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As budget woes threaten the future of high school art programs throughout the state, the work of four talented teens on display in San Jose serves as a reminder of what might be lost if arts programs are eliminated.
Willow Glen residents Kelsey Mitchell, Lindsay Ward and Sofia Arredondo and San Jose teen Fernando Borrayo all had their paintings selected to hang in downtown San Jose.
Their paintings were chosen to appear in "Downtown Doors," a project of the San Jose Downtown Foundation.
A select group of Lincoln High art students were encouraged to submit paintings on the subject of San Jose, and four were chosen. The paintings were then blown up, reproduced on vinyl like sheets, and applied to the surface of various doors located in the Fairmont Plaza in San Jose, turning the once-nondescript industrial doorways into one-ofa-kind works of art.
Ward, a senior, created a painting called Free Improvisation, depicting a vibrant trio of free-spirited jazz musicians playing music. The piece was inspired by her frequent visits to Lincoln Avenue.
"The area has inspired me," she said. "It's a really great place."
Mitchell, also a senior, comes from an artistic family. Her mother, Patty, says, "We're the push behind the inspiration."
Mitchell's painting, City Girl 2, depicts a modern, urban woman in stride.
Mitchell, along with other students participating in the program, is working toward advanced placement college credit for her art portfolio. The project for the foundation was an important part of attaining the credit.
"I learned what it is like for an artist as they go through the process of getting their art published," Arredondo said. "It took a long time. I got anxious but stayed patient."
"I wanted to reflect the history of the community. It's a side of San Jose that people don't see a lot," she said.
Arredondo, who said she was honored to have her painting selected, added, "I appreciate the opportunity to show people what I can do. I feel like somebody."
Lincoln High School visual arts coordinator Eileen Zamora, who spearheaded the project in the classroom, said, "It has been a growing process and a real-life experience."
At the reception at the Knight Ridder Building in San Jose, the students and their friends and family gathered to view the work. The original paintings were displayed in the lobby, and reproductions were hung on the doors.
San Jose City Council members Cindy Chavez and Terry Gregory also attended the foundation's event. Malcolm Bordelon, foundation president, thanked a long list of supporters while introducing the young artists to the crowd.
"It makes me proud," said Elma Arredondo, Sofia's mother. "Her hard work was rewarded."
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Photograph by Sean Penello