By EMILIE PHELPS Special to the Daily Press
LINCOLN MIDDLE SCHOOL — It is said that art is in the eye of the beholder and for 10 students here, it was the process of creating it and displaying it that resonated with them.
Forty-six art pieces were created by the Lincoln Middle School special education art class — students who are severely challenged. They unveiled their work on Monday at the Lincoln Art Walk’s opening reception. The event was created and organized by Shirley Bryant, who teaches art to the 10 special-needs students twice a week.
She said the process of making art is beneficial to the students because it helps them to express themselves. She added that the children are often proclaimed as having the most pure flow of expression from the soul to art-work.
The students have been preparing for the public display for months. The class goes at a slower pace, often with Bryant guiding the students to make a piece in stages — layering a new component onto the artwork in each session. An example of that was on display on Monday called “Expressions in Purple, Orange and Green.”
The students were taught about the primary colors — blue, red, and yellow — and how to combine the pure colors in order to form secondary colors such as purple, orange and green. The assignment gave students the responsibility to mix their own colors, and incorporated the paint with shapes made from recycled materials such as tissue, wrapping paper and glitter.
In addition to the class time, the exhibition of the students’ work also is a key component to the experience. The positive feedback from peers and adults provides them with a tangible result for their efforts, as well as encourages pride in their work, and improves their self-esteem, Bryant said.
The students are faced with difficulties in their day-to-day lives because of their special needs and the exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate their success in dealing with those challenges,Bryant said.In light of the difficulties facing schools lately concerning gang violence, Bryant said she is proud to show the community one of the positive results that has come from students facing a daunting challenge.
The artwork will stay on exhibit in the Lincoln Middle School Auditorium lobby until June 14.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 14, 2006. Read the original PDF.