2008 Woodie Awards
Making art with a conscience
Karina Sendayen
Issue date: 5/27/08 Section: Features
Diana Argabrite has been with De Anza College since 1989, developing and directing the arts and schools program at the Euphrat Museum of Art.
The program reaches out to local elementary and middle schools by providing art classes. "I think art is important for every age because it teaches problem solving, which later could be applied to any field," she says.
Her commitment to integrating art into people's lives has earned her awards and grants, including the CREST award from the city of Cupertino, which recognizes significant volunteer contributions.
In addition to overseeing various outreach programs, Argabrite also assists in coordinating major exhibitions from professional artists as well as student artists from De Anza.
Argabrite is also a visual and studio artist herself. Earning a bachelor's degree in painting and drawing from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a master's degree in art and art education from San Jose State University, she applies all her passion to her artwork.
"My work is really detailed and takes a couple hundred hours to complete a piece," said Argabrite.
Her last work named "Response and Responsibility" was shown at the Manilatown Heritage gallery in San Francisco. It featured a purse that sparkled extravagantly from afar.
However, from a closer view, it displayed symbols of distorted values. Her piece was meant to show the consequences of unchecked greed and have people question why materialism is present when there are so many people suffering in the world.
Through her involvement in the community and the content of her work, it can be said that Argabrite is an artist of not only creativity, but of morals and ethics.
"Art is the expression of the soul," said Argabrite. "It's a tool for addressing issues, values and solutions."
The program reaches out to local elementary and middle schools by providing art classes. "I think art is important for every age because it teaches problem solving, which later could be applied to any field," she says.
Her commitment to integrating art into people's lives has earned her awards and grants, including the CREST award from the city of Cupertino, which recognizes significant volunteer contributions.
In addition to overseeing various outreach programs, Argabrite also assists in coordinating major exhibitions from professional artists as well as student artists from De Anza.
Argabrite is also a visual and studio artist herself. Earning a bachelor's degree in painting and drawing from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a master's degree in art and art education from San Jose State University, she applies all her passion to her artwork.
"My work is really detailed and takes a couple hundred hours to complete a piece," said Argabrite.
Her last work named "Response and Responsibility" was shown at the Manilatown Heritage gallery in San Francisco. It featured a purse that sparkled extravagantly from afar.
However, from a closer view, it displayed symbols of distorted values. Her piece was meant to show the consequences of unchecked greed and have people question why materialism is present when there are so many people suffering in the world.
Through her involvement in the community and the content of her work, it can be said that Argabrite is an artist of not only creativity, but of morals and ethics.
"Art is the expression of the soul," said Argabrite. "It's a tool for addressing issues, values and solutions."
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