Focus on Education
Color Me Thrilled!
Participatory Budget: through a SF Arts Commission grant whose funds were directed by voters in San Francisco’s District 7.
• • • • • • • • April 2025 • • • • • • • •
Keep your eyes open as you drive past Laguna Honda. A new mural, “Dreamers of Dreams,” celebrates public school arts educators who have inspired San Francisco youth in the classroom and beyond.
I am thrilled because both my children benefited from arts education in San Francisco schools, and I love the idea of honoring the teachers.
Created by California Arts Council Artist Fellow Nico Berry and painted with the help of community volunteers, the mural features six large-scale portraits and honors nearly 70 arts educators selected by community nominations.
The mural takes its name from the 1873 poem “Ode,” which celebrates artists as visionaries and changemakers who shape culture and inspire the world, even in the face of adversity.
The project was organized by the nonprofit foundation FOSOTA/Friends of Ruth Asawa School of the Arts and made possible through a San Francisco Arts Commission grant whose funds were directed by voters in San Francisco’s District 7.
“This mural is not just a tribute to our public school arts educators,” said Berry. “It’s a reminder — especially in this moment — that we must push back against the marginalization of the arts in our schools and continue to shine a light on their value in our society.”
You can find a list of the art educators here.
My friend Andi Wong is shown in the middle of this picture:
“I am honored to be part of this mural that lifts up arts education and affirms the role of arts educators in shaping our communities,” says Andi. “It is a special time to consider the true value of arts education in San Francisco, especially with the concurrent retrospectives recognizing two great artists and teachers — Wayne Thiebaud at the Legion of Honor and Ruth Asawa at SFMOMA.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place Thursday, April 10, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in front of the mural at 67 Woodside Avenue in San Francisco. Free tickets — encouraged but not required — are available via Eventbrite.
About Nico Berry
Nico Berry is a San Francisco-based muralist with over twenty years of experience designing and creating large-scale community and commercial murals. A 2023-2024 California Arts Council Artist Fellow, Berry is known for a collaborative approach to public art that centers people and place through large-scale works that explore community, cultural identity, social justice, and the intersection of urban, natural, and human environments.
About FOSOTA / Friends of Ruth Asawa School of the Arts
FOSOTA is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to championing arts education and arts-based learning at San Francisco’s groundbreaking public arts high school and beyond. Its community of donors, volunteers, educators, students, alumni, artists, activists, and allies believes in the transformative power of art in the schools.
Carol Kocivar is a children’s advocate and lives in the Westside. Feedback: kocivar(at)westsideobserver.com
April 2025
