Sandi Cottrell - Irina Negulescu

Sandi Cottrell: Managing Director of Mission Federal ArtWalk in Little Italy

Sandi Cottrell took over management of the ArtWalk event in 2004 and has never looked back. Her goals for this event were ambitious, and many of these goals have been accomplished in the past 5 years. In 2007, she founded ArtReach, an arts education program that addresses the lack of art education programs in elementary schools by bringing ArtWalk artists into classrooms to teach standards-based art skills. In 2006, She launched ArtWalk on the Bay, a Fall event with some of the familiar features from ArtWalk, in a more intimate bayside setting.

What is your vision of the future of the Visual arts for San Diego?

"Public celebrations of art that are free to the public and accessible to all have the power to communicate our message--that art and art education are important in our lives. I believe in bringing diverse art groups together to participate in these festivals."