Artists get chances to shine

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- The aroma of simmering gumbo, delectable sizzlers and

swordfish smothered in mango lime salsa will fill the air tonight at

Newport Harbor High School.

No, the campus isn’t expecting a visit from Wolfgang Puck or Emeril

Lagasse. Instead, the students will whip up those cheesecakes and toss

pasta salads at the school’s seventh annual Evening of the Arts.

The event will feature an array of exhibits, including food, clothes,

ceramics, woodwork and paintings to mention a few. It will also include

music, dance and drama features by students.

Evening of the Arts is primarily a showcase for the students’ talents,

said Janet Dukes, who teaches culinary art.

“It helps the students see for themselves what they’re capable of

doing and what they can accomplish,” she said.

This is the second year the school has featured food as part of the

gala, and it has been a big hit, Dukes said.

“Many people just couldn’t believe last year that the students had

made all the food,” she said. “It was delicious.”

This year, some students got the opportunity to learn fruit carving

from the chef at the Irvine Marriott.

“It’s been an amazing experience for them,” she said. “Being trained

by some of the top professionals -- you can’t put a price tag on that.”

The event has grown and evolved over the years, said drama teacher

Gail Brower-Nedler.

“It started off as a little showoff night,” she said. “Now it’s become

a full-blown community event like the Taste of Newport.”

It is a chance for those quiet yet talented kids who do not get to

shine otherwise, she said.

“We don’t have a gallery on campus that can exhibit their work,”

Brower-Nedler said. “And this is so perfect for them.”

Evening of the Arts drew about 2,000 people last year, and the crowds

get bigger with every passing year with the school’s growing student

population, she said.

Brower-Nedler added that involvement in the arts makes students better

human beings.

“It helps them become higher level thinkers,” she said. “They have a

better sense of who they are. They have a connection to life and their

community.”

FYI

Evening of the Arts will begin at 6 p.m. at Newport Harbor High

School, 600 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach. Admission is free. Food tickets

cost $1 each. Information: (949) 515-6300.