Schooled Radio
The Art of Education with Patsy Hicks
SBMA Director of Education Patsy Hicks (used with the subject's permission, photo by Paul Wellman, Santa Barbara Independent)

Patricia Hicks (photo by Paul Wellman, Santa Barbara Independent, used with the subject's permission)

Despite a year without field trips, the number and variety of educational programs hosted by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art has managed to grow during these strange times, thanks to the creativity of today's guest, Patsy Hicks, and inspiration from the artists surrounding her. 


Here are links to a few programs mentioned: 



Ms. Hicks has worked at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art for the past 26 years, serving as Teen Programs Coordinator, Manager of Academic Programs, and Assistant Director of Education before taking on her current position as Director of Education in 2008. She has over 15 years experience as a junior high and high school English teacher, at the Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles, CA (now known as Harvard Westlake) and at the Potomac School in McLean, Virginia.


Ms. Hicks has served on the Board of Trustees of Cate School in Carpinteria, CA, Crane School in Montecito, the Arts Fund of Santa Barbara, and the State of the Arts Advisory Committee for the City of Santa Barbara. and is a past member of the Board of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. She continues to serve, since its inception, on  the board and steering committee of the Visual Arts and Design Academy of Santa Barbara High School, and is currently a member of the Board of trustees for California Humanities.


She was appointed  to the Santa Barbara School District’s Measure H committee which is an oversight committee for the use of parcel tax funds in the high schools, In 2012 she was asked to serve on  the Measure I committee which serves the same function for the elementary schools, In addition  she was a member of the UCSB Graduate School of Education P20 committee which worked with Science Technology Engineering and Math ( STEM) under the direction of Lillian Garcia, to help further next generation science in the schools.  


Her work in Museum Education and for the community has been recognized by the Independent who named her a Local Hero in 2011. Hicks was given the honor of Woman of the Year by the Junior league of Santa Barbara in 2014 for her work with literacy development and English Language learners. In 2016 she was selected as one of the Women of Influence honored by Girls Inc.

This episode originally aired on KCSB-FM 91.9 on February 2, 2021.


Bits of music you may notice: Yo La Tengo, "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo," Duke Ellington, "A Mural from Two Perspectives," Talking Heads, "Artists Only."