SMCHS Student-Artists Showcase Work at Festival of Arts
Each year, thousands of pieces of student artwork are juried through the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) for OCArts. From more than 1,000 submissions, only a select few are chosen for the prestigious student exhibition at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach.
This year, three of our students were selected to participate: Kevin Yu ’26, Natalie Reginato ’27, and Anlè Botes ’29. Two of our students also received additional recognition. Natalie Reginato tied for third place in the 11th-grade category, while Anlè Botes received first place in the 9th-grade category.
Congratulations to all three of these outstanding young artists on this incredible achievement!
Alumna Mackenzie Busch ’25 Exhibits Work at Laguna Art-a-Fair
Mackenzie Busch ’25 was selected from hundreds of artists to participate in this year’s renowned Laguna Art-A-Fair.
Mackenzie will be entering her second year at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, where she is pursuing Fine Arts.
Working primarily in oil paint, Mackenzie creates landscape-inspired pieces that explore mood, light and atmosphere. A former student of Visual Arts Department Chair Pamela Toomey, she continues to build upon the artistic foundation she developed at Santa Margarita. Toomey attended the opening of this year's Art-a-Fair in support of Mackenzie.
Inspired by quiet, reflective moments, her paintings evoke a sense of calm, intimacy, and subtle dreamlike beauty. Through each piece, she hopes viewers connect with the emotions and experiences that inspired its creation, using art as a meaningful way to foster connection with others.
We are incredibly proud of Mackenzie and all of our talented student artists for representing our community at these distinguished Laguna Beach exhibitions!