Imaginations running wild

Lindsay Sandham

Every March, Haute Cakes Cafe in Newport Beach is home to the works

of art of many talented local artists, all under the age of 14.

For Your Imagination, a Corona del Mar after-school arts and

computer program, held it’s seventh annual children’s art show

Sunday, in which 150 clay masks were exhibited.

Parents of all the artists were invited to the opening where they

could drink wine, dine on Asian-themed finger foods and marvel at the

various masterpieces decorating the walls. The masks will be on

display at Haute Cakes for the entire month of March.

For Your Imagination co-owner Stacey Hammond of Newport Beach said

she and Lisa Mingear started the school about 10 years ago to

supplement programs that were being cut from the California budget.

Mingear and Hammond were second-grade teachers at the time.

“I wanted the kids to have a place where they could display their

work,” Hammond said. “They get so excited about the mask show every

year.”

The only direction for creating the masks is that it should look

“somewhat like a face.” Hammond shows them samples and pictures from

prior shows.

“I encourage them to be creative,” she said. “It’s a very

free-thinking place.”

Mingear, who lives in Dana Point, said the show is a lot of fun

every year.

“The kids get the biggest kick out of it because their art’s on

the walls -- they feel like a star,” she said. “She [Hammond] is

great at drawing the creativity out of the kids.”

Ashley Hicks, 11, of Newport Beach said she loves taking classes

at For Your Imagination.

“They let you use your imagination,” she said.

Ashley is the artist behind “Mrs. Pig,” a mask project she

collaborated on with 11-year-old Madison Lewis of Corona del Mar.

Madison created “Mr. Pig,” the other half of the project.

Jack Klingler, 5, of Newport Beach is the artist behind “Shape.”

“I saw another mask,” Klingler said of his inspiration. “But I

wanted a crown on it.”

Jennifer Klingler, Jack’s mother, said she is very happy with the

For Your Imagination program.

“It’s a great after-school activity,” she said. “He’s displayed

all of his artwork all over the house.”

Nathan Neglia, 5, of Newport Beach designed his mask to look like

an alligator.

“It just came out of my head,” he said. “I named mine ‘Scissors’

because alligators cut a lot; they look like scissors.”

Sonia Marshall of Corona del Mar enrolled her 4-year-old daughter,

Beatrice, in For Your Imagination after passing by the studio several

times.

“I knew my daughter would really enjoy the computer class ... but

now the art part is definitely her favorite,” she said. “I love it. I

really feel like it’s increased my daughter’s self-esteem. It’s a way

for them to express themselves.”

Mingear holds a master’s degree in computer education and teaches

all the computer classes at For Your Imagination. Hammond is an

artist and she, along with four other part-time instructors, teaches

the children art in various media, including pastels, watercolors and

pottery.

“I try to do things that they’re not going to typically get in a

classroom,” Hammond said.

They do at least one clay project per month, so every student has

an opportunity to use the kiln. Classes are divided according to age,

and each class gets one hour of art and one hour of computers.

“The philosophy behind it was to give kids a left-brain,

right-brain experience,” Hammond said. “It’s worked out really well.”