From celebrating the talent of young artists to exploring the ways art enriches our daily lives, this month has set a vibrant tone for the year ahead. Thank you for being part of our journey as we continue to embrace the beauty, joy, and stories that art brings to our community!
Kicking Off 2025 with Two New Murals
Our mural program is starting the year with exciting projects that celebrate community, creativity, and collaboration. We’re excited to highlight two newly completed murals that embody the vibrant spirit of local schools and their communities.
At High Tech Middle Mesa, we completed a bold and dynamic tribute to the school’s identity, natural surroundings, and community pride. Designed by ArtReach Mural Artist Partner Esteban Sánchez, the mural incorporates meaningful symbols like the dragon from student lore, the thunder mascot, and the natural landscapes of the region. Depictions of the ocean, mountains, desert, and native flora—including California poppies, desert blooms, agave, and cacti—frame the school’s name in bold, proud text. Students played an active role in shaping the design through three creative workshops and participated in three paint days to help bring the mural to life. The final piece is a vibrant reflection of growth, resilience, and connection, welcoming all who visit the campus.
Over at Lemon Grove Academy Middle, we collaborated with San Diego FC to create a mural that radiates joy and community pride. Designed by Esteban Sánchez and inspired by 8th-grader Brianna G.’s winning concept from a school contest, the mural reimagines five children actively playing soccer on a field, framed by vibrant lemon trees that symbolize the Lemon Grove community. Bright colors drawn from San Diego FC’s palette and a sun-shaped like the team’s logo add energy and unity to the design. This mural celebrates sportsmanship, joy, and local pride, providing an inspiring backdrop for the school’s field—a space that serves both students and the larger community.
Both murals are shining examples of what happens when students, artists, and community members come together to create something meaningful. We’re grateful to everyone who contributed their time, creativity, and passion to these projects. Here’s to another year of art, collaboration, and connection!
Scouts Learn the Art of Indigo Dyeing
Our Community Programs team loved providing an experiential and exciting Indigo Dyeing workshop for a local scout troop this month!
The troop toured The Mingei International Museum’s Blue Gold The Art and Science of Indigo before joining us at ArtReach to see real indigo vats and put what they saw on their tour into practice! Kristina led scouts through a variety of resist techniques using string, screws, buttons, & wood blocks while Yasmine taught wax resist using tjantings.
Each scout made a beautiful bandana using the resist technique they learned and, after discussing the history of indigo and the impact of the textile industry on the environment, received their textile merit badge!
Storytelling at Golden Hill K-8
This January, ArtReach kicked off our 10-week residency at Golden Hill K-8, working with both 2nd-grade students and students in the Moderate/Severe Program. This year’s curriculum is all about building foundational art skills & techniques, leading up to a mixed-media self-portrait project centered on the question, “What is My Story?” Each session is adapted to make art accessible, fun, and meaningful for every student.
With the Moderate/Severe Support Needs class, students have been practicing observational drawing using objects like an apple, a soccer ball, and their own hands as subjects. These exercises help them focus on details and explore how to translate what they see into their artwork. The class also worked on illustrating a scene with a background, middle ground, and foreground, giving them a chance to practice organizing space in their drawings.
Golden Hill Elementary is receiving this residency as part of ArtReach’s Free Programs initiative for qualifying Title 1 schools. If you want to know how your school can get free art programming, please click here to learn more!
Artful Connections: Teambuilding with YMCA
ArtReach is proud to partner with YMCA San Diego, offering team-building art workshops that bring their staff together as a connected and inspired community. These interactive sessions guide participants through creating a personal art piece while also contributing to a collaborative artwork to display in their offices as a symbol of their shared experiences and values.
Through creativity and self-expression, YMCA staff have explored themes of sentimentality and self-reflection, recognizing how these qualities enhance their ability to serve the community with social awareness, compassion, and dignity.
ArtReach specializes in designing custom team-building workshops in our community art space in Hillcrest, tailoring sessions to each group’s goals. Whether staff want to deepen their skills in facilitating arts activities, explore Social Emotional Learning practices, or focus on a specific theme, our workshops provide hands-on experience, education, and meaningful moments of connection.
ArtReach Got the Grant! Prebys Foundation making $5.2 million bet on healing value of arts and nature
We’re excited to announce that ArtReach has been selected as a recipient of the Prebys Foundation‘s Healing Through the Arts grant!
This funding will allow us to collaborate with the IRC Women’s Resilience Center in El Cajon to offer social-emotional art workshops for refugee women, culminating in a mural that reflects their stories. These workshops will provide a creative space for connection, self-expression, and healing. We’re grateful for the Prebys Foundation’s support as we continue to expand access to the arts and its positive impact on mental health. Click here to view the other grantees and stay tuned for more updates!
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