Saddleback College Chili Festival Warms Art Lovers and Veterans

Nov. 16, 2009 - PRLog -- The Saddleback College Art Department and the Saddleback College Foundation are co-sponsoring the First Annual Chili Bowl Festival and Silent Art Auction on Thursday, November 19th from 4-8 pm at the site of the college’s nearly completed Veteran’s Memorial.  Join the celebration in honoring our servicemen from all wars who have given much to defend the traditions of freedom for all people.  Proceeds go towards the completion of the memorial.  

For $30, each donor will receive a bowl crafted by Saddleback art students and faculty filled with delicious chili, along with salad and cornbread and two tickets for beer, wine or soft drinks.  Patrons will also have the opportunity to bid on various artworks created by Saddleback College faculty and local professionals in a silent art auction.  Dancing under the stars will also be available to live post WWII USO tunes provided by Saddleback College Jazz Studies.  To purchase tickets call 949-582-4656 or online at www.saddleback.edu/arts.  Tickets can also be purchased by contacting the Foundation office at 949-582-4479.

The Saddleback College Veteran’s Memorial will be the largest memorial of its type in the western United States and promises to be a landmark of both veteran’s affairs and contemporary sculpture.  Designed and created by Saddleback Ceramics Professor Richard White and his students, the sculpture will have three water features, over a thousand lights, and seating for students and community members to have a place of respite.  "The Veterans' Memorial is not about whether you support the ongoing struggle in Iraq... It's for these men and women who make the sacrifices, and who may or may not make it home, that we show support and give thanks."  -Ehren Terbeek, student, Saddleback College, Iraq Veteran.

Dr. Tod A. Burnett, President of Saddleback College, stated, “Thank you to our Art Department faculty and students who have taken a leading role in the construction of the Saddleback College Veterans Memorial.  We are thrilled to see the progress that is occurring every day in the memorial’s completion, and this event will celebrate the commitment of our service men and women and the memorial that will be a lasting tribute to them.”

The Art Department at Saddleback College believes that a person’s reflection of life is manifested through his or her arts.  Students are able to fully appreciate artistic expressions through study, observation and experience.  The art faculty and staff are committed to offering the strongest foundation in the arts that will allow students success in college as well as in their ongoing roles as artists.

The Saddleback College Foundation coordinates and initiates giving to Saddleback College.  Without community support, the consistent excellence of college programs and education to students would not be possible.

Saddleback College is located at 28000 Marguerite Pkwy in Mission Viejo, just east of Interstate 5 at the Avery Parkway exit.  Parking is available in Lot 12.  Take Avery Parkway to Marguerite Parkway turn left to the third traffic light, which is Saddleback’s Marguerite entrance. Turn right into the campus and take the second left to “Theatre Circle,” turning right into Lot 12.

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About Saddleback College:
Located in Mission Viejo CA, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community. Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers over 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals. For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu.