Hillview mural video featured in San Francisco exhibit Hillview mural video featured in San Francisco exhibit (February 02, 2005)

"From Menlo Park to China" -- a video that follows the journey of 15 teenage artists from Hillview School in Menlo Park to Beijing, China -- is part of a multimedia art exhibit at Zeum, an interactive arts and technology museum for children in San Francisco.

The exhibit -- titled "Our Home: Chinese and American Children's Art on the Environment" -- is sponsored by Zeum and the 1990 Institute, a U.S.-based think tank that studies economic and social issues relating to China.

One of the key people behind the show is retired architect Billy Lee, a 1990 Institute board member and Portola Valley resident.

He was instrumental in organizing "Flying the Child's Hope," a collection of 100 pieces of art and essays on the environment, chosen from a million entries submitted by children throughout China. The complete collection is on exhibit for the first time at the Zeum museum.

The video, "From Menlo Park to China," is a story of 15 art students from Hillview School, who designed the mural of endangered animals in their classroom, traveled to China last April, and, along with Chinese students, painted it on a 60-foot curving, concrete wall in the children's park at the China National Children's Center in Beijing. The video will be played throughout the exhibit.

Joining the students on the China trip were art specialist Terry McMahon, docents Wendy Ellis and Sue Scheid, and art assistant Megan McMahon. Kimberly Carlisle, a photographer and Hillview parent on the trip, shot the video.

Mr. Lee came up with the idea for the Hillview-China mural project after seeing a color photo of a Hillview mural in the Almanac in June 2003. He joined the students and their teachers in Beijing and helped with the project.

Two other exhibits of children's art at Zeum are "Our Water," self portraits and poetry by fourth- and fifth-grade students at Kollage Community School for the Arts in Belmont, and "Tree of Hope," a sculpture created by students at Odyssey School in San Mateo.
INFORMATION @infortext:The exhibit continues through April 15 at the Zeum museum, located in Yerba Buena Gardens, at the corner of Fourth and Howard streets in San Francisco. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: $5 for youth, 4-18; $6 for students and seniors; and $7 for adults.

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