Art for All | Professional Artists Support Santa Barbara High Program

A fun, feel-good evening filled with art, music from DJ Darla Bea, food, drinks, and support for budding young artists awaits guests at the annual VADA Draw fundraiser for Santa Barbara High School’s (SBHS) Visual Arts and Design Academy.

As longtime “in the know” art aficionados are aware, the heart and soul of this unique fundraiser is that a generous group of artists and celebrities come together to invest their talents in students by creating and donating original art pieces for the raffle, or “draw,” which guarantees that every guest leaves the event with a piece of art in hand.

And it’s not just any piece of art. These are valuable pieces from well-known Santa Barbara–based artists and celebrities like Pedro De La Cruz, Wallace Piatt, Karen Lehrer, Rod Lathim, Peter Horjus, Hugh Margerum, Ginny Speirs, Barbara Parmet, Dug Uyesaka, and Jeff Bridges, among many others — and it’s all to support the highly regarded Visual Arts and Design Academy (VADA) program, an academy (school within a school) at SBHS that integrates rigorous academic coursework with art and design instruction.

“I think the biggest thing that VADA provides, besides a creative outlet in high school, is a place to stoke those creative juices, not only in art classes, but also in classes like English and science, where art is integrated,” says Jim Fabio, a board member of Friends of VADA, the nonprofit organization that supports VADA financially and with in-kind volunteer help. 

“My daughter [Isabella] has taken away a community of like-minded creatives and friends and people who make her high school experience so much more than just the classes she takes,” continues Fabio. “And the teachers that she learns from, as well; so much of that can be attributed to the teachers and the program director, Daniel Barnett, whose priority is to create a program that, number one, reflects the demographic makeup of our community, and two, focuses on individual development and support for each student. And that’s great.”

Barnett states, “VADA is the place where creative kids can thrive, make friends, hone art ability, and develop professional skills. They learn outside the classroom on field trips and have internships and mentorships in the creative industries. Not only is learning actually relevant and fun, but kids leave with the experiences that give them a distinct advantage for their future.”

The VADA Draw fundraiser raises more than 30 percent of VADA’s annual budget, funding art education for more than 300 student artists, and Barnett expressed his hopes for this important event. “Your attendance and support play a vital role in sustaining and nurturing our one-of-a-kind public school arts education program. Together, we not only foster the growth of individual artists but also create a vibrant community for artists of all backgrounds. Join us at the VADA Draw, and help us continue to make a lasting impact on the lives of our talented students.”

This year’s VADA Draw event takes place on Saturday, March 16, at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW), from 7-10 p.m. 

In addition to the traditional admission ($175 for two guests/one art piece or $140 for one guest/one art piece), which includes a “Ticket for Art” that can be redeemed at the exhibition — art pieces are selected by guests in the random order that ticket numbers are drawn — there are some additional ticket options available this year. The new “Mine, All Mine!” option is a $1,500 first-tier ticket that allows purchasers to choose their art piece in advance of the event. There are also two additional tiers, with ranked priority for selecting an art piece early: “Really Gotta Have It!” for $1,000 and “Gotta Have It!” for $500.

Not to be left out are the straightforward supporter options for $50, admitting one guest to the party or sponsoring admission for a VADA teacher (but neither of these lower-priced options include a piece of art).

The list of participating artists includes: Caroline Allen, Scott Anderson, Sarah Arnold, Jessica June Avrutin, Jack Bailey, John Baran, Tobi Beck, Karen Bezuidenhout, Kit Boise-Cossart, Claudia Bratton, Wendy Brewer, Jeff Bridges, Meredith Brooks-Abbott, Ginny Brush, Sukey (Susan) Buchanan, Fred Calleri, Nell Campbell, Jane Chapman, Merith Cosden, Colette Cosentino, Pedro De La Cruz, Bob DeBris, Casson Demmon, Bill Dewey, Naneki Elliott, Karen Folsom, Betsy Gallery, Rosemarie Gebhart, Kevin Gleason, Chris Gocong, Jeremy Harper, Ruth Ellen Hoag, Barry Hollis, Peter Horjus, Stephanie Ingoldsby, Myla Kato, Colleen Kelly, David Mark Lane, Pamela Larsson-Toscher, Rod Lathim, Duane Laurabee, Karen Lehrer, David Litschel, RT Livingston, E. Lovelace, J.K. Lovelace, Hugh Margerum, Cynthia Martin, Kellen Meyer, Elizabeth Mosely, Jami Joelle Nielsen, Judy Nilsen, Carlos Palma, Barbara Parmet, Wallace Piatt, Sylvie Rich, Meg Ricks, Matt Rodriguez, Joe Rohde, Joan Russell Price, Eric Saint George, Kathi Scarminach, Nini Seaman, Steve Shelton, Lanny Sherwin, Elena Siff, Lindsay Skutch, Lisa Slavid, Garrett Speirs, Ginny Speirs, Rebecca Stebbins, Brandon Teris, Sandra Torres, Dug Uyesaka, Larry Vigon, Nina Warner, Mary Williams, Paige Wilson, Rebecca Zendejas, and Seyburn Zorthian. 

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All of the art can be viewed online at vadasbhs.org/vada-draw-2024 and will be on exhibition at CAW on March 16 as well (even the pre-sold pieces). See vadasbhs.org/the-vada-draw for tickets and additional information.