SEEING ART IN LIFE TEACHERS UP FOR BRAVO AWARD.

Byline: David R. Baker Staff Writer

When Anne Nicholson's art students at Our Lady of Grace School in Encino put pencil to paper, they do far more than learn a musty subject called art.

They explore part of what it means to be human, Nicholson said.

That philosophy helped land her a nomination for the Bravo Award, given each year to two outstanding Southern California arts teachers. This year, the 45 candidates vying for the award include six from the San Fernando Valley area: Three from the Glendale Unified School District plus Nicholson, Mary Ella Darby-Bryant from Broadous Elementary School in Pacoima, and William Webb from Northridge's Nobel Middle School.

``Art is one of the most basic attributes of humans,'' Nicholson said Monday. ``Some of the earliest things we know humans made were art. Everyone can appreciate art and derive joy out of it.''

The winners will be announced at an awards dinner Feb. 28 at the Regal Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

Organizers and nominees hope the awards will focus public attention on arts education at a time when most parents are more worried about test scores.

``We know that teaching the arts is often the way to unlock a student's potential, a student's creativity,'' said Lynda Jenner, producer of the Bravo Award program. ``Often they aren't doing well in other subjects until they make their breakthrough in the arts.''

Founded in 1982 by the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles, the award honors teachers who focus solely on art as well as those who weave art into other subjects. One specialist and one generalist receive the award each year.

In addition, Bravo organizers honor one school with an outstanding arts program. No Valley schools are candidates for that award this year.

The Glendale Unified School District also has three art specialists up for the award: Judith Bakly of Toll Middle School, Craig Kupka of Hoover High School and Grace Sheldon-Williams of Glendale High School.

Nicholson represents the only Valley candidate this year who specializes in art. Both Webb and Darby-Bryant use the arts as a way to lead their students into other subjects.

For Webb, art helps his special education students learn math and science.

Last year, his students built aerodynamically sound model dragons as a way to learn the principles of flight. Designing and building the cardboard-and-plastic-foam dragons also taught his students geometry.

This year, Webb's students will learn geometry by making quilts.

``Even in a regular classroom, there are kids who will understand the project a lot better if they can incorporate some hands-on things,'' Webb said. ``I want to win the award not so much for kudos for myself but to show teachers that no matter what the academic area is, it's not a waste of time to incorporate art into other subjects.''

That same philosophy applies at Broadous. It is, in fact, the only way most students there learn art.

Ranked near the bottom of last week's statewide ranking of schools, Broadous must devote its budget to math and reading programs to bring those scores up, Principal Calvin Lloyd said. As a result, the school has no teacher devoted solely to art.

So Lloyd encourages his teachers to weave art into their daily lessons.

``If they're studying social studies and they draw pictures of the various subjects, it helps to reinforce what they just studied,'' Lloyd said.

Darby-Bryant was on vacation and unavailable for comment Monday.

With an extensive arts program at her Catholic elementary school, Nicholson is able to ground students in art history and the basics of design. But she also tries to teach them how those principles apply to the advertising and commercial design they see all around them.

``I also want them to realize that if they love this, they can make money at it - they can choose it as a profession,'' Nicholson said.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Teacher Ann Nicholson, a nominee for a Bravo Award, explains an assignment to students in one of her art classes.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

(2) Nobel Middle School teacher William Webb, who teaches geometry by making dragons, is a Bravo Award nominee.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer