Jean Stroud of Imperial holds a mosaic piece previously made by her grandchildren and herself that will be displayed on one of several decorative planter boxes in the downtown area of Imperial. Stroud joins the Rainforest Art Project classes Saturday morning at the Faith Assembly Church in Imperial along with several other Imperial residents to produce more mosaic art pieces. (Eric Miller) |
The determination of 8-year-old Heather Yoshinaga to add the finishing touches on her snail-like creation was unquestionable as she continued to work with less than 10 minutes left in class, pasting small cubes to her sticky paper.
Heather and many other youngsters enjoyed a morning of art during a Saturday class at the Faith Academy gymnasium in Imperial as part of The Rainforest Art Project’s efforts to beautify the communities of the Imperial Valley.
“Today we’re doing projects for downtown Imperial and personal projects,” said Doug Evers, The Rainforest Art Project’s Imperial Valley representative. “Everyone really likes making the mosaic mirrors.”
The succession of classes is a continuation of what was started three years ago, Evers said.
“It started out locally with Ben Hulse fourth-graders about three years ago,” he said. “We did the bathrooms over at “Papa” A. Eager Park on the wall by the Splash Pad.”
Evers said the program initially targeted at-risk youths through the school before expanding into a communitywide effort among Imperial Unified, the city of Imperial and The Rainforest Art Project.
Since the completion of the mosaic wall on the restrooms, the movement has spread to revamping the park sign, adding to downtown Imperial and creating an enchanted desert entrance at McKinley Elementary School in El Centro.
Evers said these projects were team efforts, not only by students, but by residents of Imperial and El Centro who help their younger family members.
These latest mosaics will be further adorning Imperial’s trash receptacles and planters, Evers said.
But the children already seem to have their green thumbs glistening as they poured over their creations for hours with some of their family members.
“Not that long,” Heather said of the time it took her to draw her snail, fully concentrated on what she was doing.
“Oh my hands are killing me,” her mother, Imperial resident Kelly Yoshinaga, said. “She’s the artist. It takes a lot of work,” she said. Parents said the hard work is well worth the effort for various reasons.
“I think it teaches the kids a sense of community and a sense of pride in the place they live,” Imperial resident Sarah Mendenhall said.
“Once it’s there it’s there forever,” she said. “They can come back someday with their own kids (and enjoy it.)”
“It’s cool because the paper’s sticky and you get to draw all the stuff you put on it,” said her daughter, 8-year-old Madelynn Mendenhall. “It’s pretty.”
Heather and many other youngsters enjoyed a morning of art during a Saturday class at the Faith Academy gymnasium in Imperial as part of The Rainforest Art Project’s efforts to beautify the communities of the Imperial Valley.
“Today we’re doing projects for downtown Imperial and personal projects,” said Doug Evers, The Rainforest Art Project’s Imperial Valley representative. “Everyone really likes making the mosaic mirrors.”
The succession of classes is a continuation of what was started three years ago, Evers said.
“It started out locally with Ben Hulse fourth-graders about three years ago,” he said. “We did the bathrooms over at “Papa” A. Eager Park on the wall by the Splash Pad.”
Evers said the program initially targeted at-risk youths through the school before expanding into a communitywide effort among Imperial Unified, the city of Imperial and The Rainforest Art Project.
Since the completion of the mosaic wall on the restrooms, the movement has spread to revamping the park sign, adding to downtown Imperial and creating an enchanted desert entrance at McKinley Elementary School in El Centro.
Evers said these projects were team efforts, not only by students, but by residents of Imperial and El Centro who help their younger family members.
These latest mosaics will be further adorning Imperial’s trash receptacles and planters, Evers said.
But the children already seem to have their green thumbs glistening as they poured over their creations for hours with some of their family members.
“Not that long,” Heather said of the time it took her to draw her snail, fully concentrated on what she was doing.
“Oh my hands are killing me,” her mother, Imperial resident Kelly Yoshinaga, said. “She’s the artist. It takes a lot of work,” she said. Parents said the hard work is well worth the effort for various reasons.
“I think it teaches the kids a sense of community and a sense of pride in the place they live,” Imperial resident Sarah Mendenhall said.
“Once it’s there it’s there forever,” she said. “They can come back someday with their own kids (and enjoy it.)”
“It’s cool because the paper’s sticky and you get to draw all the stuff you put on it,” said her daughter, 8-year-old Madelynn Mendenhall. “It’s pretty.”
