Arts & Culture Newsletter
Spring into fun at the Potocki Center
Spring into fun at the Potocki Center for the Arts with many fun and exciting new courses. From block printing, shibori dyeing, drawing foundations, and tea bag art to brand new after-school offerings for kids. No matter what your skill level, the Potocki Center for the Arts has something for everyone.
Check out all of our courses and register here.
Potocki Center for the Arts is located at 27301 La Paz Road.
For more information, contact 949-470-8470 or arts@cityofmissionviejo.org.
Save the date for Family Arts Day
Mark your calendars for Family Arts Day on Saturday, May 10. From 10 am to 2 pm, families are invited to explore their creativity on this fun-filled day of hands-on art experiences at the Potocki Center for the Arts.
Take in art demonstrations presented by local artists, learn how to create resin crafts, and enjoy live performances by Pacific Symphony musicians.
Special discounts on Potocki Center classes will be offered to Family Arts Day attendees. This program is free and open to all ages.
Potocki Center for the Arts is located at 27301 La Paz Road.
For more information, contact 949-470-8470 or arts@cityofmissionviejo.org.
Music is in the air this spring
Music lovers have many opportunities to enjoy live performances in Mission Viejo this spring.
Families are invited to a free sensory-friendly concert on Thursday, March 27. The fun takes place from 11 am to noon in the Norman P. Murray Community Center Sycamore Room at 24932 Veterans Way. Pacific Symphony musicians will create a welcoming and comfortable arts experience designed for folks who benefit from a more relaxed experience including people with autism, sensory sensitivities, or other social, learning or cognitive disabilities.
Then, get ready for a beautiful candlelight concert on Wednesday, April 16 when Pacific Symphony string musicians perform classical selections in the acoustically rich Jeronimo Tunnel.
Taking place from 7 to 8 pm, this free concert is part of the Subterranean Soundscapes event series that transforms the Oso Creek Trail into a vibrant venue for live music and entertainment.
Beverages and light refreshments will be available for purchase. Audience chairs will be provided, and an ADA-accessible portable restroom will be available onsite. The Jeronimo Tunnel is located near the intersection of Jeronimo and Arbolitos. Street parking is reserved on Jeronimo near the tunnel.
When spring rolls around at the Potocki Center for the Arts, that means an evening of jazz. Join us from 5 to 7 pm Saturday, April 5 on the picturesque Potocki Patio for a free jazz concert where 17-piece big band South Coast Swing will delight the audience with its catalog of favorites from the ‘40s through today. Beverages will be available for purchase. Parking is available in the lower Potocki lot and at Newhart Middle School. Register here.
Art Instructor Spotlight on Carol McAlester
The Potocki Center for the Arts is proud to introduce you to instructor Carol McAlester. You can enjoy her pastel course “Getting Creative with Chalk Pastel” on Tuesdays from 6-8 pm or her new course “Drawing Foundations: See, Sketch, Shade” on Thursdays from 6-8 pm.
Participants may discover the vibrant world of chalk pastel or learn to draw with confidence in either all-level course taught by this Laguna College of Art and Design alumna. We interviewed Carol so you can get to know this dynamic instructor.
Q: We would love to hear about your journey as an artist. What inspired you to start working with chalk pastels?
A: During art school, I focused heavily on oil painting. One semester, however, I decided to take a chalk pastel class, and it completely shifted my perspective. I gave myself an ambitious challenge: creating a large 20 x 30-inch plein-air piece on location without an easel. The setting was a carousel. Every time the carousel moved, I had to either grab my trays of chalk and reposition or wait for the ride to come back around to recapture the view. It was chaotic, but as challenging as it sounds, I couldn’t help but think how impossible it would have been with oil paints, a palette, jars of turpentine, and mediums. Chalk pastels offered a beautiful simplicity, pure pigment on a textured surface that was ready to layer and blend. The real reason I fell in love with chalk pastels, though, is their unparalleled vibrancy and the strategic layering process they require. They’re perfect for capturing the essence of my true artistic focus: color and light. Pastels allow me to explore and express these elements with a freedom and intensity I haven’t found in other mediums.
Q: Your work ranges from landscapes to portraits and character design. Does your artistic process vary based on the type of piece you’re setting out to create?
A: Absolutely. My goals for each type of piece are very different, so my approach naturally varies as well. For portraits, accuracy is paramount. A careful underdrawing is essential to capture the subject’s likeness and essence. While I can heighten colors or adjust lighting for artistic effect, I stay true to the subject in front of me to honor the unique characteristics. Landscapes, on the other hand, are more subjective. My focus shifts from accuracy to evoking a specific mood or feeling. Before I begin, I spend time centering myself, clearing my mind, absorbing the environment, and reflecting on what I want to convey. It might be the awe of golden autumn light, the isolating vastness of rolling hills, or the soothing rhythm of ocean waves. As I work, I channel these feelings into my color choices and mark-making. My underdrawing is deliberately loose to give me the freedom to adjust relationships between elements and maintain freshness in my transitional edges as I layer. For character design, the process starts with research. To simplify and stylize an object or figure effectively and to depict it from multiple angles in different contexts, I need a deep understanding of its form. I begin with detailed studies, followed by numerous experimental sketches where I tweak and refine elements to find what works best. What I love about working across these different disciplines is how they inform and enhance each other. For example, character design and illustration have taught me to be more interpretive and flexible in my landscapes, while my experience with portraits has deepened my understanding of facial expressions, which enriches my character designs. Each skill builds on the others, broadening my creative toolbox.
Q: What is your favorite thing about teaching students chalk pastel techniques?
A: I have so much respect for my students. Many of them are new to chalk pastel, and some are even new to art entirely. It takes courage to dive into an unfamiliar medium. What I love most is seeing their journey unfold. There’s a special moment, usually in the second or third week, when everything starts to click. The layering process makes sense, their paintings begin to come together, and they realize what they’re capable of creating. That spark of excitement and newfound confidence is incredibly rewarding to witness.
Q: How do you like to spend your time when you’re not working?
A: When I’m not working, I love spending time with my husband and our 9-year-old son. Whether we’re savoring delicious meals, playing games, watching movies, or gathering with friends, our time together is always rewarding and humorous. Most weekday mornings, you’ll find me swimming laps at our community pool. It’s a peaceful way to start the day and a chance to connect with my fellow aquatic friends. On weekends, I love diving into a good book, there’s nothing better than getting lost in a great story.
Q: What’s your advice for someone who thinks he or she “can’t” do art?
A: You absolutely can create art. Last year, I had the privilege of watching visiting Tibetan monks create a stunning sand mandala over the course of two weeks. Then, as part of their practice, they destroyed it. This powerful act reminds us that art is as much about the process as the result. While we all want to create a masterpiece, shifting our focus to enjoying the journey can open up new possibilities. When we’re kind to ourselves, we embrace mistakes as opportunities to learn, and that mindset fosters growth. Look for those moments where you notice progress, like capturing the play of light or understanding how colors interact and celebrate them. Each one is a building block in your artistic development. In addition to this emotional journey, there’s also a physical skill component. Traditional representational art is about training your eyes to truly see: to go beyond what your mind assumes and observe the colors, shapes, and spatial relationships in the world around you. Then, it’s about refining your motor skills to translate those observations onto paper. This process takes time, practice, and patience. The good news? Every artist starts somewhere, and every step forward is a victory worth celebrating.