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Art for everyone

Sara Wilson

When Mada Leach talks about art, she almost becomes a kid again.

From the age of 5, Leach knew that she wanted to go into the arts. By

age 8, people were already testing her passion.

“Just keep doing it on Sunday as a hobby,” one person advised her.

Adamant, she simply said to herself, “I know right now that I will

be doing art all my life.”

Residents of Laguna Beach and surrounding areas have benefited

from this decision made years ago by a determined child. As an adult,

Leach identified a need to unite artists and schools and co-founded

Laguna Outreach Community Arts, an organization that brings visual

arts to life among schools, youth and senior groups.

“Laguna is full of potential artists, people that are devoted to

their disciplines and are enthusiastic,” Leach said. “It’s a win-win.

You put the schools, the kids and the artists together.”

Now, 10 years from the time it was first launched, LOCA is

introducing Art Escape, a concept originally established by local

resident Sherry Bullard, to link LOCA’s 75 artists with Laguna Beach

tourists. This program will offer a different focus every Monday,

ranging from mosaics to printmaking. A public art tour will allow

visitors and residents to get hands-on art experience as well as

catch a glimpse into an artist’s life and skill. The main goal is

simply to get visitors to stay just one more day in Laguna Beach.

“We want them to linger in Laguna,” Leach said.

Living out her dream as a professional artist, Leach specializes

in mixed media and can be found every summer at the Festival of the

Arts, where she has been an exhibitor for the past 19 years.

“[Art] is always hard, but what you get from it in the way of

spiritual feeling, it’s worth everything,” Leach said.

And to any child who may face opposition about art, she offers

four words of advice, “Soldier on, my dear.”

* SARA WILSON is an intern for the Coastline Pilot. She can be

reached at 494-4321.

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