ART FESTIVAL FINANCING STILL SOUGHT CAN'T DEMAND IT, BOARD SAYS.

Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer

NEWHALL - The Newhall School District governing board this week declined a request to petition the city of Santa Clarita to continue the scrubbed Bella Via street painting festival.

A city Arts Advisory Committee representative, Maria Blue, had asked the board to submit a letter asking city officials to explore ways of funding a smaller version of the defunct sidewalk chalk-art event.

But the three board members convened for Tuesday's meeting declined, Superintendent Marc Winger said. They doubted it was appropriate for them to pressure cash-strapped city government to bankroll the costly festival after The Newhall Land & Farming Company, which created the event, withdrew earlier this year, he said.

``There's no question about the value of Bella Via,'' Winger said. ``I'd love to see it back. But we're not sure the city is the right entity we should lean on for it.''

Blue, also a teacher at Cedarcreek Elementary in Saugus, was disappointed, but remained committed to revive Bella Via.

``I can see their point, but it's worth a try,'' she said Wednesday. ``I think there is so much ugliness in the world right now. If there's a chance to grab a little beauty, we have to hang on to it.''

For four years, the annual festival drew hundreds of international and local artists to create a brief art show of pictures in colored chalks on the pavement of the Valencia Town Center. Newhall Land officials canceled the festival this year, saying a weak economy made underwriting the $500,000-plus event difficult.

But Winger is optimistic that Bella Via will return in some form. He said many parent and volunteer groups hope for a downsized version of the festival that raised children's interest in art.

``We heard about different organizations striking out on their own,'' he said. ``To do it in a smaller scale is not a bad thing.''

Meanwhile, Blue is taking her grass-roots campaign to restore the festival to the Saugus and Sulphur Springs school districts, and she has elicited support from some elementary school student councils.

``(Art) appreciation opens up (students') minds to so many other things,'' Blue said. ``With all the push for reading and math, a lot of time for art gets pushed aside. It helps with just analyzing things and looking beyond the smaller picture. It helps their creativity.''

Eugene Tong, [phone]

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com