MorganHillTimes.com | <img src="http://web1.svnewspapers.com/epod/Chris/Icons/photo.jpg" border="0">Eco-smart Art a la Carte a hit

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Eco-smart Art a la Carte a hit

May 6, 2008
By Natalie Everett





		Kelly and Alyssa Adams use different colors to make ocean bottles Saturday morning during the Art a la Carte event presented by First 5 Santa Clara County. For more photos of kids at Art a la Carte, check out our photo gallery.
		Photo by: Aaron Callanta

Nine-year old Katelyn Khojasteh sported a heart-shaped butterfly painted onto her cheek as she took handmade crafts out of a paper bag, one by one, showing off her loot at the city's Art a la Carte event Saturday.

In the bag were necklaces made of foam, a turtle balloon animal, a pencil holder made from a decorated can, a spin top made of a used CD, a marble, and a plastic bottle cap.

"We got to hold it and push," Khojasteh explained her part of the craft, demonstrating by gingerly pressing the marble and bottle cap together.

Khojasteh received the items at the city's eighth annual children's art event, sponsored by First 5 Santa Clara County. And there was plenty more for her and her brother Kyle, 3, to see and do.

About 100 volunteers manned more than 20 booths at the Saturday event, which took place at the Community and Cultural Center, featuring a magnet fishing game, Play-Well Technologies' booth featured Legos with solar-powered propellers, rock painting at the Extreme Learning Center and stencil art using Styrofoam.

Kelly Adams of Morgan Hill's favorite craft was the water bottle made into a mock ocean.

"You get a plain water bottle and you put your fish in there and your glitter and some (blue) water," the 9-year-old said. "It's fun and it looks like a real ocean."

Her grandmother, Jenny Adams, said she likes bringing Kelly to Art a la Carte because she gets an outlet, somewhere to use her imagination.

"I just wander behind and watch them do," she said.

This year's event was eco-themed - hence the crafts with used goods and solar-powered Legos.

"The Earth Day aspect of it is great," Mayor Steve Tate said. "They're very creative in how they respond to it. Kids associate with that these days."

Community Services Coordinator Karen Lengsfield said the free event cost sponsors about $10,000 to put on. Art a la Carte's primary sponsor was Santa Clara County First 5; others included the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Target stores, Go Kids and the Morgan Hill Redevelopment Agency.

"It's nice to have a free event for families," she said. "And it's just so much fun."

Danielle Causin said the event is great for parents who might not be artistic or crafty but still want their kids learning about art, like herself.

"It's great for their dexterity, and it opens their minds," she said.

Her daughter, 3-year-old Callista Causin spent time at the compost booth.

"I fed the worms," she said. "They eat the peels of the orange."

Sally Large, a volunteer at the composting booth, said she'd like to see more people in Morgan Hill composting.

"It doesn't make sense - we're sending it away just so we can buy it again," she said.

Nikki Becerra said she wanted to attend Art a la Carte with her two boys, Christopher, 3, and Alexander, 5, because it reinforced what they were already learning in school for Earth Day.

"They were coming home and asking us, 'Where does litter go?'" she said. "And these guys love getting out and doing things, getting the hands-on experience."

Santa Clara County First 5 Family Resource Specialist Charlene Della Maggiore said the event is all about interactive, age-appropriate art.

"These are the most important years, in terms of learning, healthy development and establishing boundaries," she said.

First 5 was created in 1998 by Proposition 10, which approved a 50-cent sales tax on cigarettes. First 5 funds and sponsors essential services for young children and their families, investing more than $30 million in tax money each year toward children's health insurance, advanced training for early childhood teachers, parenting skills and domestic violence workshops, mental health services for children and their caregivers and arts and early literary programs.

Longtime Morgan Hill after-school art instructor Lynda Bassett said there's simply not enough art for children.

"They keep taking it out of schools," the former district art teacher said. "(Art) is part of a well-rounded education. You learn motor skills. You learn the principles of art - and once they have those skills, then they can create anything."

Bassett's booth helped children create Styrofoam stencil art using paint rollers. Several of Bassett's students volunteered at her booth.

Allie Abbey, 11, was one of Bassett's volunteers.

"Art is just a great thing to do," she said. "If you don't like writing, you can draw to get your feelings out. I express myself through art."

Abbey said that what is created through art doesn't have to be a masterpiece or look beautiful. Whatever a person depicts, be it flowers, people or places, it's still unique and special.

"It's still (art) to them," she said.

Natalie Everett
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