Creativity Takes to the Streets with the Annual Orcutt Chalk Festival
The sidewalks of Old Orcutt will be alive with creativity on Saturday September 28th for the 12th annual O-Town Chalk Fest. Over 60 volunteer artists will be on hands and knees armed with high quality chalk and imagination. Many will arrive at dawn to begin as Old Orcutt is blocked off for a full day, 10-3, watching the progress of the artists. The town will also be hopping with a stage and multiple live music events throughout the day, art booths selling local art, jewelry, ceramics and woodworks, and food trucks and food pop-ups, selling snacks and lunch. There will also be a “Kids Corner” where children of all ages
produce arts,crafts, and work interactively doing STEAM projects, which incorporate art with STEM, science, technology, engineering and math. Kids Chalk Square passes will be available for kids to draw their own chalk square for $10. This pass includes a box of chalk and a 2 x 2 square.
The Chalk Festival is brought to us by the Orcutt Children’s Arts Foundation, OCAF, their many generous sponsors and over 50 volunteers. According to Jennifer Medina, Operations Coordinator and OCAF’s only paid employee, “OCAF was founded in 2002. Our superintendent at the time and Orcutt's board of trustees wanted to find a way to provide consistent funding for arts education in Orcutt classrooms, even during times of declining budget support from the state. They set up the Orcutt Children's Arts Foundation as a district affiliated nonprofit 501-C3 foundation."
OCAF has been instrumental in providing funding support for district programming and visual arts, music, theater, and dance, explains Dr. Eric Castle, President of the OCAF Board. “Fund development has been accomplished through an annual gala fundraiser, the annual chalk festival event, grants, donations, and assorted minor fundraisers. OCAF has established a strong brand in our community and is seen as an important catalyst for keeping the arts a vital part of what the Orcutt Union School District students experience.” OCAF is run by a “strong community board of 11 locals, all volunteers.”
Joe Dana, Vice President of the OCAF board and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the Orcutt Union School District, says OCAF serves all of the 4,800 students in Orcutt “and has been helpful because OCAF funds have been combined with district funds to make our arts offering even better.”
The list of their contributions to the arts in the schools is extensive. Some include Arts Attack, a visual arts education curriculum, an award-winning hands-on video-based developmental program teaching arts elements and principles for teachers to use, paying the director for the spring play, $1000 scholarships for talented artistic students, teacher grants, buying art supplies, supporting dance programs in the schools, and supporting music and choir programs.
Much of the funding comes from the Spring Gala, March 1, 2025, which will be at the Radisson on Skyview. Medina says to save the date for the Gala, no theme decided yet. It’s a way for the community to have fun and support arts in the schools at the same time. There will be dinner, silent auction, live auction, live music, and special performances by student actors. “People who support this cause can also donate directly on the website; www.OrcuttArts.com, And we are always looking for more volunteers.” You can call her 805-938-8966 or email; jmedina@orcutt-schools.net and contact their website for more Chalk Festival information.
Katy Jacobson reporting