Students’ Work Drawing High Praise

At first glance, the dozens of blueprints and drawings of model homes, floor plans and futuristic automobiles on display in the community art gallery of Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg’s office in Van Nuys appear to be the work of professionals.

Closer inspection, however, reveals that the work is not by professional draftsmen, architects or artists, but by students at Cleveland High School in Reseda.

“I’m tremendously impressed,” said Russell Blank, a field representative for Hertzberg (D-Sherman Oaks). “Those students could easily be hired by any drafting, architectural design or engineering design firm.”

Last June, Cleveland students took home 30 ribbons, including 12 first-place awards, for architectural and mechanical drawing at the San Fernando Valley Fair.

David Honda, one of nine board members of the fair committee, asked Blank to display some of the drawings in the community art gallery.

On Wednesday, two Cleveland students--senior Solomon Augusteyn, 18, and recent graduate Lena Pira, 18, visited Hertzberg’s office to provide the final touches to their addition to the display. It is an aluminum model of a connecting piece for an air-conditioning duct built by Pira based on a blueprint she created.

They were accompanied by Don Runyan, drafting instructor at Cleveland.

“In my 26 years of teaching, Lena is the best student I have ever had in sheet metal development,” Runyan said.

The Cleveland exhibit will be on display for public viewing in Hertzberg’s office, 6150 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 305, Van Nuys, through the end of summer, Blank said.