Art camp physically does graffiti

Jimmy Stroup

As art teachers for the Garden Grove Unified School District, Gloria

Wargo and Carla Hubbart are used to teaching kids the finer points of

the finer arts. Their teen art camp at the Huntington Beach Art

Center, however, has them instructing kids in some alternative art

forms mixed in with some old standards.

“Graffiti is a form of art, it’s only that the artists who do it

are often breaking the law,” Wargo said. “Here, it’s an artistic

expression on the wall.”

The Art at the Beach Teen Camp is composed of several different

artistic elements that Wargo said are meant to bring out the

creativity in the students, all based on the theme, “Pieces.” The

summer camp taught kids of all ages the ins and outs of the art

world, ending last week with the final class devoted to showing

teenagers that art isn’t all about paintings in frames.

The teens created pieces of art in collage form and out of

repousse -- a form of relief art where thin metal pieces are etched

with designs. These two forms are then combined in the gallery where

the artists display their work on the walls and paint and draw around

them, graffiti-style, bringing the different pieces together to

create one complete work.

“They’re allowed to use whatever concepts they wanted,” Wargo

said. “We’re trying to teach them to think individually as an

artist.”

Individual style isn’t the only thing the teens learn over the

course of the week-long camp. Museum curator and the originator of

the teen program Darlene DeAngelo said that the class also teaches

them how to work together as artists in a studio-style setting.

DeAngelo said that one of the principles in the course is to teach

them “to be able to work together as a group.”

“Some of the kids said it was difficult last year [working

together], but they’re back this year,” she said.

Course assistant Cindy Hammond of Huntington Beach volunteered to

help with the course after signing up her niece Jennifer and nephew

David to be in the week-long camp. A student at the Huntington Beach

Art Center herself, Hammond heard about the camp in her Friday

afternoon watercolor class.

“I asked if they needed any help washing brushes or anything and,

of course, you know how it is,” Hammond said. “They said, ‘Of

course.’”

With pieces as varied as castles, treasure chests and Buddhist

representations, Wargo said that the students are free to do as they

please, artistically, so long as their work is honest and from

themselves.

“We’re trying to teach them a lot here -- respect for other

people, respect for the area, respect for themselves,” she said.

“Morals, creativity and expression, and trying to get them to be good

human beings at the same time.”

The Huntington Beach Art Center will exhibit the art created by

the teen camp -- along with all the work from other summer art camps

for younger children -- starting today through Saturday, Aug. 28.

Viewing hours are from noon to 6 p.m. today and Friday and noon to 3

p.m. Saturday at 538 Main St., Huntington Beach. Information: (714)

374-1650.