Big Sur locals have created an innovative afterschool arts education program.

Living in Big Sur--it''s a dream for many of us, a place where the seductive beauty of the redwoods, the coast''s rugged cliffs, and panoramic scenic views confronts harsh reality; winter storms, 100-mile per hour winds, even rain that blows uphill. The locals of Big Sur know and accept these realities of living down the coast, and willingly haul their provisions (and kids) down windy Highway 1. CalTrans workers know all too well the instability of nature. Locals have made tradeoffs for the beauty, isolation, and alternative thinking that most of us only remotely consider.

Thanks to Highway 1''s propensity for sliding, a community arts program called the Big Sur Arts Initiative (BSAI) was "born out of chaos" three years ago, according to its Executive Director Erin Gafill.

The El Nino winter storms of 1998 closed Highway 1-when the road at Hurricane Point disappeared-cutting off Big Sur residents for months. Not only were supplies airlifted or convoyed in, but school children were dramatically impacted. "After the road closed, we''d have these emergency meetings but no one talked about the kids," says Gafill. The Big Sur Arts Initiative was created so Big Sur kids wouldn''t miss out on the rest of the school year, but it has become much more than that."

Some of its first projects were art and writing workshops for kids to express their fears or thoughts on the storms. Emily, then age 9, wrote of El Nino, "She has evergreen breath/ She rides on the wind as she furies the frost/ She wears icicle robes with glittery hair as blue/ As the ocean, her skin as soft as the color of opal."

Through this unique program, created by local artists and parents, the adult community of Big Sur is preserving and passing its cultural history to the next generation.

"We assess the need, then create a program to fulfill it. It just gets bigger as more parts of the community get involved," Gafill explains. "Now our kids have a strong base for choices in high school and beyond. They''re getting deep knowledge and arts skills."

BSAI got a large helping hand to start--$12,000--from the philanthropic foundation of businessman Ted Turner, who owns land in Big Sur.

Programs have included learning math by "Baking a Double Batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies," and "Basic Pruning," classes not usually offered to public schoolchildren.

The Children''s Garden is one of BSAI''s most successful projects. It is a "living classroom" where kids watch plants grow from seeds to become nutritious foods on their plates. It is a community gathering spot for potluck dinners and meetings, a highlight on the Big Sur Hidden Gardens Tour, a yearly fundraiser which will be held for the second time this June.

Creator of the Children''s Garden, Merrie Potter, has a daughter enrolled at Captain Cooper School, where many BSAI classes take place. Potter''s enthusiasm for the garden is infectious. She says children at the school often stare out the window and down the hill where the garden lies in the fresh air, impatiently awaiting their "class time."

Potter''s goal is to make the garden both fun and educational. "I want it to be serendipity in the garden," she says. "I don''t like straight lines or rows, or set beds. We have room for kids to run and play and have fun. I try to incorporate science and gardening but it is a special energy when kids get out here in the air and sun.

"Last year, when some plants started to die off after growing or blooming, a kid asked me ''why are we killing them?'' It was natural but it brings up the questions for them, to see the whole process, and we got to talk about annuals and perennials and seasons. It teaches them that adults are learning, too. We can''t control the slugs and weeds. Sometimes plants die," says Potter.

The Big Sur Arts Initiative, created to fill an immediate educational need, is now providing Big Sur children with the kind of "non-core" education that is being hacked out of public school curriculums by budget cuts--courses like the visual arts class Dave Allan teaches through the BSAI.

Allan drives from Carmel to Big Sur and on to Pacific Valley every week to teach art to kids and adults. He brims with excitement at sharing his love of art and color with children, witnessing the creativity of young minds, and passing on techniques which might lead to arts careers.

On one recent afternoon, Allan told a group of 4th- and 5th-graders about two turn-of-the-century French artists who witnessed Paris lit up by electric power for the first time, and were inspired to paint bright, asymetrical paintings. To illustrate the connection, Allan brought prisms and crystals to class and had students paint their interpretations of the rainbow effect created by sun shining through the glass.

Although the emphasis of BSAI is on Big Sur children, the project is branching out to the adult community. Spanish and English are taught to local hospitality industry workers, and Internet classes are offered to community members. This year, for the first time, the Initiative is sponsoring the Big Sur JazzFest, scheduled for May 5-7.

"Our after-school programs give opportunities for socializing and learning arts," Gafill says. "After the road closed, the community came together for the first time. Some people were born and raised here but have never met. The parents interact now through their kids and the Big Sur Arts programs."