By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com
Kareem Christmas, Savana Jo Dudzienski and Emily Posada are the winners of an art contest held by author Hector Barrera (back, right). Art teacher Christian E. Wilcox is also seen. (Staff photo)
One of San Benito’s finest storytellers will be on hand at the Narcisco Martinez Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, June 1, to present his new book, “Bart: The Pear Tree That Grew An Apple.”
Dr. Hector R. Barrera, who now resides in California, recently published the children’s book and will be signing copies on Saturday. Before then, he will be paying a visit to the San Benito IDEA Academy on Friday to present his book to the three winners of his art contest—whose illustrations were included in the book.
IDEA students Kareem Christmas, 17, Savana Jo Dudzienski, 16, and Emily Posada, 11, were the winners of the Gold Seal Publisher (Barrera’s publishing company) Art Contest. Specifically, students were given the opportunity to design the cover art as well as the illustrations to accompany the story.
“There is a lot of information regarding grafting,” said Barrera when describing the synopsis of his newly published book. “For certain grades, like third of fourth grade, teachers could talk about plant science, the reality that you cannot just take a seed from an apple, plant it, and expect an apple tree with sweet apples to come out. It doesn’t happen. That’s why you graft. But a seed that you plant and it grows, that is good rootstock to graft.”
“In the book I explain how I was introduced to grafting in elementary,” continued Barrera. “My father grafted a sweet orange branch to a sour orange tree. That was my first introduction to that. Over the years I sort of forgot about it. Then about four years ago in California, I noticed that there was an advertisement for a grafting workshop for fruit trees.”
At the workshop, Barrera purchased some rootstocks, which he took home and grafted and planted. After some time, the pear tree that Barrera planted began producing apples.
“Most of the time that I write, and most people write fiction, it is based on some degree of non-fiction experiences,” said Barrera. “So I decided that there was a story here. The book basically is about change and reality.”
“Having gone through the school systems here, one of the things I always look is things I can do to give back to the community, someway,” said Barrera about the art contest. “What I want is for people to write. Hopefully this kind of book will kind of stimulate something, also with kids who draw. They do have creative skills to win contests. The very fact that I’m a publisher, when I publish a book with their art, that book becomes part of their portfolio for moving on to the next step of growth, if they’re going to peruse that. They do have talent. These are affirmations.”
Barrera explained that there were 10 categories for which the young artists could select from to base their drawings on for submission to the contest.
“Anything submitted is never perfect, and that’s not what we’re looking for. We were looking for something that has more than that, that they put part of themselves into the drawing,” said Barrera. “That’s what I look for. Then I know that there is something there, because how they did what they did, the few details they add to art, that’s what I look for.”
Barrera said that he selected eight drawings each from the first and second place winners, and two from the third place winner.
The three winners received a complimentary copy of the book at a ceremony at IDEA on Friday, May 31. On Saturday, June 1, Barrera and the students will be at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center for a presentation and to sale the book from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The book can be purchased for $10 at the event.
Recent Comments