Spencer Brandt / Daily Nexus
Last Saturday, Isla Vista’s annual music and arts festival melded with Earth Day spirit in Chilla Vista X Earth Day in Anisq’Oyo’ Park. Isla Vista Community Relations Committee (IVCRC) and the Environmental Affairs Board (EAB) collaborated to put on an event that brought community and environmental consciousness together through art and activities. Not even the fierce winds could keep the hundreds of students and community members from coming out to enjoy live music, art and dance.
IVCRC events coordinator Jennifer Kim described the purpose of the festivities.
“Our main goal is to bring the community together and make sure people know about all of the resources that are available to them. We want to let people know who we are and what we do,” Kim said.
Isla Vistans enjoying the entertainment provided at Chilla Vista. Stephen Manga / Daily Nexus
A wide variety of groups tabled in the park, including Save the Mermaids, Life of the Party, Adopt-a-Block and Health and Wellness, providing information about campus resources, how to maintain personal health and safety and environmental awareness. Carolina Castillo, EAB’s Earth Day co-chair, explained the important history of the event.
“Earth Day was started here in Santa Barbara after the 1969 oil spill, and it’s spread all over the world,” Castillo said. Bringing together Santa Barbara’s rich history of activism with the people of Isla Vista proved to be an important undertone of the event.
A student writes what he hopes will happen on a piece by Hope Curran. Stephen Manga / Daily Nexus
The art walk in particular embodied this sense of community and consciousness as passersby could witness UCSB alumnus Huicho Mata spray-paint a powerful live mural over the course of the day. Interactive art, such as “Draw on Me” blackboards and the “hope” exhibit in large white letters (by student artist Hope Curran) were popular attractions that allowed for community members to fill the space with positivity, goals, dreams and pride.
In the kid’s corner, people flocked to the Isla Vista Food Co-op and Capoeira to enjoy locally grown produce and engage in Brazilian martial arts. As always, Chilla Vista brought out a wide selection of bands including Feral Vida, Walter Lewin’s Dotted Lines and Alright Alright featuring UCSB psychology professor Tamsin German. The day came to an end with The Crash Landings, UCSB’s a capella group Naked Voices and the iconic Olés. Students and community members gathered on the grassy hill next to the art walk to dance and relax while getting a taste of I.V. culture. Children, dogs, students and community members all made an appearance to get their daily dose of good vibes.
Spencer Brandt / Daily Nexus
Both Castillo and Kim commented on the fusion of Earth Day with Chilla Vista in one event as a great way to bring about positivity and unity to the town.
“They both [Chilla Vista and Earth Day] have the same purpose,” Kim commented. “I think it worked really well to do the two events together.” This new fusion of Chilla Vista X Earth Day proved to be a great way to carry on I.V.’s tradition of supporting community values, raising environmental awareness and celebrating through art.”
[Correction: This article previously stated EAB as the Environmental Awareness Board, when in fact the correct name of the organization is the Environmental Affairs Board. Also, Carolina Castillo’s title was stated as “EAB’s Chilla Vista coordinator” when her position is Earth Day co-chair with EAB. This article has been updated accordingly.]
