Saturday, December 14, 2013

Palm Beach Post Today: Lake Worth kids to convert beach trash into treasures



Lake Worth kids to convert beach trash into treasures

By Ana M. Valdes Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
   Beach trash will become artistic treasure for dozens of elementary students from Lake Worth today, as they make an art piece out of bottles, glass and other garbage they collect at Boynton Beach Oceanfront Park.
   The students, kindergarten through fifth graders at Manatee Elementary in Lake Worth, will gather at the beach at 10 a.m. under the direction of local artist “Tiki” Tom Bazinet.
   After cleaning the beach, they will head to the Boynton Beach Arts District on West Industrial Avenue, where after breaking into groups, they will create a piece of environmental art that 
will eventually be donated to their school.
   The kids will also see “Tiki’s” permanent public art project, “The Island of Tiki People,” and hear from a graffiti artist.
   Rolando Chang Barrero of ActivistArtistA and the organizer of the event said the idea is to get kids out of the classroom and learn about art and the importance of taking care of the environment.
   It’s the first time, Barrero added, that art district officials have gone off district property for an educational program, but he says it is well worth the children’s time.
   “They are going to go to the beach, find the objects just like ‘Tiki’ does and return to the art district, where they are going 
to compare to see if what they found is anywhere in (Tiki’s) work in the gallery,” Barrero said.
   Debby Coles-Dobay, public art manager for Boynton Beach, said the event highlights the importance of public art.
   Other schools are also choosing Boynton Beach to allow their children to learn about art in the outdoors. On Thursday, 45 fifth-graders and four teachers from Country Oak Elementary School in LaBelle will visit Boynton Beach to study kinetic art.
   “We love the idea that teachers are utilizing public art for outdoor classrooms,” Coles-Dobay said. avaldes@pbpost.com 
   Twitter: @AnaValdespbp



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