El Centro Elementary readies for annual Arts Festival
EL CENTRO –
Paints, performances and many parents are sure to be bustling in north El Centro today, as the El Centro Elementary School District ( ECESD) will be holding its Annual Arts Festival on Wednesday, March 27, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Kennedy Middle School.
The event, now in its 14th installment since 2017, is a way for students to showcase their creative side through the arts in paintings, ceramics, paper products, dance and musical performances, cheerleading and other forms of art in order to “showcase what our students can do,” said Marco Arellano, director of education technology and innovation for ECESD, and event coordinator.
“It’s really showcasing the student talent we have in El Centro Elementary,” Arellano said. “They’re very talented in many ways – musical performances, dance routines, and what you’ll see in the art gallery.”
The event is open for all ECESD students – from grades Kindergarten to eight – to participate, he said. All 12 of the district’s schools will be represented with the outdoor student performances, with more students represented with the indoor art galleries showcasing their creations. Some outdoor performances will include dance such as ballet folklorico, cheerleading, as well as band and orchestra performances.
The Kennedy Middle school gymnasium will showcase the students’ various art pieces. In addition to the art displays and performances, the event will also include interactive booths, food and more, according to a press release.
New to this year’s ECESD Arts Festival is an artistic theme. In 2024, the district is “reinforcing the educational component by focusing on a different art movement each year, and exposing students and assistants to it,” said ECESD’s Alberto Martinez, senior digital media production specialist, of the “re- vamping of the whole event.”
“Before it was just a more general approach to arts, and now we’re going to do one art movement every year,” Martinez said. “This year we’re going to do cubism, and then next year another we’ll have another art movement.”
“The idea is to expose the attendees to this art movement, and the students as well,” he said.
“The parents get there super early to take a seat to get a good spot because they’re really excited to see their child perform,” Martinez said. “They’re really excited to walk through the galleries, and the students get really excited to take their parents to see their work.”
While the event is geared towards ECESD students and parents, “the doors are open” for arts-interested community members to view the student projects as well, Arellano said.
“This is not just an exhibit, it takes time to get the groups together in practice and get everything together, so I know the board of trustees and the superintendent are highly supportive,” Martinez said. “It’s part of the whole plan, to have these types of events to encourage art, and inclusive learning in general.”
The El Centro Elementary School District’s 14th Annual
Arts Festival will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27, at Kennedy Middle School. Kennedy Middle School is located at 900 N. 6th Street, in El Centro.