April’s World Art Day, as proclaimed by the United Nations, means increasingly more celebrations throughout the world each year. Sunland resident Becky Mate continues to celebrate art and artists (and a few poets) by throwing her classic Community Art and Chocolate party in her yard at 7862 Apperson St. in Sunland.

This year’s event will be on Saturday, April 12 from noon to 6 p.m.

“Bringing art, artists and creativity into your home is a grassroots way for unforgettable good memories with family, friends and neighbors,” said Mate. “It also gives a pop-up venue for artists to show their (family-friendly) work. Venue is everything when you want your own artistic voice seen and heard. I love seeing what I call ‘fresh art’ brought by neighbors and art that children make on the spot.”

In 2025, due to a bargain on art books from rice-paper artist Ruben Yadao, Mate will sell the How-To and artist books for $3 each, but many will be raffled off to attendees throughout the afternoon. The price of a raffle ticket? “Any donation.”

“I encourage artists to do art,” said Mate, “because of their value to the world. My theme this year is ‘Creativity Conquers Chaos,’ so artists – get to work!”

Yadao also donated art magazines and picture frames that Mate plans to give to neighbors, attendees and passersby.

Also free on World Art Day, courtesy of New Castle Remodeling, will be hot dogs, chicken fingers and not-overdone hamburgers though guests can bring dishes in the culinary arts.

    At one point during the celebration will be a reveal of the latest painting by Mate wherein the painting remains covered, building suspense, while Mate explains the controversial topic suggested by iaa-usa.org, “DNA – Do No Algorithm.”

“Our theme for World Art Day 2025, ‘DNA–Do No Algorithm,’ celebrates the irreplaceable essence of human creativity, presenting works crafted by human artists as a counterpoint to the rise of AI-generated creations,” she said. “Great art has a message, such as beauty, peace and kindness, and great art has contrasts and opposites, such as a large convict feeding a carrot to a baby bunny, or complementary colors, or sun and shadows, or two soldiers from warring countries sharing a sandwich or, in my painting entitled ‘Artificial Creativity,’ renditions of a model by artists – and by AI on a computer.”

In addition to artwork brought by teen and adult guests, there will a kids art table sponsored by artistsforabetterworld.art.

For more information or to RSVP, email Becky Mate at artday@earthlink.net, or simply show up at 7862 Apperson St. in Sunland. Artwork by Mate can be seen at SoftBeautybyRMate.com.

Note: Some of the photos taken at the event will be sent to the iaa-usa for them to forward to the United Nations in its annual report of what went on around the globe for World Art Day.