Nevada City, CA — Visual artist Julie Romano received a mini grant from the Grass Valley Cultural District to create an exhibition with a few prints and frames. The project began with her own relationship to the Yuba River and the healing she had experienced there, then gathered current and depth as other people’s stories of healing and connection began to flow in.
“The River We Heal With was born from my own reverence to the miraculous healing I experienced with the Yuba River,” Romano shared. “When I became a recipient of the mini grant of the Grass Valley Cultural District, I wanted to praise the lands we live on through Art, and it quickly came through that the healing properties of the Yuba River were my greatest inspiration.”
That original exhibition has since grown into The River We Heal With, an art exhibition and benefit concert taking place Thursday, July 2, 2026, at the Miners Foundry in Nevada City.
As Romano began inviting others to share their own experiences with the Yuba River, the small exhibition began to grow.
“The project became much bigger than I initially imagined,” Romano said. “The mini grant I received was originally meant to support just a small exhibition with a few prints and frames. But as more stories began to emerge, I felt a growing responsibility to fully invest in the vision and honor what I was being called to create.”
The exhibition gathers personal stories from community members who have experienced healing through the river. Each story becomes part of a portrait created by Romano, using photography, symbolism, and images of the Yuba itself.
“A healing story starts with an open heart, a willingness to share something intimate, so it can inspire someone else,” Romano said. “It is a resonance, in the body, and in the mind. The stories carry symbolisms and poetry, which I receive to turn into a moment of photography.”
The portraits will include macro images of Yuba River water layered into the photographs, placing the river inside each image rather than beside it.
“This exhibition will display the shapes of The Yuba shot with a macro lens, and use in overlay of all portraits to remind us of our interconnectedness with our environment. The Yuba will also tell her own story of healing, through portraits of her.”
The river appears throughout the work, not only as inspiration, but as subject.
“The Yuba River is the heart of this project, reminding us of who we are through healing, connection, and celebration. The river invites us to honor healing while also asking for our care in return, calling us to shift the ways we live so that we may root ourselves in reciprocity, respect, and stewardship.”
The conversations with participants became part of the project itself.
“I invited each participant to share only what felt comfortable and true for them. Throughout the process, I approached every interaction with gratitude, care, and without expectation. What naturally emerged was a deep sense of trust and resonance, not only between myself and the participants, but also in our shared connection to the spirit of the Yuba River. The tenderness came from honoring each person’s experience with sensitivity, while the beauty arose through the authenticity of those moments and the healing we experienced in relationship with the river. In this way, the project became both deeply personal and collectively shared.”
The exhibition deepened when Romano invited musician Ayla Nereo to perform at the gallery opening. Nereo said yes, and other local musicians joined soon after.
“A turning point came when I asked Ayla Nereo if she would perform at the gallery opening as an act of reciprocity, helping raise funds for the river. She immediately said yes. From there, many of my incredibly talented local musician friends also joined the project, expanding its reach and helping carry the intention to a wider community. What began as a small exhibition transformed into a collective offering rooted in healing, creativity, and care for the Yuba River.”
The benefit concert will begin at 7 p.m., following the gallery opening. For Romano, the music continues the work of the exhibition in another form.
“The benefit concert became a natural extension of the project because music itself is an offering, a form of celebration, connection, and healing. It felt meaningful to create an experience that could both raise awareness for the preservation of our ecosystem and uplift the spirit of our community at the same time.”
Ayla Nereo and Romano had already been in conversation about the healing properties of water, especially as Nereo was creating an album centered around the element of Water.
“Because of that shared resonance, inviting Ayla Nereo to be part of the event felt deeply aligned,” Romano said. “The music became a continuation of the stories and artwork, another way to honor the river, deepen emotional connection, and gather people together in reciprocity and care.”
The evening will support river preservation and community giving. Eighty percent of ticket sales will be donated to non-profits: 50% to SYRCL, 15% to the Nisenan, and 15% to the Siakumne.
The gallery will open at 5:30 pm. Guests will be invited to read the stories displayed with each portrait. Prints from the exhibition will be available for sale and will support Romano’s continued work toward creating a documentary series about the healing properties of Water. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. Children are welcome, and admission is free for children under 7 years old.
“I hope that people leave with a heart full, with an intention to go connect with the Water in a new way, in a more present, sacred way,” Romano said. “I hope that the event invites people to tend to a culture of reciprocity. I hope that people feel deeply a common ground between all of us humans on a healing journey, with a deeper compassion and curiosity for one another.”
Romano hopes the event will give back to The Yuba in a meaningful way.
“I hope that we sell out. If we do, we could potentially give back around $10,000 to non-profits, in one celebratory evening! I hope that people help spread the word.”
Event Details
The River We Heal With
Art Exhibition & Benefit Concert
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Gallery opens at 5:30 pm
Concert begins at 7:00 pm Miners Foundry
325 Spring Street
Nevada City, CA
About Julie Romano
Julie Romano is an award-winning visual artist whose work brings together photography, storytelling, healing, and the natural world. ‘The River We Heal With’ began through a mini grant from the Grass Valley Cultural District and grew from Romano’s relationship with the Yuba River into an exhibition, community gathering, and benefit concert.