Team of Art and Music students for the fashion show in Garlans

VSALEXIC Students from two of the Imperial Valley's largest high schools teamed up to showcase their multiple artistic talents Tuesday evening, April 30, at Garlan's first-ever spring fashion show in downtown Calexico.

Garlans has been a staple of downtown Calexico since 1960.

The event featured art, music, food and, of course, fashion from Calexico High and Southwest High in El Centro. Students of all ages participated, while the artwork on display consisted of spring-themed mannequins and framed artwork by students from both high schools.

Music from the orchestra greeted guests as they walked through the front door of the iconic downtown department store, creating an ethereal ambiance and a wonderful backdrop for the visual displays. The afternoon sun shone from the department store windows, giving the art an increased quality with the natural sunlight.

Myrna Ramirez, Garlans store manager, explained how the idea for the event came about, explaining: “We invited two schools to promote the future of the arts. There is so much talent here in the Valley and sometimes it goes unrecognized. We're basically doing community outreach for this talent.

Store owner Robert Gronich said he's happy to support local artists. It's a good combination: business and creativity. We are very proud of the children. It takes courage to expose yourself (artistically). We are happy to have them here.

Meanwhile, store co-owner Lorena Gronich expressed her gratitude to the students, saying, “We are very happy to have them here. They put a lot of time and effort into their art. We were super excited and very lucky to be able to help. Both owners say they would welcome more events like this in the future.

The spring-themed event couldn't have gotten off the ground without the help of Southwest High School art teacher Jacqueline Pleitez. It's a great event. I thank Garlans for inviting us to this collaboration. We want to create opportunities for our students to exhibit and present their art.

Likewise, Calexico High School art teacher Eddie Shiffer was excited about the opportunity to share his students’ art with the community. It’s great that a local business can invite students to exhibit their work. There are nearly 50 works of art here today, he said.

Anahi Arvizu, a freshman art student at Southwest High, created a mannequin called The Butterfly Garden. She adorned the mannequin with pastel-colored flowers, added a pair of wings that she fashioned from wire, and painted the mannequin's body in an assortment of flesh colors.

Anahi said of her artwork: It's a spring theme. The flowers represent femininity and the wings represent freedom. Flowers come from the earth and the multitude of colors represent all skin tones. She shared that her artwork took about a month of painstaking work and that her mannequin now greets visitors as they enter the store.

Two fashion-forward art students, Dominique Macias and Reggie Martinez, decided to model various dresses and outfits for the occasion. Dominique said: It’s a very cute event. I'm artistic and I do my own makeup. I see this as an opportunity to launch into an artistic career.

Reggie expressed his excitement, saying, “I was able to participate in modeling and making a mannequin. This is the first time I have had an art exhibition, to enrich my CV. Both ladies paraded their fashion-forward picks around the store throughout the evening.

Two parents of a Southwest High student, Gustavo and Isaura Bibiano, gave their thoughts on the event: “It’s really good. Our daughter is in the orchestra and they play at various events in the community. Their daughter, who is in first grade, plays the violin and is now in the chamber orchestra. His parents believe that music helps with concentration and creativity. They also believe that it is an organized form of therapy that helps relieve stress.

Nelson Baxley, the parent of another South West orchestra student who plays viola, would like to see more events supporting the arts and young people, with greater parental involvement. He has seen first-hand the benefits of art and music on his son, who is in the ninth grade and already second seat in the symphony.

The event ended with people meeting, conversations and more music combined with artistic expression. As Baxley says, art and music are two of the few eternal things in this life.