Los Altos Town Crier » Student art enhances Los Altos downtown

By Clyde Noel

Image from article Student art enhances Los Altos downtown

Audreen and Madison Frapwell, visiting from San Diego admire the student banners hanging from the lamp posts in downtown Los Altos.

Art is alive in downtown Los Altos, and the emphasis is on Main and State streets.

A monthlong event, “Arts Alive,” features banners painted by local school students hanging from the street lights in the downtown Village. The festive banners sparkle and hopefully will increase foot traffic for the downtown merchants.

Hildy Licht of Viewpoints Gallery suggested the art project to local schools, and the Los Altos Village Association (LAVA) provided the banners, resulting in student art from 12 Los Altos elementary schools.

“The banners look great. I hope we can do more that is creative like this,” said Dalan Angelo, a St. Nicholas School student.

Gus Callahan and Ryan Szelong, St. Nicholas students, said their banner is hanging on a pole by Starbucks. “We painted bugs and insects on our banner,” Callahan said.

“We estimate that more than 1,500 students from 12 schools participated in the event,” said Ted Garret, executive director of LAVA. “The Los Altos Village Association is honored to present this program and to provide the opportunity for the community.”

Each banner is recorded at Main Street Cafe & Books, 134 Main St., with the banner number, school, teacher’s name and the names of the children who participated.

The Frapwell family from San Diego were visiting Elvis Frapwell, 96, a resident of Pilgrim Haven when Madison, 6, said, “I wish my drawings were up there. I made some nice pictures that look good. Maybe we can do this at home.”

The banners will be sold in a silent auction after they are removed in mid-May. The proceeds will be contributed to the art program in the corresponding school.

“I’ve been dreaming for years to do something like this,” said Garrett. “It started in San Diego with professional artists, and I took the program to Oceanside with success. For Los Altos, I wanted to use the kids’ art.”

Any event that brings people downtown for a special reason or during nontraditional business hours represents an opportunity to promote local businesses. “Arts Alive” is such an event.

Garrett said the idea behind the banners is to bring families downtown. “We are action-orientated and want to make a difference in the Village,” he said. “We thank all the schools, teachers and children who participated in the event.”