The talent and creativity of Malibu youth is on display at City Hall, and you may want to take a look for a bit of joy and inspiration. The city’s annual student art show opened Friday evening with parents and children admiring the gallery, showing the works of 290 local participants.
Nine-year-old Cooper Sweetmore, a fourth grader at The Sycamore School, painted his house as part of an assignment for art class. He earnestly described the shading he used to depict his home, which luckily was spared by the Woolsey Fire. The child used watercolors and pastels in his detailed representation.
“I think it’s fun and you get to be creative. You feel free because you can paint whatever you want,” Sweetmore said, and compared his drawing to that of his sister’s—same house, different concept. Sweetmore also said he likes to paint water and boats.
Kindergarteners through high school seniors may submit art, including photography and sculpture, to be displayed at the event. All five Malibu public schools are represented, along with Our Lady of Malibu, The Sycamore School and Under the Oaks. Adrianna Fiori, the city’s recreation coordinator responsible for curating the event, said the show was open to all young artists in Malibu.
“All work is accepted,” Fiori described. “It’s not a judged exhibit. It’s not a contest.” Fiori and her team spent three days turning City Hall into a gallery and hanging all the work.
The popularity of the show has grown by 40 more participants this year; two years ago, 180 children participated.
“We have everything from crayon to charcoal to paint. I think it’s one of the most community-based events we have,” Fiori said. The Zuma Room is where you’ll find extraordinary digital photography from Carla Bowman-Smith’s students at Malibu High School.
Some teachers are using art as therapy, as in the case of the Sycamore School.
By coincidence, art teacher Ginger Che had asked students to paint their homes before the Woolsey Fire. Since so many homes were destroyed, the work takes on a new meaning.
“I wanted the children to be able to talk about their work,” Che said. “That completes the experience of making art. My first exercise for them is to paint their home from memory and from the heart.” After the fire, older children rotated into art class. Some had lost homes. So, some painted their Minecraft [fantasy] homes or even second homes.
“Some of them painted their dream home,” the teacher described. Che did not focus on technique until the second exercise of shading, using different media of watercolor, pencil, markers and pastels. Che’s own children painted their home. When asked what her favorite room is, daughter Love Che-Howell stated the living room. Her son True answered the same, which “warmed my heart because that’s the room where we share; we make music, read, paint and write.”
Sophia Rivera drew her imaginary house. The Sycamore third-grader says she loves “high-tech stuff.”
“At first I wasn’t going to add much color,” Rivera said. “In the end, I added a ton.” She started with pencil, gradually adding watercolor over it and then pastel. The eight-year-old said she’s been an artist since age five. Rivera loves art, but said, “Math is probably my favorite,” but added she is “happy to be here.”
One striking painting on display is by Balthazar Gelbart, a 15-year-old freshman at MHS. The painting is of his great-grandmother, Pat Gelbart, who passed away recently. The colorful portrait, he said is “to capture her bright personality.
“She was a big part of our lives,” the artist described. The painting displays the younger Gelbart’s gift using acrylics and maturity of his work. He’s been an artist as long as he can remember. Gelbart draws, paints and sculpts. “I love sketching, drawing and acrylics, which are a lot more forgiving.” He says even as an adult “art will never go away in my life.”
The recreation coordinator said the event means a lot to Malibu kids.
“To see it at the end is pretty special. The kids get to come and see their artwork like it’s hung in a gallery,” Fiori stated.
Newly appointed Arts Commissioner Julia Holland added, “It’s amazing to see what the children of Malibu can do. They bring creativity. We should celebrate that.”
The show, which in past years has only been on display for a day, will now be up for a month at Malibu City Hall. See it Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
