DOWNEY – Stay Gallery is pleased to present Water Is Life, an exhibition featuring mosaic artworks on pizza boxes by Maude Price and Old River Elementary students. 

The idea for the pizza box exhibition was introduced to Stay Gallery in 2014 by Alex Venegas, a teacher at Old River Elementary. Venegas was inspired to offer an after school art class that gave students the opportunity to showcase their completed artworks in a gallery space. 

Since then, the pizza box exhibition has been a beloved permanent fixture in the annual Stay Young Season of Exhibitions calendar. 

“The pizza box exhibition is a highlight example of what our Stay Young Season of Exhibitions is all about,” says Gabriel Enamorado, executive director of Stay Gallery. “Not only does it provide students with an opportunity to share their creativity with the community, but it merges the collaborative efforts of local teachers, organizations and businesses from within the city.” 

Venegas’ efforts have been carried on by Maude Price Elementary teacher Stephanie Farina, who volunteers every year to ensure her students receive this opportunity. 

“It is incredibly rewarding to provide the opportunity for our fifth grade students to communicate their ideas, emotions and talents through art,” says Farina. “Through this partnership with Stay Gallery, students recognize themself as true artists and that is invaluable.” 

This year, she is joined by Old River Elementary teacher Kristina Roche. 

Students are given the opportunity to create unique mosaic artworks by arranging magazine cut-outs on pizza boxes, generously donated by Pina Pizza House. These artworks are then displayed at Stay for families, teachers and community members to enjoy. 

This year, the theme of the exhibition is dedicated to water conservation, in partnership with River In Action (RIA). 

“Our organization provides environmental education programs for young children,” states Melissa Bahmanpour, executive director of RIA. “We are excited to collaborate with Stay and Downey Unified teachers to help our students better understand their local natural environment through creative expression.” 

Join Stay Gallery for the opening reception of Water Is Life on Wednesday, March 4 from 6 – 8 pm. This exhibition is made possible by the support of Downey Federal Credit Union. Free admission. All ages welcome. 

To learn more, please visit: staygallery.org/pizzabox