Collaborative Effort to Create Art

Working intently at a messy sculpting table, Emmy Hoxter dabbed plaster on her creation--a female form climbing a rope--and praised the summer program that brought her here.

While students are usually “in our own little bubble,” Hoxter said, the Create program unites art students from different cities across Orange and Los Angeles counties. Together, she said, they learn from one another.

“Everybody, whether they mean to or not, is going to add to this,” the 17-year-old Laguna Beach High School senior said. “These are kids who are serious about their artwork. And any time you have people who are really serious, it’s a great learning experience.”

The young sculptors at work this week were among 50 students participating in Create to hone performing, artistic, writing and computer skills. They will strut their accomplishments Saturday on stage and in a local art gallery.

At the moment, they are working diligently to complete their projects.

“It’s a motivated group,” said Ralph Tarzian, a Laguna Beach artist who teaching the sculpting class. “I taught at Orange Coast College for years and years, and often the college groups didn’t work as fast as this group is. They’re doing very, very well.”

The goal of Create, launched in 1994, is to establish learning environments that focus on creativity, collaboration and the use of computer skills, said Susan Mas, board president of the Laguna Beach Unified School District, which co-sponsors the program.

“We see these as workplace skills for the 21st century,” Mas said.

The two-week program allows exceptional art and drama students to participate in advanced classes at Laguna Beach High while visiting local festivals and art galleries. The students, selected by the instructors at their individual campuses, stay with families in Laguna Beach.

Robert Valdez, a senior from Pico Rivera, said he expects the summer program to help him make a career choice.

“Do I really want to become an artist?” Valdez asked as he sanded his sculpture--a male form seated, arms resting on knees. So far, the answer has not come to him, he said, but he is enjoying himself anyway.

“I have fun in both classes,” said Valdez, who sculpts in the morning and works with watercolors in the afternoon. “It’s a lot of hours, a lot of art.”

Elsewhere on the campus Wednesday morning, costumed drama and dance students rehearsed while students from Thurston Middle School in Laguna Beach--who are participating in the program for the first time this year--wrote and illustrated fairy tales that feature women as heroes.

Teens who have been working on dramatic, musical and dance performances will present them at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Laguna Beach High School Artists’ Theatre, 625 Park Ave. The public presentation is free.

Students preparing sculptures, watercolors, computer graphics and other visual arts will show their work at a reception at Juarez Fine Art gallery at 326 Glenneyre in Laguna Beach that same afternoon from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Information: (714) 376-4055.