CRUCIAL STOPS STUDENT ART PHOTOS OFFER COMMUTERS PAUSE.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - For more than a dozen local teens, a bus stop has become a medium of expression.

Through the end of this month, more than 15 Santa Clarita bus stops will feature poster-size photographs taken by teens, each one a snapshot of the way young people view life.

``It's kind of surreal at first when you see your work,'' said Joanne Babcock, a 17-year-old senior at Academy of the Canyons in Valencia. ``It was like, Oh, wow, that's my photograph.''

Joanne and 21 exchange students from India toured Santa Clarita on a bus tour Saturday to get a first glimpse of the new photographs, part of the annual CalArts Community Arts Partnership.

The after-school photography program works in collaboration with the local Boys & Girls Club. Students from around Santa Clarita who show an interest in photography work with instructors at the art institute, with many going on to study photography as a profession.

Instructors allow students to pursue any theme they wish, though this year, the teens chose to express art through photography.

``The public art concept is a way for students to combine social awareness with photography,'' said Glenna Avila, director of the Community Arts Partnership for the California Institute of the Arts. ``In some years, we've had students express how they feel about the environment and development.''

Joanne finds a recurring theme in her work.

``Last year, I did a narrative about people's shoes,'' she said. ``I'm still stuck on the shoe theme. You can tell a lot about a person's shoes. I'm kind of shy, and I find myself looking down on the shoes. They symbolize freedom, of going somewhere.''

For the 21 exchange students from India's Pinegrove School, Saturday's tour offered a visual glimpse of American youth. The students were visiting Santa Clarita through the Boys & Girls Club and said they liked the city's ``systematic traffic flow,'' as well as their trip to Six Flags California.

Some said they appreciated the art-in-public-places concept and admired the students expressions of individuality.

``It's somewhat new for us,'' said 15-year-old Amot Jot. ``We don't get a chance to see something like this in India. It's good for those of us who are interested in the arts.''

Satyan Dua, also 15, said he was intrigued by one of the abstract photographs.

``It's actually incredible,'' Satyan said. ``You see one picture described in three different ways.''

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Rachel Slowinski, above, from the Cal Arts Community Partnership, explains photos to a tour of bus stop art created by photographers with the Santa Clarita Boys and Girls Club. Chandra Khan, below, of the Cal Arts faculty, examines a photo.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer