e-magination newsletter

A Message from our Executive Director

Teacher/Parent Volunteer Training is Around the Corner

Each fall we provide training at our offices in Menlo Park, CA for Art in Action schools with a current subscription. Hands-on training sessions introduce parents, teachers, and community volunteers to the artworks/artists/genres, themes, and projects in different program levels. Participants learn how to lead open-ended discussions, manage classroom participation in each grade level, and use the various media. They do several projects, building their self-confidence and art skills, making teaching the lessons easy.

Thanks for all you have done to support us Maggie Rancatore!

We are so grateful to Maggie, our very loyal and dedicated Office Manager, who begins her first day of retirement today, August 1st. Maggie has been the glue that has held our office and our team together for almost 7 years. In addition to general office support, Maggie is a whizz at creative problem-solving; editing our communications; finessing difficult situations; making our donors, volunteers, and our guests feel welcome; interacting with board and staff; and paying attention to timelines and details, all to ensure that life at Art in Action runs smoothly.

We wish her well as she embarks on her new life of leisure consisting of road trips with her husband, spending more time with her grandkids, playing the guitar and volunteering. We will miss you!

Meet Our Marketing Intern, Kevin Tran

Hello everyone! I am Art in Action’s summer social media marketing intern and I could not be happier to be a part of the team. 

I am working towards a degree in Public Relations with a concentration in Communications at San Jose State University. I decided to be a part of the Art in Action team because I believe in their cause and was always interested in art as it is therapeutic to me. 

As a social media intern, I manage our social media accounts by creating engaging social media posts and analyzing the metrics behind them. The aspect I enjoy the most is creating the visuals to go along with the posts. I have already learned so much about nonprofits and social media marketing, and I look forward to the rest of my time here at Art in Action. Check out my recent work by clicking below!

Our Board of Directors is Growing

Art in Action welcomes two new members to our Board of Directors.

Kareem Alston is the Digital Strategist at the ACLU of Northern California, where he helps promote the digital storytelling and engagement of the organization. He has also provided marketing, event planning, and fundraising support at Stanford University’s Institute for Diversity in the Arts (IDA). He grew up in Harlem and wants to reach people who have had less privileged experiences.

Mandy Gibbs holds degrees in Studio Art and Art History and has worked as a graphic designer producing magazines, education materials, and corporate branding. She is an artist and taught the Art in Action program for many years when her children were younger. She is currently the VP of Marketing for the Carlmont Academic Foundation and acts as the graphic designer for many local volunteer groups. Mandy loves Art in Action because it marries her passion for art and art history with her conviction that those things are relevant and critical to education.

We say good-bye to Board Member Kinsey Hart as she heads to Chicago to attend business school. We’ll certainly miss her, but wish her great success in this new adventure.