佩珀代因大学’s 艺术中心 hosted the Family Arts Festival on Saturday, February 1, 2025, in Malibu. The event—which featured a full itinerary of performances, exhibitions, crafts, food, and a petting zoo—was designed to benefit local school communities affected by the recent California wildfires.

“Two of the schools we serve regularly through our ARTSReach program, Palisades Charter and Marquez Charter, were destroyed in the Palisades Fire,” says Rebecca Carson, managing director of the Lisa Smith Wengler 艺术中心 at 佩珀代因大学. “We know these teachers and children and see them regularly at our performances and exhibitions, and we wanted to do something positive for them.”

With this goal in mind, Carson and her team, which included 25 Pepperdine students, designed the Family Arts Festival and welcomed a total of 110 community members from affected areas free of charge for an afternoon of planned creative activities.

Participants enjoyed a guided tour through the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art and received a take-home art kit provided by the Corita Art Center—a local event sponsor. The Mobile Zoo of SoCal was also on site and brought a host of animal friends for attendees to interact with. Chickens, goats, guinea pigs, bunnies, a duck, a tortoise, and a piglet were available throughout the afternoon. Face paintings were offered by Rainbow Painted Smiles, and food and drink from the Okamoto Food Truck and Haole Shaved Ice were complimentary.

The event also featured music and cultural events throughout the day, including tunes from DJ Princess Ellie, a Los Angeles based children’s emcee. Inside Smothers Theatre, the Honolulu Theatre for Youth presented “The Pa'akai We Bring,” a stage production that follows a family of salt farmers living in Kauai through an ancient musical story.

Each of these unique opportunities was arranged and organized to give patrons from the surrounding area an afternoon of reprieve from the aftermath of the recent fires.

卡森说：“我们希望家庭艺术节为我们的客人提供欢乐和社区。” “I know our patrons have had long days filled with extensive to-do lists in the aftermath of the fires. We hope this day gave our families the opportunity to play, to be together, and to be inspired by the arts.”