Becky Diaz is a transfer student from Los Angeles County and moved to UC Santa Cruz to pursue her B.A. in Art. She wanted to pay it forward to her community by advocating social justice for the underprivileged population and is part of the Renaissance Scholars at UCSC who helped her to connect and intern with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for their 30th Anniversary.
CASA is one of the biggest agencies that advocates for children and foster youth, providing court-appointed volunteers to children in the court systems to feel cared for and connected with families. They offer the resources they need to flourish and heal into adulthood. CASA asked Diaz to design unique save-the-date cards for their event, which were mailed to 1,400 residents across Santa Cruz County.
“The theme was ‘30 years believing in youth’ and the illustration I created was the “The Four Dreamers,” depicting what a child feels when they dream of growing up,” said Diaz. “Whether it is to become an astronaut, a teacher, want food security, a loving home/a place to stay, or find their creativity, CASA is a place where they can find these resources! I drew mosaic pieces in the CASA brand colors, red and blue, to illustrate mentors, volunteers, staff, social workers, judges, and attorneys who helped children and youth reach their dreams until adulthood.”
Diaz explained that the swirls were potential dreamers waiting to be seen when children and youth are given support. The girl with her eyes closed – I painted using a brush tool that mimics variations of bright reds and yellows to resemble her bright future ahead,” added Diaz.
Diaz also recently interviewed UCSC alumna Rick Carter, who is a two-time Academy Award- winning film production designer (Lincoln, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, Avatar, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) at the Arts Division’s annual Convocation, which took place on September 28, 2022. She was thrilled to learn more about his process and ask him questions about his fine art practice as well as his very successful film career.