A community event taking place this weekend in San Juan Bautista will celebrate and showcase the artistic talents of San Juan School students, while raising funds for the school’s sports program with the help of local businesses.
On Saturday, June 3, the public is invited to attend, “Padre Day,” a free and open event presented by the San Juan Home and School Club and the San Juan Padres. In a nod to the mission’s permanence and influence, San Juan School’s mascot is the Padres.
In a telephone interview with BenitoLink, first-grade teacher and San Juan School alumna, Jayne Ferreria, explained that while on maternity leave she began thinking of ways to reconnect the historic town with its elementary and middle school students.
Ferreria said that her brainstorming session resulted in “Padre Day,” a day that she describes as, “bridging the gap between the school and the community.”
Ahead of “Padre Day,” Ferreria kicked-off a school-wide, voluntary art program centered around the theme, “Mi Pueblo” (My Town). Students from grades first through eighth were encouraged to draw inspiration from San Juan and its environs.
Students eagerly went to work.
First-graders painted cacti and colorful flowers. Second-graders used crayons to make impressionist-style drawings. With the help of El Teatro Campesino, seventh-graders made puppets and drums. And eighth-graders, including Daniel Matchain, created a pencil sketches of storefronts and iconic buildings.
Wanting to parlay the event into a fundraiser to generate revenue for equipment used by the school’s sports teams, Ferreria reached out to local businesses for support.
The business community did not disappoint.
Veritgo Coffee Roasters agreed to host an exhibit featuring the student’s artwork as part of its monthly “First Saturdays” series.
Mission Gallery added a professional touch by matting and framing some pieces, including Matchain’s, at no charge.
From 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, student artwork will be on display and for sale at the coffee house.
One eatery, Pizza Factory, and two antique stores, Mrs. B’s Z-Place and Sweet Peas, will donate a percentage of their sales on Saturday to the San Juan Home and School Club.
Attendees to “Padre Day” can also watch and listen to other artistic talents of the San Juan Padres.
Credo Studio, an art and dance center, is opening its doors to the school’s folklorico dance troupe, who will perform at noon.
And at 1 p.m, the hushed Carl Luck Library will echo with poems written and read by students.
Matchain, the eighth-grader, is a self-taught musician who will be seated at the piano outside of Vertigo, playing tunes for those stepping inside to see, and perhaps purchase, his detailed, pencil drawing of Jardines.
“I hope they have fun and that they enjoy it,” he said in an email to BentioLink about those who are planning to attend the inaugural “Padre Day.”
