About Us
What We Do
Saffron Arts & Culture is a California nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting our creative community.
Our mission is to foster artistic expression and creativity by providing accessible art programs, mentorships, and vibrant, innovative experiences for a diverse creative community of youth, emerging, and established artists. We want to create an environment where talent flourishes and voices are heard.
Our mission comes to life through our three primary initiatives. Together, these initiatives build thriving communities where artistic talent is celebrated, diverse voices are uplifted, and creativity becomes a bridge to understanding.
Our Values
We value human connection – because we’re here to share experience and support one another, whether locally or globally
We value community – because it anchors us and links us to people and place
We value design and creativity – because awakening the aesthetic and creative genius that reside in all of us is profoundly inspiring
We value individual experience and inclusion – because each of us has an amazing story, and because we’ve seen that when we have each other’s backs, we can take greater risks and achieve greater rewards
We value the quest for balance – between the frenzy that drives us and the self-care that renews and restores us
We value environmental preservation and stewardship – because this beautiful Earth is worth it
We value the joy that can be found every day – we manifest it in good work and positive relationships, and we seek it in both the conspicuous and subtle realms
Who We Are
We’re accomplished business leaders, designers, visionaries, and humanitarians – a global collective of people with a fresh perspective on creating community and connection - the kind we’ve enjoyed ourselves, because we thrive on sharing the joy!
Executive Leadership
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Elaine Tajima
President
Elaine is the visionary and co-founder of Saffron Arts & Culture, a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit rooted in a simple belief: creativity brings people together.
Often described as a “people magnet,” Elaine has a natural gift for connecting extraordinary individuals around shared ideas and purpose. She believes strong relationships, thoughtful storytelling, and bold creativity are not just nice additions to life — they are essential to building meaningful communities.
As an entrepreneur, she founded the Bay Area retail marketing and design firm Tajima Creative, Inc., building it around intuition, collaboration, and remarkable talent — many of whom remain part of her creative circle today. Over time, her client partners included Vans, Levi Strauss & Co., Oakley, Activision, NCompass, Airbnb, Bright Now! Dental, Fiji Water, Chase/Washington Mutual, Target, Visa, and Lucasfilm.
Other work alongside The Good Business Network, World of Children, Alliance Ted K. Tajima High School, and Women Beyond Borders deepened Elaine’s commitment to giving back, both locally and globally. These experiences ultimately shaped her vision for The Origin Stories Project, now at the heart of her work. It is rooted in the belief that storytelling and creative expression are essential to strengthening intergenerational connection and understanding.
Today, Elaine serves as the leader and strategist behind the In the Mirror: The Origin Stories Project, Saffron Arts + Ed, and Saffron Creative Collective. Across all three initiatives, one common thread remains: creativity as a lifelong practice that strengthens identity, supports well-being, and builds connection across generations and communities.
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Kathleen Holliday
Vice President, Marketing + Communication
Kathleen is a veteran of the museum, film and marketing world. And one off her loves is finding new ways to connect like-hearted people.
Her career delivered her to NYC’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Bay Area’s Lucasfilm and Pixar, with various retail stops along the way. She produced museum exhibitions around the world for Lucasfilm and Pixar, and served on the Board for the Docents at the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. The arts and music, film, theatre and dance are her life’s joys.
The Saffron Arts & Culture initiatives like The Origin Stories Project, Art+ Ed and the Creative Collective drew her to Petaluma CA. And here Kathleen has found the things that make her heart sing.
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John g Martin
Vice President, Development + Creative Collective Initiative
John g Martin is the VP of Development along with Saffron’s Creative Collective efforts. He is also a member of our executive team and board of directors. John is a creative force shaped by curiosity, intuition, and an unwavering devotion to the arts.
For more than four decades, he co-founded and led TURNER | MARTIN Design. There he curated an interior design studio that is defined not by trend, but by transformation.
As an interior designer, painter, and sculptor, John continues to create bold, expressive works that engage in a dynamic dialogue with the interiors they inhabit. Now at a pivotal and purposeful turning point, John steps beyond his 45-year interior design legacy and into broadening Saffron's creative horizon.
His visionary thinking and instinct for possibility have found a natural home with Saffron Arts & Culture, developing their Creative Collective and supporting artists and art tours. Guided by a pioneering spirit - John embraces this new chapter with openness. He champions a simple but powerful belief: expressing creativity is not reserved for a few, but is a vital, shared language - one that invites everyone in.
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Evelyn Rosefield
Secretary + Treasurer
Evelyn brings to Saffron Arts & Culture more than two decades of cross-sector leadership. At Saffron she serves on the Exec Team and the Board of Directors in her role as Secretary and Treasurer. She is also a member of the Finance team.
Her career began in retail merchandising and store design, collaborating with nationally recognized retailers.
Guided by a strong commitment to environmental stewardship, Evelyn transitioned into the nonprofit sector as Executive Director of a California-based environmental water association. In that role, she led statewide events, trainings, regulatory and community engagement initiatives. She has also served on the board of O’Hanlon Center for the Arts in Mill Valley, CA
Evelyn contributes her governance leadership, values, and community-building experience to Saffron. In her role as Secretary/Treasurer she supports board governance, organizational integrity, fiduciary responsibility and the advancement of Saffron’s 501 (c)(3) mission in service to the artists and communities we serve.
Team
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Kelly Hokyo
Kelly is native to Southern California and began her career in the design industry but shortly after transitioned to the food and wine industry. She partnered with retailers and wholesalers to promote and execute events for consumers and the trade for 25 years.
Saffron Communities provides a space to explore one’s interests and expand one’s world. Kelly enjoys the emphasis on community and loves collaborating on projects and meeting new people.
Kelly now has a great passion for connecting and bringing people together through food, wine, lifestyle and art because of Saffron Communities!
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Lorna Jacoby
Lorna Jacoby was born into a family of hotel owners nestled in the tropical rainforests of Nicaragua, where her love of food and kitchens began early. She started cooking seriously in college, realizing that if she relied on her roommates, she’d never eat well. Adventurous and unphased by fear in the kitchen, she can turn just about anything into a meal—just not okra! Today, her Sebastopol garden is the heart of her cooking, inspiring meals that are truly farm-to-table, seasonal, and full of flavor. For Lorna, food is more than sustenance; it’s creativity, connection and joy, rooted in the fresh abundance of Sonoma County.
At Saffron, Lorna puts her writing skills to work in the monthly newsletter. Writing the newsletter makes her happy—she delights in asking thoughtful questions, learning from fascinating people, and sharing their journeys in ways that both inspire her and strengthen the Saffron community. In Curate & Collect she’ll work with John on immersive experiences that deepen our need for self expression and social connection. -
Bill Kane
Bill has lived in our Petaluma community since 1998 and is co-owner of Digital Grange Fine Art Services. He loves being part of our vibrant art scene and is on the board of directors of the Petaluma Art Center.
Bill is known nationally and internationally as a fine artist. His photographs and mixed media works have been extensively exhibited in the US, Europe and Asia. Since 1980 he has been honored with over 20 solo shows and 60 group exhibitions.
He was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship twice, in 1980 for Photography and again in 1991 for Painting. Bill was also awarded grants from the San Francisco Eyes and Ears Foundation twice, in 1979 and again in 1984. And he is included in the Who’s Who in American Art. His work also appeared in both deYoung Open exhibitions at the prestigious San Francisco museum in 2020 and 2023. Bill’s amazing talent and open heart make him a perfect fit for Saffron Communities and beyond.
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Bryan Yedinak
Bryan is the most warm and engaging art afficionado and dynamo you’re likely to meet. In 1999, he co-founded Modernbook with Mark Pinsukanjana, revolutionizing the art and architecture bookshop experience in Palo Alto and Westwood. Modernbook has evolved into Modernbook Editions, a publishing house, and Themes+Projects, a San Francisco gallery. As Director/Curator, he has a keen eye for talent and trends, partnering with artists, art consultants and museum curators to create popular corporate and public exhibits.
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Betsy Harden
Betsy has built her career around communication—first as a technical writer and, more recently, working with nonprofits to translate their visions into measurable outcomes. For more than a decade, she has worked to expand access to underserved communities by securing funding for programs in education, housing, and workforce training.
As Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Tuolumne County, Betsy brought together donors, volunteers, and public leaders to quadruple the organization’s annual housing production. She has spent more than 30 years stewarding her forest land in the Sierra Nevada, collaborating with Tribal Elders, ranchers, environmentalists, and U.S. Forest Service staff to maintain a healthy forest. Her work with schools and foundations in San Francisco has shown her that when the urgent needs of at-risk students are clearly expressed, neighbors step up and help.
In every role, Betsy brought diverse voices to the table, helped them discover common ground, and inspired the support needed to make a lasting difference.
Our Partners
We sincerely thank our partners for their generous support. Your commitment drives our mission to inspire creativity and build an inclusive community where every voice and talent shines. We couldn’t do it without you.
