“For our sixth annual Festival, we were joined by LOCA … it was very popular and successful!”
— Lori Kahn, Coordinator of Do Good Village
LOCA Arts Education has provided top quality visual arts education to all ages in Laguna Beach, and beyond, for more than 30 years. LOCA’s unique strength is its ability to be mobile, providing free and affordable lectures,demonstrations, and classes throughout the City at commercial spaces, community centers, galleries, parks, resorts, and studios.
LOCA Pop Up Studios is among LOCA’s many longtime programs, whereby LOCA hosts a booth within a larger collaborative event. Attendees at the events can “pop by” the LOCA booth and create a fun, easy art piece that enhances their experience and complements the theme of the event. Venues include Hospitality Night, Arbor Day, and Coast Film and Music Festival – which is the focus of this issue of LOCA and ME.
“The Do Good Village is an integral part of our Festival, where we bring together non-profit organizations, whose focus is education,” said Lori Kahn, Do Good Village Coordinator. “We share our messages with others through hands-on experiences like art projects, that both cultivate creative expression, while teaching about our local environment and community.”
“For our 6th annual Festival, we were joined by LOCA, a highly valued part of Laguna Beach providing education, and artistic expression for the community. Our festival-goers got the opportunity to learn about our land and sea creatures by making art with local artists. It was very popular and successful! We are so grateful to everyone at LOCA who helped us achieve our goals,” she said.
LOCA art teachers Allison Keefe, Brittney Silva, Amy Rose Hammond
Brittney Silva, LOCA artist instructor
About the project: “We set up an art station with sea life stencils, carbon transfer paper, watercolor pencils, and oil pastels for visitors to make drawings to take home. Kids and adults loved the project because even if they didn’t have any art skills the carbon transfer paper made it super simple to draw over and reveal the magic they traced. And the oil pastels and watercolor pencils are fun to use because they are not only vivid and colorful, they can be blended together to create a more elevated drawing.”
About LOCA: “What I love the most about teaching for LOCA is seeing so many people become inspired by what they make with their own hands, whether it’s from familiar faces that take classes with us weekly, or a new person who might be hesitant with their art ability. When they are done with their project, the sense of pride they have from seeing what they made is very rewarding to watch”.
The importance of LOCA for the community: “Arts education is so important because art is an amazing outlet that helps us all stay connected to each other and our environment.”
Allison Keefe, LOCA artist instructor
About the project and the feedback they received: “We created vibrant coastal sea life using oil pastels and watercolor pencils. Participants were encouraged to try out various techniques, experiment with texture, and have fun with color. Everyone really enjoyed the project so much that many of them made more than one piece.”
About LOCA: “I am so thankful to be a LOCA art instructor! Creative expression is so very important for all of us, and thanks to LOCA, art is accessible for everyone from young children to seniors.”
Amy Rose Hammond, LOCA artist instructor
About the Project and the feedback they received: “This project taught the students the most important thing: there are no rules in art! There are endless ways to create, and this gave lots of options. The kids made really beautiful and all wildly different pieces of art! All the students LOVED the project and many of them stayed to make more than one piece. Some of the parents participated as well!”
About LOCA: “This was my first time teaching for LOCA, it was so fun!”
The importance of LOCA and arts education for the community: “Arts education is so important for the community, and not only because we are an artist town, and we need to keep that going. Art provides a much needed creative outlet and sense of community. I think it is especially important for kids to have that creative outlet.”
Student, Julie R.
This event was Julie’s first time visiting Laguna and working with LOCA artists. “I’ve always been interested in art from a young age, so art has always been a passion for me.” Julie expressed how much she loves the ocean and all its creatures and enjoyed creating them in her work with the help of LOCA instructors. “I’m using watercolors with the pastels to make it look more like the ocean.” She continued, “Art is very important; it allows people to express themselves. Instead of using words you get to use your imagination.” About LOCA, she stated, “LOCA is really important, especially in communities that don’t have a lot of art resources. Having art organizations like LOCA can help young people get interested in art and get into art as a career.”
Student, Dayanara P.
“My passion for art began ever since I was little; it was my alone time. I feel like an organization like LOCA is important therapy for people, also for fun for a hobby, and for people who want to pursue art as a career. You can also do that. Community art classes should be easily accessible. The LOCA instructors told me that anyone can do art no matter what skill level you have. I think all it takes is practice.”
Student, Alia M., Thurston Middle School
Alia directed an ocean themed short film, “The Aqua Grom,” which was part of the Festival’s Shorts Program. She said, “The LOCA instructors were very helpful. They showed us different ways to create water in the art. I created a starfish because I love how colorful starfish are.” She continued, “I think it’s important for people to learn about art and how to create art. Art is a way of telling stories. I think it’s important to give kids good art education.” She said she has taken many art classes from LOCA and appreciates the type of art opportunities LOCA provides.
Student, Penny J., Thurston Middle School
Penny explained that she was working on creating a colorful ocean sunset. “The LOCA teachers showed me some blending techniques. They gave me a cloth and showed me that when I drag it across it helps you blend your colors and makes it smooth. I think it’s really important to have fun things to do like creating art. It’s a shared and fun activity that brings people together. You can meet someone new.”
Local Student, Sterling S.
Using a stencil and tracing paper, Sterling explained, “I’m going to do this fish with his mouth open. When you trace it, it comes out, and you can see the fish on the white paper. It’s really interesting and cool. Then you can color it however you like. I’ve learned that when you make a mistake, you can turn it into a happy mistake. I’m really enjoying it. It’s really cool to mix and just have fun with all the colors.”
Local Student, Fiona Z.
Fiona drew a California Spiny Lobster and a stingray. Afterwords she watched LOCA instructors show how to implement different blending techniques. Fiona said, “I think it’s really cool to see how colors can blend like that. I think it’s really fun. I like that art is not always perfect and that you can’t make a mistake in it.”
Reporter, Photographer, Suzie Harrison
Senior Editor, Mike Tauber