Santa Barbara High School’s Multimedia Arts and Design (MAD) Academy held its MAD BASH March 6 at Shalhoob’s Lounge in the Funk Zone. The festive, upbeat event was attended by 200 parents, supporters, staff and students.
The venue was illuminated by student video productions made possible by a collaboration with local artist Ethan Turpin, Jonathan Smith, and the Environment Makers. Attendees were treated to a visual feast projected on the walls and filling the space with an artsy vibe.
The MAD BASH committee, headed by Allison Marcillac, wanted the event to showcase the impressive work of the students, and Turpin worked with them for weeks to fulfill this goal.
Live entertainment by Chillpoint Band had everyone dancing among the projections, which provided an immersive artistic experience.
The MAD BASH was intended to be a fundraising and a community building event, and it accomplished both. Emcee Geoff Green, CEO of the SBCC Foundation, articulated the MAD fundraising goals, which included covering all equipment and fieldtrip costs; attendees gave generously.
Other giving opportunities included silent auction items as well as two opportunity drawings. One featured an experience at El Capitan Canyon and Folded Hills Vineyard, and the other was a high-end collection of 50 bottles of wine, including Terroir labels from Babcock Winery. Babcock also donated the wine for the event.
This year has been an exciting time of change and improvement at the MAD Academy, and the MAD BASH was a perfect example of the new leadership’s focus on equity, diversity and opportunities for students to showcase their work.
For more information on the MAD Academy, visit madacad.com.
