Participant Biographies and Project Descriptions

Jane LaFazio
Jane is a professional visual artist who has been exhibiting her creative paintings and art pieces throughout San Diego County for the past fifteen years.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian Studies and an Associate of Arts degree in Graphic Design and is also an experienced and acclaimed art instructor.  Jane especially enjoys working with children and has taught elementary school art classes for the past five years.  Jane feels that teaching art to children helps instill the value of creativity at a young age, and the confidence to be expressive artistically so that, “…kids can remain artists throughout their lives!”

She is holding two hour creative classes for fourth and fifth grade children classes twice a week at the Escondido Children’s Museum located in a downtown area that is surrounded by lower income neighborhoods, where the local children do not have access to any art instruction.  The Museum staff has contacted the nearby schools to help publicize the program to low income youth living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Jane guides the kids in discovering the joy and power of creativity through hands-on projects. Each session, the children will be learning art skills and problem solving while learning about the world we live in through natural sciences and international culture. The culmination of each 8-week session will be an exhibition of the children’s art in the Children’s Museum with a small, invitational reception for the student’s family and friends.  The program, entitled “Mundo Lindo~beautiful world” is chronicled on Jane’s blog.