Art for everyone
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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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