Contest builds kids' skills in architecture

Fitzgerald Elementary School on North Revere Street may have given a nudge to some budding architects recently, thanks to a new program.

The Arts and Education Endowment is a partnership between the school and high-end luxury home brokerage Beasley & DeVarreau Sotheby's International Realty, which recently brought in Blue Heron Properties to give students a briefing on architecture and development, and then present them with a challenge.

Two dozen fifth-graders were divided into five teams and told to design an art studio for their school.

The results were mounted in the auditorium on Jan. 11 so that Blue Heron representatives Tyler Jones and Mike Murphy could look them over and select the top design.

Art teacher Chonita Smith explained that the youngsters had to consider many different factors before they began cutting out cardboard walls and fitting them together with masking tape.

Should the studio be attached to the school or should it be a separate building? How large should the different rooms be? Could the children make use of their elementary mathematics skills to create components that would fit together? For that matter, could the five teams even work together comfortably?

"It took a lot of collaborative effort," Smith said, "and they really worked together."

"You really have done a fabulous job," Principal Alasha Woods told the students.

The studio, as outlined by Murphy and Jones, had to include an inside gallery, an inside studio, an outside studio, room for storage, a bathroom, and, Smith said, "of course, an office for me."

The teams met weekly, and sometimes more, as they learned how to measure wall heights and lengths, various angles, and learned to make the compromises necessary to produce a finished design.

The Blue Heron representatives seemed impressed.

"They put a really good effort into this and did a really terrific job," Murphy said.

"I think that they did an excellent job," Woods said. "I think you all are really No. 1. You can work alone and you can work together. You can do it."

In the end, Alan Aranda-Rubio, Alexis Aviles and Ace Acosta were chosen as the first-place team and proudly accepted their certificates.

In second place were Niketta Fuzee, Landon Bowen, Naiva Martinez and Rashanda Belin.

Alexis Gonzalez, Keyona Dupree, Kimberli Gomez and Casandra Villelobos took third place.

"They have shown a tremendous amount of creativity and commitment to this program," said James Beasley of Beasley & DeVarreau Sotheby's International Realty, who was on hand with his business partner Juan DeVarreau to observe the architectural challenge finale.

The youngsters have a long way to go before they have to choose college majors and decide on career courses, but Beasley said they can begin thinking about such things now.

"I hope it inspires one of you to grow up and become a famous architect," he told them.

"College is possible," Woods said. "Start thinking about careers now."

The arts program also has offered students an appreciation of American Indians. Among the other events planned are art and photography contests, art displays, meet-the-artist get-togethers, musical and theatrical programs, and an antiques appraisal.

"We're looking forward to giving these students some firsthand experiences that they may otherwise not have," DeVarreau said. "While our initial focus is on the Fitzgerald School, our future goal is to establish a partnership between elementary, secondary, undergraduate and post-graduate institutions across the state of Nevada, dedicated to art and cultural education.

"We would like to invite art associations and museums to take part in this program," he said. "We have high expectations for a program of this caliber."