Arts show moves to bank

Suzie Harrison

The Festival of Arts’ student artists will have their 2002 Holiday

Show and Sale Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wells Fargo Bank on

the third-floor gallery. The show has been moved from the festival

grounds because of construction.

About 30 adult art students from the festival’s art education

program will participate in the show, submitting raku pottery,

sculpture and mixed media.

Local artists Monica Dunham and Mada Leach teach the classes at

the festival for a community outreach program that started in 1992.

Dunham specializes in raku, pottery and sculpture, and Leach teaches

mixed media.

“The Festival of Arts advisory board got the idea to focus on art

education for the community,” Leach said.

Most of the participants have been doing the art classes five or

six years.

“There are a lot of professionals, teachers and principals who are

absolutely devoted,” Leach said.

Some of the students are now competing in shows and many won

awards in the Orange County Fair.

“It’s good and very encouraging, teaching that in any work to

notice the good in it,” student Shahla Etedali said. “I think the

show is a very good idea. It gives exposure to people who might not

be known as artists per se. And it gives the public access to works

in this class.”

Etedali has been a student for three years.

“The show will have a wide range,” Dunham said. “Each student has

their own selectivity, own series of pieces, good pieces and

wonderful gifts.”

Dunham is pleased that the festival has acquired a kiln that is

perfect for raku and ceramics. Her students do raku yaki, which

philosophically means pleasure, serendipitous and spontaneous.

The character of the art form is the crackled surface, the clay,

the pearl and copper essence and the blackened clay -- constituents

that make every creation unique.

“Each piece is different. It’s when fire, earth and chance merge

together,” Dunham said. “Every piece is special. No two pieces are

alike.”

Dunham said that with this type of work, one can’t have

expectations because of the spectrum of outcomes.

“The classes have a different feel, even an emeritus program,”

Leach said. “Because Monica and I are both professional artists,

dedicated teachers.”

The holiday show offers varied works with a lot of affordable

pieces according to Leach. There’s also some experimental art that

both encourage in their classes.

“I want to have a successful show,” Dunham said. “A show will only

be as successful as the amount of people who go to it.”

The Wells Fargo Bank is at 260 Ocean Ave.

For more information about the Festival of Arts Community Outreach

Program, call 494-1145. The next workshops start in January. There is

also a junior program for ages 3 to 15 and a summer workshop during

the festival by artist Anne England.