Dozens of bright-eyed, excited Arroyo Seco Junior High School students were given the opportunity Monday to experience the process of creating an artwork as part of the city of Santa Clarita’s 2014 Artist in Residence program.

“The program started last year as a pilot program with Rosedell Elementary,” said Donna Avila education liaison for the city of Santa Clarita’s Arts and Events department. “We saw how this program would work, what things we would keep and things we would change. This year we tried it with five schools and we’re really excited about that.”

Schools that are participating in the 2014 Artist in Residence program include West Creek Elementary, SCVi, Santa Clarita Elementary, Arroyo Seco and Mountain View Elementary.

“First the artist has an empty piece of canvas. They have to think about what they want to express on that empty piece. They need to have a plan,” Avila said. “The artist will come up with some type of plan for a type of art and she shares with the kids what she’s thinking and of course sharing different techniques and experience of changing the plan, making mistakes and turning it into something good. The artist turns that mistake into something that is even better than what she was expecting and it teaches the kids to continue, not to give up and to keep on going.”

Suzi Kades, of Valencia, is one of the artists involved in the program and created the piece for Arroyo Seco.  She has been painting since she was a kid and sold her first piece of artwork as a teen.

Kades said she researched before she began this project by using the Arroyo Seco website and the mascot, a conquistador.

“These students at an age where they’re trying to figure out who they are and where they fit in with peers, family, the world.  They’re trying to figure out who they’re going to be, decisions they need to make,” Kades said.”I asked myself ‘how do I portray the tumultuous time they’re going through where they so want to be grown up and so cannot be yet.’ I put them in a tight space which gave me the set up. I wanted to put some symbols of what they’re learning and what they’re into, anime and cellphones. The window is an escape route and it’s a new day. My personal philosophy is everyday you get to start over and create a new day.”

Kades began the painting on Nov. 10 and presented the completed piece on Nov. 17, showing the students the process of the piece throughout the week. The painting will be displayed at the junior high for students to view.

“We’re so excited as commissioners that the city puts the time and money into bringing art to the students,” said Patti Rasmussen, arts commissioner for the city of Santa Clarita. “Schools have been suffering with finding funds for art so we’re really proud that the city council and the city is taking the time, money and interest.”

When each school’s art piece is completed, students are given the opportunity to ask the artist questions about their career, about their technique.

“I think this program is phenomenal and I’m so appreciative to be a part of it,” Kades said. “It’s been life changing.”