The Goleta Education Foundation sponsored a square at the 2019 I Madonnari Chalk Art Festival to raise awareness about the importance of art education in elementary school. GEF board member, and retired GUSD art teacher from Isla Vista School, Blair Looker was the artist. Blair says, “Arts education is an essential component to developing the whole child. Effective arts education helps integrate the developing child in real-time and helps to build the skill, confidence, and drive needed for the creative expression of personal voice. Art in the classroom exposes our kids to the vastness of culture, and also promotes intangible qualities of joy and pleasure which lifts the spirit. My goal in the classroom was to have my students leave my classrooms happier and more relaxed then when they arrived.”
About the art Blair created: “The image for iMadonnari 2019 is of a child who has fallen asleep reading a book about life under the sea and is dreaming about meeting a humpback whale. The image was inspired by a photograph by Masa Ushioda showing a moment of connection between a humpback and a diver. The painting is titled “Reaching Out”; it celebrates imagination while exploring life’s universal connectedness.”
La Patera and Kellogg, both GUSD schools, also participated in the festival. Check out their amazing artwork!
