-Editorial
Artist and author Simon Silva is encouraging parents at Blanche Charles Elementary School, 1201 Kloke Rd. in Calexico, to explore their family histories and document their life stories through an autobiographical book project that combines writing, visual art, and research.
Silva introduced the project during “An Evening with Simon Silva,” a parent book presentation at the Calexico school. The program is intended to engage parents in the arts while encouraging them to preserve family histories that can be passed on to their children.
“We all have a story. We all have a background,” Silva said. “If you’re able to get the parents to write their stories and share them with other parents in the school district or in the school, then there’s going to be a greater degree of respect among them.”
Participants will create autobiographical books that include written responses to questions about their lives and families, self-portraits and photographs. Silva said parents may need to contact relatives in Mexico, Central America or other locations to fill gaps in their family histories.
He said the process can lead participants to learn how their parents or grandparents met, where they lived, what they did for a living and how earlier generations influenced their families.
“In the end, to be able to leave this book to their children, that is huge,” Silva said.
Silva said he also hopes the project will strengthen parent participation at the school by creating opportunities for families to learn more about one another and develop stronger connections.
The program is part of a broader effort at Blanche Charles Elementary to incorporate the arts into education.
Principal Jaime Santos said the school brought Silva to work with students using funding available through California Proposition 28, which provides funding for arts and music education in public schools.
“I jumped at the chance because I know that his message will inspire our kids,” Santos said.
Silva previously worked with students at the school, and Santos said students responded positively to the experience.
“If you had seen the artwork last year, you would have seen how kids were so happy that they were able to work with somebody of his caliber,” Santos said.
The school also uses an art program called Rainforest and has purchased art supplies for teachers, Santos said. Plans also include bringing in a drumline instructor.
Santos said integrating art and music into classroom instruction can support traditional academic subjects while encouraging creativity and critical thinking.
“With art and music, you can teach reading, you can teach writing, you can teach math,” Santos said. “It opens up their creativity, which at the same time opens up their critical thinking.”
Silva similarly emphasized that arts education extends beyond artistic expression. He said properly taught art can help students develop observation, problem-solving, communication, curiosity, and critical-thinking skills.
“Art is all about problem solving,” Silva said. “Anybody who’s a better problem solver is going to have a greater degree of success in the future.”
Silva said arts education can also encourage students to experiment, learn from mistakes, and discover abilities they may not otherwise recognize.
Born in Mexicali, Mexico, in 1961, Silva moved to the United States when he was 1 1/2 years old. He grew up in Holtville, California, and has said his upbringing and experiences traveling throughout California, Oregon and Washington helped shape his artistic perspective and work ethic.
Silva earned an Associate of Arts degree from Imperial Valley College in 1981 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena in 1986. His work has since been exhibited locally and internationally.
His artwork frequently focuses on hardworking people whose labor and experiences may otherwise receive little public attention. Through his work, Silva depicts workers and the difficult conditions they may encounter, seeking to make their experiences more visible.
His books include “Small Town Browny,” a collection of stories about his life, “Cultivating the Created Mind” and “El Poder de la Mujer.” He said he is also working on another book, “The Artisanal Mind.” There another one he wrote called “Made to Create.”
Silva said he initially disliked reading and writing but became interested in literature after discovering writers including James Baldwin and reading Chicano literature. Writing eventually became another form of creative expression alongside painting and public speaking.
“Writing is like painting with words,” Silva said.
Through the Blanche Charles project, Silva said he wants parents to recognize that creativity can extend beyond traditional definitions of art and provide another way to understand themselves and the experiences that shaped their families.
“A big part of a great education is to know self,” Silva said.
Silva took part in workshops and activities with 6th grade students guiding them in art activities during his stay in the school.
