A better appreciation of art might be one path that leads out of poverty

By DHYANA LEVEY
Merced Sun-Star

Art washes away from the soul, said painter Pablo Picasso, the dust of everyday life.

Plenty of dust, both literal and figurative, fills the air in Merced County. And Mercedians have posted a mixed record on using art to wash away the dust of everyday poverty.

It isn't a sure thing that young people raised in a culturally rich environment will have a better shot at avoiding poverty, said Keith Law, Merced College professor of humanities and philosophy. But being brought up among travel and the arts, access to rich extracurricular activities and a higher education can only help on the road to a higher income.

Merced hasn't been known lately for its economic success. According to a 2006 U.S. Census American Fact Finder supplied by the Boys & Girls Club, nearly 29 percent of Merced residents live in poverty.

And the city isn't famous for its wealth of arts, culture and education, either. But it does boast some -- and people should take advantage of local opportunities from a young age, say educators and arts patrons.

The town hosts theaters, arts centers, youth programs, a community college and a burgeoning University of California.

"If only children would take ballet, they wouldn't be in gangs -- I don't think it's as simple as that," said Staci Santa, executive director of the Merced Multicultural Arts Center. "It would be great if it was."

That said, she added, there is much to gain for a child's -- or an adult's -- future, when given access to arts, education and a balanced combination of the two.

Danielle Mendoza, 8, a third-grader at John C. Fremont Charter School, said her drawing and painting class is not only fun -- it's taught her to pay better attention to detail. And students don't simply copy information to memorize, as in her other classes. "We choose what we want to do," she explained.

Another third-grader, Alec Propes, 9, doesn't plan to continue in art -- he hopes to become a dentist some day. But he also finds his art class beneficial. "It makes people more creative so no one is the same," he said.

Can arts help financial success?

Arts as part of the education system are dwindling with corrosive budget cuts, so children who aren't exposed to the arts at home often are losing the chance to be inoculated with them in schools.

"What the arts do for our brain is to help us learn to be creative, use our imagination, how to express ourselves," Santa said. "And, of course, that continues throughout our lives."

The more she talks to teachers, the more she finds that students can't access an arts education program. "Is it a coincidence that children haven't honed in on good critical thinking in schools?" she asked. "Students just want to know what the right answer is. Teaching to test -- we are starting to see the effects of that."

Those who will move on to complex, high-paying jobs, those who will solve some of the world's thorniest problems, will need think creatively as opposed to looking at issues as simply black or white, said Sue Thompson, a Merced High School art teacher.

Lisa Gilliland-Viney, of Atwater, came from a science background before she got involved with art. The former immunologist taught herself to paint with water colors and acrylics, then immersed herself in the Merced arts community after moving here five years ago.

"Science is creative," she said. "But this is a different way to tackle creativity."

She loves to work with neutral colors and enjoys teaching others -- especially children -- about tints and shades.