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EL CENTRO— The Foundation for Education hosted its fifth annual Autumn and the Arts fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 2 at the Imperial County Office of Education.
Supporters gathered to bid on artwork and raise money for schools through the Valley, which funds countywide student events, student scholarships and other educational initiatives.
Imperial City Councilmember Ida Obeso-Martinez said it was her second time attending the Autumn and the Arts fundraiser. She praised the “great artwork that all the students put together.” Some of the students’ paintings displayed on the walls included images of a sunset, a pomegranate, and a garden.
District 3 Supervisor Peggy Price said that she purchases “creative artwork from one of the students” every year at the fundraiser. Price said she brought home a painting last year and highlighted the importance of the money raised going directly to student-centered initiatives.
Superintendent Todd Finnell thanked all volunteers, including AmeriCorps members, for their service throughout the evening. Associate superintendent Carlos Gonzalez spoke next, explaining that 100% of funds raised through the art auction go directly to support students and their schools.
Attendees scanned the QR codes displayed alongside the artwork to bid throughout the evening, until the auction closed at 8 p.m.
The Foundation recognized artists whose artwork was auctioned off throughout the evening. One of these was Cristina Salazar-Saucedo, a regional representative with the Rainforest Art Project, which designs and creates art with local high school students.
Salazar-Saucedo spent more than 50 hours crafting her mosaic, “Sunflower Melody.” She explained that she laid out the pieces, waited for the glass to harden, completed the vibrant painting with blues, greens, yellows, and red, then finally framed the piece.
Salazar-Saucedo emphasized the importance of encouraging young artists in their talents. She said her parents realized she had a gift for creating artwork when she was attending kindergarten in Mexico. She later came to the U.S. for college, where she learned English and studied art — a family passion that her grandma and aunt also loved.
Along with recognizing artists, Gonzalez acknowledged several teachers for “empowering and inspiring” students. He thanked Miriam Marcuson, a teacher at Wilson Jr. High School, whom the Foundation recognized as the 2024 Champion for the Arts.
Gonzalez also highlighted Dallana Gomez, a culinary arts teacher from the Calipatria Unified School District, as the Imperial County Teacher of the Year. Gomez is currently in the running to win the State Teacher of the Year.
Gonzalez awarded the Champion of the Arts award to Jacqueline Pleitez, an art teacher at Southwest High School. This trophy is the Foundation for Education’s highest recognition, according to the Imperial County Office of Education.
In a video Gonzalez played for the audience, Pleitez said, “Art became my form of expression, my language. It’s really how I make sense of the world. Now, I get to pass on that gift to my students.”
“Every student is an artist if they’re given the space to create, to be seen and be heard,” Pleitez continued in the video. “Teaching art is not just about teaching skills. It’s about teaching confidence, curiosity and self-expression.”
Pleitez briefly addressed the audience in person, saying that her “students are the real champions.”
Victor Nava, a board member with the Foundation for Education, thanked attendees for supporting the event and investing in youth. “These funds are going to directly impact, in a positive way, all students throughout the county,” Nava said.
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