OPEN HOUSE! The first hour...

Far West students and their CCA mentors put finishing touches on their combined projects.
The event was well attended by school staff, teachers and students - some of whom who did not even know the library exists.
Chef Chris prepares guacamole to add to the other appetizers.
Mentors distributed the "Far West" cooking booklet that the students wrote and illustrated.

Sirat posed next to the animation on overpopulation that she
scripted and narrated.

A couchful of students enjoyed their video "After the Earthquake".

The hiking club was represented by their drawings and an informational display.

Shakara was delighted with her library furniture paintings.

Sustainable Fashion Techniques

 

Far West High School has a fantastic visual arts program with a very strong fashion design department. As a fashion design major at CCA, I wanted to share my knowledge of sustainability and give them tools for ecologically-minded design. Along with an overview of the wasteful and often toxic processes involved in the fashion industry, we completed different projects using eco-friendly techniques. We dyed different fabrics using vegetable dyes such as beets and onion skins. For another project we embroidered scrap fabrics and used the scraps to do applique and reverse-applique. The students also learned to drape with scrap fabric.  -Noel Rohayem

The Far West Fashion Studio comes Alive

CCA Mentor Craig Stucky has been working with 3 Far West students to transform an uninviting dark gray box into an "indoor garden" with swirling forms and lively colors." They used low VOC paints for much of the work as they are kinder to the lungs and the atmosphere.

Far West Library

The "before" condition. The library was a locked and jumbled storeroom.

Before the work began...

Applying Primer

Zander designing her first table.

More of Zander's Tables and walls painted

Zander's final product

Zander's second table almost complete.

Tables, chairs, and walls near completion.

Pictures From The Last Few Hikes

Wow, a salamander!


Winter light in the forest.

More hiking.

the boys sketch an Ensatina Salamander.


Michael's racoon-skull drawing.

Far West Fall Fashion Show

Far West had a fashion show this fall and Devin was there to shoot the whole thing using a "nice big" camera! 

He got some great shots...

Getting Ready...

The Show Begins...

A Musical Performance...

And a Dance Performance...

And a Big Thank You!

Lasagna!

We went to the Farmer's market on Jack London Square to buy some local produce for our lasagna! Almost all of the produce we used was from Jack London's Farmers Market. The other items we already had on hand.

Chris wants to be a chef after High School and so we always let him lead the projects!

It was so good! Fun and easy to make! :D

Mentoring Activities November 11 &18

The activities are in full swing. Far West students are so enthusiastic that they attend their groups on a school holiday!