Our Story
Our Mission
Hilltop Arts Collective empowers the Hilltop community through arts, culture, and connection.
The Organization
Hilltop Arts Collective is a nonprofit dedicated to enriching the Hilltop neighborhood by bringing art into everyday spaces. We believe that access to art and culture is a right, not a privilege and that creative expression can uplift and improve the quality of life for all residents, regardless of income or location.
Our team is community-driven, made up of Hilltop residents and individuals with strong ties to the area. We work together to make the arts more accessible.
We are known for our signature programs, including Summer Jam West, the annual arts and music festival; our Public Art Initiatives and Partnerships, which have led to the creation of dozens of permanent artworks in the Hilltop community; Creative Connections, our biannual networking event and art showcase. Along with ARtsway, a mural mentorship program for high school students and Community Workshops in partnership with local artists. These initiatives are just a glimpse into our diverse range of year-round cultural opportunities.
2014: Fixing an “Art Desert”
Frustrated at the lack of art on the Hilltop, and feeling a need to do something about it, resident Patti Von Niessen started Summer Jam West as a community arts & music festival in 2014. What began as a small grassroots community gathering on a shoestring budget (where neighborhood musicians were asked to play for free as a favor) quickly grew into something bigger and more meaningful to the community.
In 2015, a public art component was incorporated into the annual festival where a permanent piece of public art was commissioned for the benefit of the Hilltop community. Over time, both the festival and public art commissions grew in prominence and scale.
2020: Leadership Change
After seven years of growing Summer Jam West from an idea and scrappy team of volunteers to a full-fledged nonprofit arts organization, founder and executive director Patti Von Niessen stepped down in 2020 to pursue her much-deserved second retirement. Rachel Pace, who coordinated the festival, and was instrumental in helping it grow into a major event for the Hilltop, also stepped down.
Patti and Rachel each devoted countless hours and seemingly endless energy to making the festival and organization what it is today. We owe each of them a massive debt of gratitude for their commitment; their vision; and their blood, sweat, and tears.
Patti and Rachel’s departure was a pivotal moment for the all-volunteer team. Board member Danny Peterson was elected Board President, and the team immediately got to work recruiting additional board members.
2021-present: Level Up
With an influx of new board and committee members whose new ideas and energy reinvigorated the team, 2021 proved to be a decisive year.
Amidst a global pandemic, we commissioned our highest profile mural yet in 2021, and along with three other arts organizations from around the city, launched ARtsway, a mural mentorship program for high school students. ARtsway was the perfect catalyst for our transition into a year-round arts organization.
Thanks to new programs and partnerships, as well as increased community visibility, and coming off a two-year hiatus of our festival due to COVID-19, the timing was right to launch a new name for our organization, Hilltop Arts Collective.
