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CELEBRATING 1000 HOURS OF FREE ART EXPERIENCES OVER THE PAST.YEAR!
Our Mission
Crescent Moon Project provides free classes in the arts to children. Through these expressive and creative experiences, we teach children about the challenges facing our communities and aim to teach, empower and inspire in them the ability to care for others and the environment, to be responsible, to work cooperatively and inclusively, and to celebrate the strength of diversity in our communities. Through this hands-on work, we aspire to create the next generation of compassionate and empathetic leaders.​
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Our History
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The Crescent Moon Project (CMP) was born from a dream that founder Priscilla Duran had for her daughter and the other children in Los Barriles. Growing up in the small town, Duran recognized the limited extracurricular opportunities available to local youth. Driven by a desire to expose them to the arts, she initiated free, easily accessible art programs with the help of volunteers.
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In early 2021, Melissa McDonald and her family arrived in Los Barriles, bringing a wealth of energy and creative ideas to the project. Eager to contribute, Melissa joined Priscilla in expanding CMP's reach. However, funding shortages and the surge of COVID-19 cases forced a temporary halt to in-person classes.
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Undeterred, in June 2021, Priscilla and Melissa organized "Margaritas and Watercolors," CMP's first successful fundraiser. The event generated funds to distribute 100 art kits to children throughout the community. When in-person classes resumed, they quickly became a vital outlet for children, providing both fun and creative expression.
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By October, young artists had created works that were successfully auctioned at a Día de los Muertos event, leading to the establishment of weekly painting classes at Café Maria. In December, the inaugural "Margaritas and Ornaments" night brought together 35 participants to craft festive decorations using donated supplies.
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Weekly classes continued to flourish in local spaces, utilizing donated materials and culminating in the creation of a vibrant community mural. However, challenges related to language, cultural differences, and the intense summer heat underscored the need for more suitable facilities and qualified instructors.
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In October 2022, a significant milestone was reached with the opening of a dedicated art space at Palmas de Cortez Resort. The following year, a generous donation enabled CMP to hire a full-time art teacher, significantly expanding class offerings for children. Concurrently, CMP embarked on the journey of becoming an official Mexican non-profit organization, establishing its first-ever Board of Directors (Priscilla Duran, Betsy Fox, Melissa Fujimoto Kilkenny, Melissa McDonald, and Priscilla Watts).
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CMP actively collaborates with other local organizations, playing a key role in organizing the inaugural Los Barriles Día de los Muertos parade, which has since become an annual community tradition. In 2024, CMP co-sponsored the Curso de Verano summer camp, providing art classes, materials, and invaluable support. That year, over 125 children participated in CMP art projects, accumulating a remarkable 700 hours of creative engagement.
Art helps children develop creativity, emotional expression, thinking, and fine motor skills, while also boosting confidence and mental well-being. Engaging in art from a young age supports overall growth in a fun and meaningful way.
Crescent Moon Project Offerings and Annual Events
Art Studio Classes
Weekly free art classes for children, ages 5 through high school, exploring painting, printmaking, sculpture, and more, often tied to Mexican culture. Classes are led by a passionate local teacher, Yasmin Meraz.
Artist Collective
Local artists donate their time to collaborate with small groups of students, sharing their creative processes over a series of sessions. Student collaborative works and artist donated pieces will be featured in CMP’s Spring Auction.
Community Collaborations
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Community Art:Murals: Have you seen the mural by Restaurante San Miguel de Allende on the bypass road?! Guided by professional muralist, Carla Yannayon, our students, as well as parents and volunteers, were able to participate in what turned out to be a town masterpiece. Be sure to check out their amazing work! Several years ago, our students also helped paint the mural behind the barrels at the town entrance.
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John Gullo Home for Children: Our young artists painted rock markers for the plants in the new garde
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Día del Niño and Dia de Los Muertos: Crescent Moon Project, along with the local Rotary Club, sponsors these traditional Mexican celebrations.
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Curso de Verano: CMP co-sponsors a summer camp where 100 children receive free art classes and materials. Our older students serve as volunteers strengthening their leadership skills.
Easy ways to support free art classes for the children of Los Barriles:
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Sponsor our ART CENTER rent for a month. As a thank you, you will receive a student painting.
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Donate Art Materials: Choose from this Wish List, select Priscilla Duran’s address, and the gift will be delivered directly to CMP. Click here.
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Donate Funds: Make a US tax-deductible donation: Through L2G at this link.
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Volunteer: Assist with one group in the Artist Collective. No need to be an artist—just an engaged and supportive adult supporting the Artist Teacher. Py volunteer at one of our fun art or fundraising events.​​​
How Can You Help?
Easy ways to support free art classes for the children of Los Barriles:
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Sponsor a month of the Art Center rent at $300.
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Donate Supplies: Choose from this Wish List, select Priscilla Duran’s address, and the gift will be delivered directly to CMP. https://www.amazon.com.mx/hz/wishlist/ls/1NCS3GXHFZ1FH...
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Donate Funds: Through L2G at this link (be sure to click Crescent Moon on the menu). https://tinyurl.com/4zf54rae
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Volunteer: Assist with one group in the Artist Collective. No need to be an artist—just an engaged and supportive adult supporting the Artist Teacher
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FUNDRAISING & SIGNATHON 2025-26 SEASON
Student Artists in Action
Volunteer Board.
Priscilla Duran
Co-Chair, Founder, Treasurer
A lifelong resident of Los Barriles, Priscilla is the founder and heart of Crescent Moon. She’s also a member of the Rotary Club, a real estate agent with Homes and Land of Baja, and the owner of LosBarriles.Life, a vacation rental and property management company. Priscilla lives in Los Barriles with her husband and daughter, Luna, and is driven by a passion for community, creativity, and giving back.
Betsy Fox
Co-Chair, Secretary
Betsy Fox brings extensive experience to her role as Board Co-Chair and Secretary, with a background as both a school administrator and educational consultant. She has played a key role in developing the organizational structure and art curriculum of Crescent Moon. Betsy spends her winters in Los Barriles and resides in Northern California the rest of the year with her husband and two cats.
Sally Inglis
Social Media Coordinator
Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Sally Inglis is an entrepreneur and adventurer at heart. A journey through the USA, Canada, and the Baja Peninsula led Sally and her husband to Los Barriles, where she found a strong sense of community and purpose. Sally volunteers with Cortez Rescue and SNAP. She also serves on the board of Crescent Moon Project, where she is proud to help support programs that inspire and empower the next generation. Sally believes strongly in giving back and is passionate about building stronger communities through service, compassion, and action.
Gaby Law
A winter resident of Los Barriles since retirement, Gaby has volunteered for Friends Supporting Families, as well as establishing a Mahjong Club. She is currently assisting at her son's company, performing tasks such as bookkeeping, invoicing, and client communications.A former flight attendant of 38 years and substitute teacher, Gaby looks forward to bringing her love of interacting with others to CMP. Her many other interests and loves include Pickleball, Yoga, and enjoying life with her best friend and husband Jim.
Sonia Lunceford
Artist Collective Coordinator
Sonia Lunceford is an educational consultant with a multicultural, multilingual background and a passion for leadership education. A lifelong traveler, she is dedicated to fostering creativity, compassion, and connection across cultures. Now living in Los Barriles, Sonia serves on the Crescent Moon Project Board and volunteers with the East Cape Guild and Cortez Rescue. She is deeply devoted to serving her community and brings compassion, creativity and a global perspective to her work supporting children through the arts.
Alison Shepherd
Volunteer Coordinator
Alison is a former school teacher from Alberta, Canada. After visiting Baja for the past 15 years, she and her husband are now part-time residents of Los Barriles. Alison has a keen interest in developing deeper ties within the community. As a new board member, she is looking forward to helping the children of Los Barriles realize their creative and artistic potential. She is excited to be working alongside the many volunteers who generously donate their time, energy and talents to the Crescent Moon Project.
Priscilla Watts
Board Member Emeritus
Priscilla Watts has been part of the Los Barriles community for over 40 years and has long supported expanding arts opportunities for local youth. She taught some of the first Crescent Moon Project art classes and continues to volunteer wherever there’s a need for arts education. Today, she serves on the Crescent Moon board, where she enjoys supporting new creative initiatives through fundraising and community involvement. Her lovely home has been the site of the organization’s annual fundraisers.
Monthly Blog
Crescent Moon Project: Art for Children
March, 2026​
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Excitement is building at Crescent Moon Project as we prepare for one of our most anticipated events of the year—Art in Bloom: Watch Them Grow! on March 26.
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Through our vibrant Artists Collective, professional artists spanning painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, collage, and more have been working side by side with our student artists. Guided by Artist Collective Coordinator Sonia Lunceford, Teacher Erika Yasmin Meraz, and dedicated volunteers, each mentorship results in a powerful collaborative piece created by mentor and child. In an extraordinary show of generosity, every participating artist also donates an original work to the auction.
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These pieces represent more than creativity—they reflect connection, mentorship, and the transformative impact of access to the arts. When caring, accomplished artists invest their time and talent in our children, confidence blossoms and possibility expands.
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The collaborative works and donated artist pieces will take center stage at Art in Bloom, an evening that sells out every year. Tickets are available now at Homes & Land of Baja—secure yours early and join us in celebrating the incredible growth of the children of Los Barriles.
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We are deeply grateful to our 2026 Artist Collective members:
Cristhian Gabriela Rosas Aguilar, Brett Carl, Christene Comstock, Kathrin Exler, Susie Frazier, Tamra McKinney, Laurie Riley, Tanis & Lawrence Rovner, Julie Shipman, Wayne Wagler, Peny Wallace, Diane Wright, and Carla Lizeth Yannayon Garcia.
In other exciting news, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Baja Shakespeare on a successful run of The Little Baja Mermaid. We are so grateful for the opportunity to sponsor the 50/50 raffle at the Sunday matinee and to be part of such a joyful community production.
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We also offer a special thank you to Bernie Bathgate for generously building and installing a beautiful wall-length shelf in our Art Center. This thoughtful addition provides much-needed space to hold students’ works in progress and has helped transform and declutter this creative hub.
Crescent Moon Project: Art for Children
April, 2026​
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What a fantastic Art in Bloom: Watch Them Grow fundraising event we had on March 26th! With over 150 guests and volunteers in attendance, the evening was filled with energy, creativity, and true community spirit. Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner from Maria’s Café while strolling through a beautiful outdoor gallery featuring artwork created by Crescent Moon Project student artists in collaboration with talented adult artists.
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Each piece told a story of mentorship, imagination, and growth—perfectly capturing the heart of this year’s theme. The Silent Auction was lively and engaging, with a steady crowd gathered around the bidding table as guests eagerly competed to take home one-of-a-kind pieces, all while supporting our mission to provide free art programming for children.
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As the Silent Auction closed, excitement continued to build with the start of the Live Auction. The first item featured a stunning photograph by Julie Shipman capturing the vibrant Huellas en el Desierto mural along the bypass road near Restaurante San Miguel de Allende. Paul Neal then took the stage as guest auctioneer, bringing energy and enthusiasm to a unique mixed media agave collage created by artist Wayne Wagler in collaboration with student artists. The final piece, a Diane Wright totem—always a crowd favorite—brought the auction to a memorable close.
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Adding to the festive atmosphere was the ever-popular Lotería game, played for a Los Barriles Mystery Box, along with tequila tastings, plenty of laughter, and incredible live music by Damiano and Ruben, who kept the crowd entertained throughout the evening. It was truly a celebration of art, connection, and the power of creative expression.
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We are so grateful to everyone who attended, volunteered, donated, and helped make the evening such a success. Your support ensures that the Crescent Moon Project can continue to inspire and nurture young artists in our community.
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We are especially grateful to our 2026 Artist Collective:
Cristhian Gabriela Rosas Aguilar (our first CMP parent artist!), Brett Carl, Christene Comstock, Kathrin Exler, Susie Frazier, Tamra McKinney, Laurie Riley, Tanis & Lawrence Rovner, Julie Shipman, Wayne Wagler, Peny Wallace, Diane Wright, and Carla Lizeth Yannayon Garcia.
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Community Collaborators
Special thanks to Club Rotario Los Barriles Cabo de Este, Asociación de Artes, and Leaders to Give who support us in various ongoing ways.
