The Faces of Friends of Civic Arts Education Foundation
Paula Evangelou Nan Siegel Adria Schwartz Mary Evans
Paula Evangelou, Finance Officer
When the Friends Foundation realized last January that it needed a fulltime finance officer on its board, we placed a notice in the Arts Notes section of the Contra Costa Times. Paula Evangelou, who was interested in volunteering in this capacity, saw the ad and immediately responded. A part time employee of Washington Mutual Card Services where she has been managing its Customer Satisfaction program for the past several years, Paula was able to make arrangements to free up her Mondays in order to attend our board meetings and handle all the Treasurer duties for Friends.
Paula’s background is in finance. She holds an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley and spent the first part of her career in finance at Bank of America. Married with no children, she lives in Walnut Creek. The attraction to serving on our board arose from a longtime interest in education; Paula spent two years teaching high school English before returning to work on her Masters. She had also served on another board for 10 years – NorCal Financial Development Corporation, a non-profit that provides loan guarantees for small businesses.
In addition to her regular duties, Paula is currently developing a database system that will help manage the Friends Foundation’s membership and donor lists. She has also agreed to chair the Membership committee and sits on the Financial committee, chaired by board member Barry Miller.
Nan Siegel, Friends Foundation Board Member
What is your first memory of art?
I remember lying on the floor drawing pictures on the undersides of the living room tables with chalk because my mother never had enough paper for me.
Why has art been so important to you over the years?
I’ve done drawing ever since I can remember. Art is like mediation to me and has always been a part of my life. It's like having another language to express yourself.
What has your involvement in the arts been in Walnut Creek?
I moved here from Iowa after grad school and started teaching in elementary school. Later, I went on to teach art, science and core subjects at Foothill Middle School. When a full time art position opened up, I grabbed it. Teaching art in Walnut Creek and my involvement with the City led to many community art projects with my students, among them a student art show for Heritage days and a 132’ mural on the construction fence at City Hall, which won the “Action for Beauty Chrysanthemum Award.” Another wonderful experience was a watercolor show of Plein Aire paintings of Mt. Diablo with my 8th grade students, which culminated with an exhibition and party on top of the mountain with the school jazz band. This kind of partnership with other organizations offers children the opportunity to feel connected to their community. It makes for a really exciting teaching and learning experience.
Recently I designed and painted two benches for the lobby area at Shadelands. Professionally I have done interior design work, scenic design and mural work.
Your volunteer life has also been busy…
Around 13 years ago, I began two terms on the City Art Commission followed by two terms on the Bedford Gallery Advisory Council. Presently I am serving on the Friends Foundation board and am its liaison to and co-chairman of the Civic Arts Education Advisory Council
What does being a Friends board member mean to you?
I’m finding it very exciting to be in on the ground floor of something that has so much potential to make the arts accessible to people of all ages.
Adria Schwartz, Friends Foundation Board Member
Adria Schwartz, who joined the board in 2006 in order to head up the scholarship committee, has always been involved in the visual arts. She told me, “My father, who loved to paint landscapes, was a great inspiration to me. Both my daughters are also involved in the designing field and even my aunt and uncle are political cartoonists and animators.” Adria, a longtime Walnut Creek area resident, has served as a docent at the Bedford Gallery and, along with her daughters, has taken a number of Civic Arts Education classes over the years.
Adria brings expertise in choosing scholarship recipients to the Friends board; for many years she has assisted Bio-Rad Laboratories, a company that develops products for life science research and diagnostics, in selecting and awarding graduating local high school seniors with scholarships to continue studies in science.
“My scholarship committee works very hard to find deserving students to receive financial assistance,” she says. “Most recipients receive scholarships covering 50% to 75% of the cost of the class. Many of them are awarded to young music students and tend to be ongoing.” She told me that her committee is also open to adults and seniors who meet these requirements. All applicants can obtain requests for financial assistance through the Civic Arts Education office.
Adria was on hand this past summer to award a special AAA scholarship, named in memory of former Superintendent of Walnut Creek Schools, Michael DeSa, to Mary Evans. Mary qualified for a Friends scholarship for the AAA Summer Program and in addition, the Walnut Creek School District chose her for outstanding leadership. (see photo).
