SOL PASTOR-CABRERA
I grew up in Chile and fell in love with painting when I was eight years old. My school notes were always covered with art, and colored pencils were my only wish for Christmas. Art is and always has been part of who I am. I moved to California in 2004 with the desire to extend my artistic experience. The journey has broadened my skills and I’ve found a home in the field of art education.
In Chile I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and the title of Professional Printmaker from the University of Chile. Once in the U.S. I obtained a Bi-lingual Teaching Credential from California State University East Bay in 2011. In 2012, I earned a Master’s Degree in
Education with an option in Curriculum. Most recently, in 2016, I became a certified Integrated Learning Specialist with the Alameda County Office of Education.
I have been teaching in the Hayward Unified School District (HUSD) since 2011. There I’ve had the opportunity to develop, along with my colleague Geoff Landreau, an art integration workshop for classroom teachers to support the blending of art with other content areas. This program has guided teachers in the Hayward public school system to enhance their curriculum by bringing the arts into the classroom. I believe that providing this experience to children makes learning more meaningful by inviting them to explore different skills and develop critical thinking. Currently, I am part of a committee that is developing an Arts Integration master plan for HUSD to bring art to every school in Hayward.
As a teacher I use art to provide students with cognitive tools they can transfer to other areas of their lives and implement them beyond the classroom. My artistic outlook comes from cross-cultural immersion guided by the principle of simplicity. I use minimalist compositions to represent the world, inviting the viewer to find beauty in the abstract connections.