Sponsor Level Graphics by Avril Butbul
The artwork used as the backdrops for the sponsor levels are silk paintings created by Avril Butbul and her students at San Diego Hebrew Day School.
In 1994, after enrolling her children at San Diego Hebrew Day School, Avril was invited to teach an art elective. What began as rolling a cart from classroom to classroom quickly grew into a full K–5 art program and eventually with its own dedicated art space, thanks to community support and PTA fundraising efforts.
The school began auctioning the work that the students created in their classes with Avril at the annual galas, beginning with ceramic pieces. Over time, her work evolved through formal study in silk painting under Susan Moyer, where she discovered French dyes that became central to her next phase: large-scale silk paintings created in collaboration with students.
Every year, each class would choose a Judaic theme, and Avril would meticulously assemble student drawings into unified compositions. She stretched the silk, traced the designs in gold gutta, and guided students in painting sections using brilliant dyes — later finishing and steaming the work herself. These stunning silk pieces were framed by Anthony Bortz and auctioned at school fundraisers, with some selling for up to $5,000.
Avril resigned from her position at San Diego Hebrew Day School in 2020 and a 25-year track record of gala art auctioning sadly came to an end. Today, her pieces adorn many of our community members’ homes as well as homes around the world. Many of Avril’s former students and their families remain close friends and now their children, the next generation, are her current students and part of her creative journey.
We have created a slide show below of some of the silk pieces created over the years for you to enjoy. With our gratitude to San Diego Hebrew Day School for allowing us to do so.