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MUSIC, ART, DRAMA & MORE
Industrial park home of Manteca arts school
Creative top
Prints from a night adult class in acrylic art line the wall of the Industrial Park studio. - photo by GLENN KAHL/The Bulletin

The Creative Arts Zone has become a reality for students young and old wanting to grow their talents.
Mantecans Lisa Rowe and her sister Debi Pollock have been busy creating a 7,200-square-foot art and music studio in the heart of the Manteca Industrial Park in the 1000 block of Melon Avenue just north of the Highway 120 Bypass and east of South Main Street.
They offer music parties, art parties, clay and drama parties, paint parties, birthday parties and custom events. 
Eighty-three students are taking music lessons and another 47 are studying art at various levels and ages in four music studios and three art rooms along with one large multi-purpose room that measures about 70 feet square where recitals are being held on a regular basis for the community.  Art gallery shows and paint party nights geared for fund raisers fill the building – currently raising funds for a young artist wanting to enter competition in Washington, D.C.
Work on the studio began in January, according to owner Lisa Rowe, who credits her husband Les Rowe for much of the carpentry work that put the smaller studios into the building.
Rowe said that many home schoolers have signed up for her art and music offerings with some taking music lessons and others enjoying the art classes.  Students are excited about participating in the upcoming Great Valley Bookfest and Manteca Pumpkin festivals next month. 
In addition to the current acrylic painting classes, students make use of a drawing and cartooning room at the facility.
Emily Cornell is 10-year-old fifth grader at Joshua Cowell School who demonstrated her art this week in the small studio.  At home, she has her art projects throughout the house as well as displaying her pottery efforts.  She has 8x10s to a 16x20 she has created. She noted that her fourth grade teacher Miss Marianne Treat was the one who encouraged her greatly in school.  She said she hopes someday to become a teacher much like that fourth grade teacher she has so enjoyed. 
Her mother said it’s not all about art as “she loves to run and play – always has had lots of energy.”
Rowe’s sister, Debi Pollock, teaches art and is the special events coordinator.
Rowe who formerly worked on the staff of Give Every Child a Chance, teaches piano, guitar, voice and vocal students.  On woodwind instruments, she and other instructors teach flute, clarinet and saxophone with weekly half hour private lessons. 
Drums instructor Shane Carpenter also works with his students on a weekly schedule.
There are a total of six music teachers and three art instructors.
An adult painting class meets Thursday nights from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and currently has six students and is open to more. 
“Our mission is to create a haven for the arts,” Rowe said. “We endeavor to provide fine art disciplines to our community and surrounding areas, in a safe, family-friendly environment.  We will accomplish this by providing students, of all ages, with enriched curriculum provided by our skilled staff.”
To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.