Mark Dimalanta | May 2021
During the recent Covid-19 Pandemic, Orange County Children’s Therapeutic Arts Center was pressed to pivot, create virtual curriculum, and engage the students through the Zoom Platform. Our society witnessed coarse and divisive themes which caused much anxiety among our community. In partnership with SAUSD Engage 360, OCCTAC was able to reach the community and provided the much needed creative enrichment that gave balance to their core subjects and improved their social /emotional well being. We tasked our teachers to inspire their students to create art work that inspires unity through diversity. The best educational tool was found within Mexican mythology in the form of the “Alebrije” and our California VAPA standards based curriculum, inspired by Favio Martinez Curiot. The students combined separate, but majestic creatures into one form, hence creating an even more beautiful species strengthened by unity. In essence, each individual creature or symbol uniquely separate, but joined together as one... more beautiful. -A lesson we can all learn from during the pandemic’s divisive times. We are very proud to announce that 2 students were selected to participate in a county wide editorial for the Press Enterprise, written by Allyson Escobar. Their work was featured in “How students are using Art to channel Covid-19 fears.”
Paola Sanchez, Age: 10, 4th Grade Adams Elementary SAUSD E360/OCCTAC, Teacher Blanca Ibarra. “From the chaos of darkness, beauty evolves by the fusion of color.” A contrast of colors and form made with Watercolor, chalk, tempera paint on card stock. Jimena Lemus Perez, age: 6, 1st Grade, Santiago Elementary, SAUSD E360/OCCTAC, Teacher Kristina Baker. “Mixed in Unity we find Love.” The blending of tiger, elephant, butterfly and giraffe to create a majestic new form, filled with love and smiles. -Media, watercolor, ink, & crayon wax resist.