Student art to be showcased at B of A

TALENTED-Lindero Canyon Middle School advanced art students created scratch art masterpieces that will be showcased at the Agoura Hills Bank of America. Pictured from left is art teacher Marilyn Fine, first place winner Rachel Apthorg, second place winner Laura Avery, third place winner Alex Lewis, Pat Schultz, vice president of Bank of America, and Ron Kaiser, principal of Lindero Canyon Middle School. The artistic talent of Lindero Canyon Middle School students is now being showcased at Bank of America in Agoura Hills.

Twelve art students from Lindero Canyon Middle School were honored for their work at a recent Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education meeting. Three of the students were awarded savings bonds.

Marilyn Fine, an art teacher at Lindero Canyon for 15 years, is known for her multifaceted program. Students are asked to create four art projects a year, works often based on Fine's travels.

The latest class project was inspired by Fine's trip to Yellowstone National Park. Students created "scratch art" animals, selected for their texture and interesting patterns. Fine said 70 seventhand eighth-grade advanced art students used five or six scratch-art tools. Some also used watercolors for added depth.

Fine weaves other subjects into each of the art projects. The students were required to research and write extensively about their animal and explain why they chose the creature as a subject.

Only a dozen of Fine's students were selected to show

case their artwrks at the district board room and the bank. Each student received a certificate of appreciation, and the first, second and third place winners received savings bonds for $100, $75 and $50 respectively, from Bank of America, the school's new art program sponsor.

Pat Schultz, a bank vice president, presented the firstplace award to eighth-grade student Rachel Apthorg for her depiction of a domesticated pig. Laura Avery, a seventhgrader, won second place for her colored scratch-art piece of a macaque, and eighthgrader Alex Lewis placed third for his detailed rendition of a platypus.

"It's been great; we're just thrilled with the partnership," Schultz said.

The 12 animal pieces will be showcased at the Agoura Hills Bank of America on Kanan Road through Thanksgiving, Nov. 23.