ART PROGRAM GIVES STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE.

Byline: Sharon Cotal Staff Writer

NEWHALL - During the past school year, students at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School have had the opportunity to participate in an art program usually offered only by those enrolled in private art institutes.

The program gave students at the school a new understanding and appreciation of art, and allowed them to explore their talents by painting their own masterpieces, which were on display Thursday in the largest school art exhibit to take place in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Shane Mitchell, a local artist, volunteered his time teaching art at the school after he learned that the campus, which his daughter attends, had no art program. He began by teaching his students the basics of color and movement.

When they had mastered those concepts, he gave each of the school's 288 first- through eighth-graders a blank 16-by-20-inch stretch canvas, an 18-piece acrylic paint set and five brushes, then let them create their own works of art.

The students' artwork turned the walls of the school's Conference Center into a sea of bright colors during Thursday's exhibit, with paintings arranged by grade level showing scenes from each child's imagination based on the theme ``The World Around Us.''

Sports were a popular choice, as were ocean and wildlife scenes, mountains, sunsets and, perhaps as a nod to the school's science program, there were several paintings depicting the planets of the solar system and one showing the space shuttle.

``What we're trying to do is build the total child through academics, athletics and art,'' said Monsignor Paul Montoya, the school's director. ``This will help a child find out what area they are going to grow into.''

The paintings were judged by local artists who chose first, second and third places and Best of Show for each grade level, plus Mayor Cameron Smyth was on hand at the exhibit to select his three favorites for Mayor's Choice Awards.

``The quality of this art is exceptional - and this is coming from someone who has a hard time staying inside the lines,'' the mayor joked as he slowly perused the paintings to select his choices. ``These are extremely impressive and I'm having a hard time choosing.''

Smyth said he based his decisions on the creativity, originality and difficulty of each work.

``If someone was willing to take a risk and do something different or attempt something that is difficult, then I think that should be rewarded,'' he said.

The awards were handed out in a ceremony led by Mitchell, who said he is very proud of his students and the works of art they produced.

``Some of the children are really talented, and we would have never known it if we hadn't offered this art program,'' Mitchell said.