BRIEFLY IN EDUCATION

Library art exhibit features children’s plein air pastels

Friends of the Laguna Beach Library is hosting an art exhibition of paintings sponsored by Laguna Outreach for Community Arts, known as LOCA.

The oil pastel art pieces, depicting Main Beach, were created by third-grade students from Top of the World Elementary School.

Local artist and author September McGee instructed the students in the classroom using a process of building up layers of oil pastel combined with “texturizing” techniques.

These works, now on display at the library, are a follow-up to a sketching field trip at Heisler Park, where the students were instructed in how to create a “plein air” sketch in pencil of the local surroundings.

The exhibition is open to the public and is on display through September. For more information, contact Sherry Bullard at (949) 494-8969.

SchoolPower receives $40,000 from Hearts of Montage

Hearts of Montage, the community volunteer outreach program led by the associates of Montage Resort & Spa, presented a donation of $40,000 to the Laguna Beach Education Foundation (SchoolPower) for the second consecutive year. This is the largest donation SchoolPower received this year.

The presentation was made at the Board of Education’s June 28 meeting. SchoolPower is a nonprofit, nonpolitical group organized by local citizens and administered by an active board of trustees. All funds are given directly to the school district and distributed by the school board.