• 23 Feb 2024 4:30 PM | Bradley Haugaard (Administrator)

    These talented student artists are winners! They competed in MAFA’s quarterly middle school art contest and earned award certificates and cash prizes on January 28.

    Top photo: Clifton Middle School (l-r): Sara Gutkind – Art Teacher, Aubrey Gonzalez, 2nd place; Wren Yanez, 1st Place; Jake Bernal, 3rd place. Back row: Eric Watkins, MAFA Vice President/Gallery Manager and Dr. Tony Fellow, MAFA President.

    Bottom photo: Santa Fe Middle School (l-r): Heather Gax, Art Teacher, holding certificate of Ava Whitmore (not pictured), 1st place; Cora Sze, 2nd place; Nina Sze, 3rd place. Back row: Eric Watkins and Dr. Tony Fellow.


  • 06 Feb 2023 6:48 PM | Bradley Haugaard (Administrator)

    In January 2022, MAFA applied for and received a grant from the Ruth and Joseph C. Reed Foundation for Art (reedarts.org) to support the Clifton Arts program at Monrovia's Clifton Middle School.

    With this grant, MAFA paid for teachers and materials to provide a Random Acts of Art demonstration every Tuesday lunch hour on the outdoor quad that students could observe if they wished, and an after-school art class on Wednesday afternoons. The grant also helped to support MAFA as it presented student art competitions at its Artist Alley Gallery receptions each quarter at the Monrovia Community Center.

    Clifton principal Scott Moses, MAFA president Christine Geltz, Reed Foundation executive director Vicki Connely, current Clifton Arts volunteer coordinator Lisa Reyes and former volunteer coordinator Julie Bank.

    When MAFA submitted its qualitative research report on the impacts of the program on students at the end of the first semester, the Reed Foundation was impressed with the report and pleased with the findings. Foundation officials immediately encouraged MAFA President Christine Geltz to apply for a subsequent grant to support these programs during the September '22 to June '23 school year, which was granted in August.

    Christine Geltz starting Vicki Connely’s viewing of the Clifton Art Fence (funded through the Reed Foundation grant) with the acknowledgment banner.

    Recently the Foundation's executive director Vicki Connely requested a tour of the campus, wanting to observe a Random Acts of Arts session and the Art Fence. She surprised MAFA president Christine Geltz by presenting MAFA with an award in appreciation of its dedication and implementation of art education. The award request came to Vicki as a consensus of Reed Foundation board members.

    The second grant will augment MAFA's current services and deliverables for both Clifton and Santa Fe middle schools and will include a field trip to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena and an Art Fence for Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School as well. Art teachers interested in teaching either type of sessions should contact Lisa Reyes (lisamcreyes@gmail.com), current parent coordinator, about these paid positions.

    The Clifton Art Fence borders the east perimeter of the campus along Canyon Blvd. Each banner is an enlargement of an original artwork by a Clifton Middle School student.

    Once again, we've shown that MAFA never stops delivering on its mission: Enhance the lives of those within our community through interaction with the arts. Increase the opportunities of our children through art education.


Explore our list of talented MAFA artists and their work here.

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