The Cambrian Arts Council sponsored a Family Fine Arts Night on March 2. The event exposed nearly 250 elementary and middle school families to hands-on workshops ranging from music to visual art.

While it was the year's largest event, the workshops were merely a sampling of what Cambrian students enjoy throughout the year. Cambrian has a healthy arts program supported by the community that was jump-started by a five-year grant from Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley in 2001. The nonprofit arts group is based in nearby Willow Glen.

The $92,100 grant helped the district create the Cambrian Arts Council and a lively arts curriculum. Prior to the districtwide grant, one of the schools in Cambrian, Farnham Elementary School, had already received a $103,000 grant from Cultural Initiatives, which was funded from 1999-04.

"Cambrian's just been a phenomenal partner," said Kristin Heavey, a Cultural Initiatives consultant who has worked with the Cambrian schools. "The partnership is really wonderful because you're giving them seed money and giving them time to develop their programs." During its five years, the district has offered drama, visual arts dance and music at Ida Price Middle School. The elementary schools, including Bagby, now have additional arts instruction and a music teacher. The Cambrian Arts Council has also provided professional development to elementary teachers on incorporating arts standards into their regular curriculum, district curriculum director Scot Weaver said.

Now the district is in its final year and is able to continue these programs with the help of parcel tax funds passed by voters in 2001.

Dana Powell, Cultural Inititaives creative education director, said the Cambrian partnership worked so well because of the district's support for the arts.

District Superintendent Barry Groves, school board member Sue Pyne and numerous teachers and parents have encouraged arts in the classroom, Powell said.

To Powell, art is more than playing an instrument or painting a canvas. The classes offer cognitive and social skills by allowing students to be creative, she said.

"Because of the collaborative and reflective nature in it, it promotes democratic participation and understanding between children," Powell said. "They're using the knowledge and skills they have to create something new, which is not always an opportunity that have in other subjects."

With the grant expiring this year, the Cambrian Arts Council wants to bring in more volunteers.

For more information, contact CAC@cambrian.k12.ca.us.

El Camino Hospital