JDS Studios is grateful to have experienced another eventful and successful year, full of opportunities providing the community with creative and digital art experiences. In 2022, JDS Studios strived to give back to the community through its five entities: JDS Creative Academy, Spirit of Innovation, DigiFest Temecula®, JDS Actors Studio, and JDS Video & Media Productions. Co-founders Scott and Diane Strand are always seeking ways to promote growth, inclusion, and accessibility and this past year has been filled with just that.
JDS Creative Academy (JDSCA) kicked off 2022 as Positive. TV’s nonprofit of the month for January, an opportunity where the #JDSFamily shared their message with the network’s viewers. JDSCA is excited to be asked back to collaborate with them this December and throughout 2023 – make sure to keep a lookout for a familiar face!
In March, JDSCA welcomed the Temecula Valley Chamber (TVCC) and its members to the Studio for the March evening mixer, and the following month JDSCA was honored with winning the TVCC Emerald Nonprofit of the Year Award, which brought buzz and excitement to staff, job training participants, and creative arts students! It was an award-winning year for JDSCA as they also won two Anthem Awards: a bronze Anthem award for “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” and a silver Anthem Award for “Best Local Engagement” which recognized the JDSCA job training participants’ hard work on SOI Update – their weekly local news program.
While being recognized for hard work and dedication is an honor, the #JDSFamily also has a passion for giving back. One of their largest donations of 2022 was their Art in a Box donation to Michelle’s Place, a local nonprofit that serves as a free cancer resource center for the community. Diane was inspired to put together this thoughtfully curated art curriculum with supplies for Michelle’s Place when Kim Gerrish mentioned that offering art classes was becoming an unobtainable expense for the organization. As an advocate for the arts, Diane knew that if anyone could help them, it was JDSCA! This is just the beginning for JDSCA, as the Arts Across California campaign is set to launch in 2023.
JDSCA also had a successful year of creative classes and events during the spring and fall. The spring showcase was a hit with its production of West Side Story, which showcased the dedication and talent of musical theater and fashion/backstage design students. This month, the community can enjoy the winter showcase performance on December 17 and 18. Fall classes also held their 7th annual Haunted Studio fundraiser, presented by the design, build and haunt class, which raised over $4,500.00 in scholarship funds.
DigFest Temecula® celebrated its 6th annual event, bringing in digital work from around the world along with renowned Emmy-winning presenters and speakers. Submissions for DigFest 2023 are open now, so get your digital entries ready and plan to attend the 7th annual event on April 21, 22, and 23, 2023.
Spirit of Innovation, the magazine-style news show brought to you by JDSCA, had a great year of sharing Riverside County’s good-to-know and need-to-know news. In June, the Spirit of Innovation team sent host, Mia Digenan, off with good wishes due to her Achilles heel injury, which provided an opportunity to highlight community stakeholders as guest hosts.
JDS Actors Studio and JDS Productions, also kicked off the year with the exciting news, with a nomination for Bronze business of the year by the TVCC. This fall, JDS Actors Studio launched some new acting careers with their industry showcase, not only was the showcase a success, but JDSCA connected five participants from the job training program with an agent who specializes in representing adults with developmental disabilities. Scott and Diane Strand’s personal highlight was the release of their highly anticipated published book, SHOW BUSINESS Breaking into the Industry as an Actor, which quickly became a #1 best-seller in the performing arts industry. Be on the lookout for their next book on entrepreneurship coming in 2023. The little actors acting class is back for ages 4-6 on Mondays beginning January 9 from 4-5 p.m.
Going into the new year, the community can expect another year dedicated to creating pathways in the visual, performing, and digital arts. JDSCA spring classes kick off Monday, January 23, 2023. Actors Studio classes resume Thursday, January 5. Be sure to keep up with the #JDSFamily, on JDSCA.org and JDSActorsStudio.com. or, call the studio at (951) 296-6715.