A classroom full of third-graders is busy drawing, cutting, gluing and designing three-dimensional wire tower sculptures as part of an intensive six-week long art class. Their art instructor, Sarit Swanborn, moves quickly around the classroom, explaining the concepts of color, texture, and space. The students excitedly run up to her to ask more questions, all of them hoping to get Swanborn over to their individual tables to look at their architectural creations. 

A few doors down, another artist-in-residence, Dianne Freas, teaches a classroom of second-graders about the wonders of South American textile artwork. The students adapt these concepts to their own experiences, and at one cluster of tables, three young students have drawn pictures of ancient buildings in China. 

Six-year-old Morgan Lee uses felt fabric, yarn and other materials to decorate her picture, based on a trip she took with her family to China. As her mother Connie helps glue yarn to the artwork, she says, "I think it's a great way to show their creativity. They can express themselves through art."

That's exactly the goal of these art classes, part of a new  artist-in-residency program designed by Hope Perello, founder of the South Pasadena Arts Center (SPACE), and Victoria Arriola, both parents of children in South Pas schools. When the elementary schools lost their roving visual arts teacher due to budget cutbacks last year, Perello and Arriola decided to do something about the gap in art education. With funding from the South Pasadena Educational Foundation (SPEF) and the elementary schools' PTAs, the artist-in-residence program took shape and began its first leg at Monterey Hills this fall. 

"We believe that art is as important a part of core curriculum as math, science, language arts, and should be taught at all levels K-12," Arriola said. "Our mission is to make sure that with every one of our lessons, the children take away and are made aware of how art is a part of and affects our everyday lives."

A trained architect, graphic designer, sculptor, and educator, Swanborn brings all of her specializations into the classroom during these hour-long art sessions at Monterey Hills. One of two artists-in-residence, she's integrating art with mathematics and science, as she trains these young minds to think creatively and cognitively. 

"They are learning to understand linear perspectives and mathematical concepts such as balance and symmetry versus asymmetry," Swanborn said. "They are looking at proportion and scale. It involves problem solving."

At one of the tables, a shy 8-year-old named Anthony Uriarte focuses on his own creation and meticulously glues yarn onto a two-dimensional version of his tower. His mother, Luz, stands next to him and helps Anthony with his artistic endeavor.

"He loves art and the way Sarit teaches the basics," Luz Uriarte said, adding she's learning about positive and negative space in the class too. "I'm intrigued by art and I think it's motivational for the kids," she says.

Over in the second-grade class, Freas also teaches students how to create their own set designs in three-dimensional boxes, as well as paper collages. Freas designed separate curriculums for each grade K-2, tailoring the art classes to the level of the students. In the 1st-grade classrooms, she teaches students about still life paintings, portraits and landscapes, along with clay techniques. 

Also a trained artist and educator, Freas has worked as a substitute teacher in South Pasadena schools and has a BFA and MFA in art. "I'm introducing them to the elements of art," she said. "As they're going through their daily lives, they're becoming more aware of the art around them."

Artists and teachers alike hope to see this program grow over the years. "There is a real art theory underpinning to this program," Swanborn said. "The students investigate it in a hands-on way."

The artists-in-residence program will travel to Marengo Elementary and Arroyo Vista Elementary Schools next year, and Perello and Arriola hope to bring this program to all three elementary schools annually.

"We will continue to bring in qualified, passionate and enthusiastic teachers, and stay on top of the arts curriculum while weaving in necessary and relevant connections to other core subjects," Arriola said.

The students at Monterey Hills Elementary School will exhibit their artwork in the school's Multipurpose Room on Monday, Dec. 6, from 4-7 p.m and Tuesday, Dec. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Editor's Note: For a photo gallery of artists working with students at Monterey Hills Elementary School, click on the photo box at the top right side of the story.