Youths Offered 13 Classes in Fine Arts

The San Fernando Valley’s first youth arts center will begin registration Saturday for free classes ranging from drawing to photography to comic book design.

The 13 classes at the Canoga Park Youth Arts Center are taught by professional artists in an attempt to expose children ages 6 to 17 to the world of fine art.

“We’re different from the parks and rec programs. We’re creating situations where young people can meet a professional artist and work with them,” said Stuart Vaughan, center director who is an artist himself. “This is a wonderful opportunity for children in this community.”

The center is housed in a 1928 building that once served as a Pacific Bell warehouse and operators’ manual switching station. Using Proposition K money, the city purchased the structure in 1998 for $235,000 and spent $950,000 to restore it, officials said. The exterior Spanish architecture was preserved while the inside was gutted to make room for classrooms, a photography darkroom and gallery for exhibitions.

Tuition and supplies are free for all classes at the center, which is a division of the city’s Cultural Affairs Department. Courses are held after school Tuesdays through Saturdays from Jan. 23 to March 31. The center also works in conjunction with area schools to offer arts programs and has a program for disabled children.

“Believe me, there is such a crying need for these kinds of activities for our children that they will come,” said Councilwoman Laura Chick, whose district includes the new center.

Registration is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the center, 7222 Remmet Ave. For information, call (818) 346-7099.