Newport Beach Exhibit Gives Children Chance to Make Artistic Showing

As brightly colored arrangements of glitter, chalk and sand line the walls of the Art Store Gallery, Helen Seigel’s mind is full of images of children who’ve just started making their artistic mark on the world.

“It’s so wonderful to see the final product of all the hard work,” said Seigel, one of three teachers involved in a special art program for third- through fifth-graders in the Santa Ana Unified School District. More than 120 of the children are displaying their work at the gallery through Monday as part of a continuing show called “Major Art, Minor Artists.”

Siegel’s program, Special Studio, provides the students with intensive studio training, and this two-room show “represents a lot of time and effort the children put into developing their art all year long,” she said.

Favorite subjects of the young artists seem to be family life, friends and animals. But all the drawings “allow the students to express their ideas about themselves and their heritage through art,” Seigel said. “It is important for them to know that art isn’t just limited to a particular cultural background, and that it is available to everyone.”

The Special Studio program reaches all schools in the Santa Ana district on a rotating basis, Seigel explained. During weekly visits, teachers and students discuss art from various cultures and time periods.

The art teachers also try to show regular classroom teachers “how they can increase the students’ attention with art,” Seigel added.

“Art can build self-esteem in many ways,” she said. “Going into the schools and actually dealing one-on-one with the students lets them know that they can be artists too.”

“Major Art, Minor Artists IV” continues through Monday at the Art Store Gallery, 4040 Campus Drive, Newport Beach. Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays; 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission: free. Information: (714) 558-5727.