Crocker Art Museum honoring the group.
“It took us more than 50 years to get here,” Padilla told attendees, with the Crocker event part of a broader celebration for the RCAF being held at various organizations around the Sacramento region this year.
Padilla lives in Weimar, just outside of Colfax and is active in art in both Auburn and Sacramento.
“He practices what he preaches,” Zapata said. “He shows up for things that matter. I work with youth, and he’s worked with about five to eight generations of youth in our community.”
Longtime RCAF member Juan Carrillo said that Padilla was his friend of several decades and that he’d taught high school-aged students, including Native Americans.
“I don’t know Stan as someone who asks for anything,” Carrillo said. “He has a big heart. He’s generous.”
Scott Shields, a curator at the Crocker Art Museum, said Padilla had impacted many people with both his art and his personality.
“He just had has a way of bringing people together,” Shields said.
What happened at Padilla’s property
The tree came down around 3 p.m. Sunday at Padilla’s property.
The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning Sunday in the Sacramento region for high winds. A friend visited Padilla until about an hour before the incident and had spied the tree.
“He goes, ‘You know what, this is too windy, I’m going to get out of here right now,’” Padilla said. “An hour later it fell.”
The tree came clean out of the ground when it fell. Padilla estimated that the tree was at least 100 feet tall and weighed more than 2,000 pounds.
Padilla had just returned inside his home when the tree took out his studio. He said that it had “absolutely” crossed his mind that if he’d been in the studio at the time the tree fell, he could have been killed.
Zapata heard about the incident right away.
“I just wanted to make sure he was okay,” Zapata said. “It was shocking. I’ve spent a lot of time at the studio.”
He quickly organized the GoFundMe for Padilla.
What the GoFundMe will do for Padilla
The GoFundMe campaign will not only help Padilla cover rebuilding costs for his studio. Zapata added that it will also help Padilla as he retires from teaching.
“We are reaching out to ask for your support during this critical time,” the GoFundMe page notes. “The funds raised will help Stan cover the costs of rebuilding and support him through this transition as he enters his first year of retirement.”
Padilla is continuing to make art. He said he had five current commissions and no studio space. He is receptive to using donated space.
Carrillo was hopeful about what people could do to help Padilla.
“He’s always there for others, so I’m sure we’ll all be there for him,” Carrillo said.
Zapata felt similarly, noting that the fundraiser was already a third of the way to its goal.
“It’s really beautiful to see the community come together the way it has for him, because he’s dedicated and given so much throughout the years,” Zapata said.
