Hundreds gathered at MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana this past Saturday to celebrate the talents of artists with disabilities during the 49th annual Orange County Arts and Disability Festival.
Presented by the Orange County Department of Education and Orange County Arts and Disability, the free event featured performances, hands-on activities, a community resource fair and an exhibit of more than 700 pieces of artwork created by students and adults with disabilities. This year’s theme, “Art from the Heart,” emphasized the power of creative expression to empower and inspire.
“I think when we have an opportunity to showcase all of our students’ amazing talents, what it does is it yells from the mountaintop that all students, no matter what level, no matter what circumstance they’re in, that every child has a gift and a talent that they can express to people,” said Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean.
Watch the video above, produced by OCDE’s Media Services team, for highlights from this year’s festival.