Art outreach

Suzie Harrison

With more than 20 arts organizations in Laguna Beach, it can be

difficult to differentiate what each one does. Reading often like

alphabet soup, LAM, CAP, FOA, LBAA, CCDF, LPAPA, LCCB and LOCA can

further obscure its purpose.

Laguna Outreach for Community Arts, better known as LOCA, has been

focusing on art education since its inception in ’92.

Co-founded by well-known Laguna artists and philanthropists Anne

England and Mada Leach, the organization thrives through the

continued sustenance of community support.

“Anne and I got together and wanted to create an organization with

several goals in mind,” Leach said. Since England and Leach have been

Festival of Arts exhibitors for decades, they knew about it and were

concerned.

“We’ve always been into art education and have community activism

backgrounds,” Leach said. Another goal of the founders was for

artists to be paid for their time.

“We wanted a bridge organization between the artists and the

schools,” Leach said. “The art outreach education programs have

continued to branch out and proliferate.

“The key word about LOCA is the word ‘outreach,’” Co-President and

Festival of Arts Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Sharbie

Higuchi said. All four schools in the district have outreach art

programs.

“Each one is different and we leave it to the school to design a

project around their programs,” Laguna Outreach Arts business manager

Warren Cook said. Terry Anne Barman, Laguna’s Boys and Girls Club

Preschool director, said the program has been immeasurable to the

“Even Start” children.

“Before LOCA, when we gave kids markers to draw with, they ended

up just writing, they weren’t drawing,” Barman said. “When we started

collaborating with LOCA the kids got really enthusiastic about

creating and doing artwork.”

Laguna Outreach also has after-school classes and workshops at the

Youth Shelter.

Friday’s “Art Escape Workshops” are part of adult education

programs held at the Women’s Club. A senior art program will begin

Feb. 11.

“We’re starting a specific ‘Art Escape’ for seniors,” Leach said.

“They’ll be making handmade cards, gourd painting, glazing ceramics

and personalized gift wrapping. One activity per class.”

Starting in March, Laguna Outreach is teaming up with Ocean Laguna

Foundation to offer “Art and Sea Adventure.” It will include tide

pool exploration and ecology with a hands-on art workshop.

The adult programs are funded in part by the community service

grant, support from Arts Orange County, the Rotary Club and the BID,

Cook said.

“LOCA needs the community’s help by participating in programs,

membership, volunteerism and corporate sponsorships,” South County

Bank regional manager, Anne Morris said.

For more information about Laguna Outreach for Community Arts

programs or membership, call (949) 363-4700 or go to

https://www.locaarts.org.