3/08/01

LC010308

VAL>> GOOD EVENING. I'M VAL ZAVALA, LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT ANCHOR AND VICE PRESIDENT OF KCET NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS. TONIGHT KCET IS PRESENTING A SPECIAL EDITION OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT. DURING THE COURSE OF ITS AWARD-WINNING EIGHT YEARS ON THE AIR, THIS SERIES HAS FEATURED A LOT OF STORIES THAT HAVE LEFT REAL LASTING IMPRESSIONS ON OUR VIEWERS. NOW THIS WEEK WE ARE CELEBRATING BY THANKING OUR FOUNDATION FRIENDS AND YOU, OUR VIEWERS, FOR YOUR SUPPORT. SO ENJOY A SAMPLING OF CLASSIC STORIES THAT HAVE BEEN GATHERED FROM THE BEST OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

WE'RE ALSO PROUD OF THE CONSISTENT QUALITY OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT AND ITS SUCCESS IS DUE LARGELY TO YOU AND YOUR ONGOING FINANCIAL SUPPORT. EACH AND EVERY CONTRIBUTION DOES HELP KCET IN PROVIDING ENRICHED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING LIKE THIS, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN.

AND STAY TUNED TONIGHT AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT CREATIVITY IN LOS ANGELES COMING UP NEXT.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION
WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMED CALIFORNIA CITIZENRY.

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
UNDERWRITING THE SPANISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATION OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

VAL>> WELCOME TO THE BEST OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

ONE OF THE MORE MEMORABLE FEATURES THAT WE'VE PRODUCED IS ON THE PHOTOGRAPHER, HOWARD BINGHAM. YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW BINGHAM'S NAME, BUT YOU UNDOUBTEDLY KNOW HIS VERY FAMOUS SUBJECT, MUHAMMAD ALI. BINGHAM IS ALI'S CLOSE FRIEND AND OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER. OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES, HE HAS TAKEN SOME OF THE BEST PHOTOS OF ALI EVER TAKEN. REPORTER NOAH NELSON HAS BINGHAM'S STORY.

NOAH NELSON>> HE'S BEEN CALLED ONE OF THE BEST SET OF EYES OF HIS GENERATION AND THE MOST FAMOUS MAN YOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF. HE'S HOWARD BINGHAM AND HE TAKES PICTURES.

HOWARD BINGHAM>> AS THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, PHOTOGRAPHY IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS. IF YOU GET THE PICTURE, YOU DON'T NEED NO WORDS. IT'S JUST THERE.

NOAH NELSON>> AND HOWARD BINGHAM ALMOST ALWAYS GETS THE PICTURE. SOME OF HIS MOST APPRECIATED WORK IS OF HIS FRIEND, MUHAMMAD ALI. UCLA'S FOWLER MUSEUM CURRENTLY OFFERS A TIME PORTAL BACK TO 1974, ZAIRE, AFRICA, TO A SPORTING EVENT CAPTURED BY THE LENS OF HOWARD BINGHAM THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING OF ALL TIME, THE HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT BETWEEN THE CHARISMATIC MUHAMMAD ALI AND THE BROODING GEORGE FOREMAN.

HOWARD BINGHAM>> I MEAN, HE JUST LOOKS MEAN AND EVIL. LOOK AT HIS FACE. A MEAN FACE, ISN'T IT? LOOK AT ALI'S FACE. KIND, YOU KNOW, GENTLE, LOVING.

THERE WAS A SENSE THAT THIS WAS A BIG EVENT IN HISTORY, A BIG EVENT IN AFRICA, ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS IN THE WORLD.

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NOAH NELSON>> FESTIVITIES LEADING UP TO THE FIGHT WERE CHOREOGRAPHED LIKE A GIANT STAGE PRODUCTION BY FIGHT PROMOTER, DON KING, AND ZAIRE'S DICTATOR, MOBUTU SESE SEKO. MOBUTU PAID THE BOXERS $5 MILLION DOLLARS EACH, AN ASTRONOMICAL SUM AT THE TIME, TO FIGHT IN ZAIRE. "THE RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE", AS IT WAS CALLED, WAS MORE THAN JUST A FIGHT. IT WAS A WORLD-WIDE MAGNET FOR ROCK STARS, SOUL SINGERS, WRITERS AND THE RICH.

HOWARD BINGHAM USED HIS CAMERA TO NOT ONLY CHRONICLE THE HOOPLA, BUT TO ALSO CAPTURE THE PEOPLE OF ZAIRE'S FRAGILE HOPE THAT THIS WORLD EVENT WOULD SOMEHOW BENEFIT THEIR POOR COUNTRY. FOR A BRIEF TIME, THERE WAS JOY IN THE POLITICALLY OPPRESSED AFRICAN NATION.

HOWARD BINGHAM>> THAT'S MY FAVORITE.

NOAH NELSON>> BINGHAM ALSO CAUGHT THE AFFECTION BETWEEN MUHAMMAD ALI AND THE PEOPLE, THE CROWDS THAT FOLLOWED HIM WHEREVER HE WENT AS HE TRAINED BEFORE THE FIGHT.

FOR THE FRIENDS OF MUHAMMAD ALI, THE FIGHT ITSELF PLAYED OUT LIKE A CLASSIC FABLE WITH THE HULKING FOREMAN FORCING ALI INTO THE ROPES TIME AFTER TIME, FALLING FOR THE ALI ROPE-A-DOPE UNTIL ALI TURNED THE FIGHT AROUND WITH A STRAIGHT RIGHT HAND THAT SENT FOREMAN DOWN IN THE EIGHTH ROUND. AGAINST ALL ODDS, HOWARD BINGHAM'S FRIEND HAD WON.

[FILM CLIP]

AWAY FROM THE RING, BINGHAM'S PICTURES OF ALI OFTEN SEEMED MORE REVEALING AND INTIMATE THAN THOSE TAKEN BY OTHERS. PERHAPS IT'S BECAUSE THE PHOTOGRAPHER KNOWS HIS SUBJECT SO VERY WELL. THE TWO MEN BECAME FRIENDS IN THE EARLY 60'S WHEN MUHAMMAD ALI WAS STILL A YOUNG UNKNOWN FIGHTER NAMED CASSIUS CLAY AND HOWARD BINGHAM WORKED FOR A SMALL L.A. NEWSPAPER MAKING $75 BUCKS A WEEK.

HOWARD BINGHAM>> HE WAS A NEW GUY ON THE BLOCK AND HIS PURPOSE WAS TO BECOME THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. IN ORDER TO DO THAT, HE HAD TO HAVE A GIMMICK. HIS GIMMICK WAS BEING LOUD AND BOISTEROUS AND GOOD.

NOAH NELSON>> AS ALI CONQUERED THE BOXING WORLD AND THE HEARTS OF MILLIONS, HOWARD, ALWAYS NEAR, BECAME KEEPER OF THE VISUAL RECORD OF WHAT SEEMED TO BE A MAGICAL TIME.

HOWARD BINGHAM>> IT WAS FUN. A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WANTED THEIR PICTURES TAKEN WITH ALI. EVERYBODY WANTED TO MEET HIM. I HAD FUN DOING THIS. THIS IS NICE. IT WAS 1968 AND TRAVELING WITH THE PANTHERS.

NOAH NELSON>> ALI HAS BEEN A KEY SUBJECT IN BINGHAM'S WORK, BUT NOT THE ONLY SUBJECT. IN HIS ARCHIVES, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PICTURES OF THOSE HE MET ON THE WAY TO BECOMING AN AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER FOR LIFE, NEWSWEEK AND EBONY MAGAZINES.

HOWARD BINGHAM>> I'M THINKING OF A PHOTOGRAPH RIGHT NOW. IT'S THE ONE OF ALI AND NELSON MANDELA HUGGING. I LOVE THAT.

ALI WAS A BIG, BIG FAN OF ELVIS AND ELVIS WAS A BIG FAN OF ALI'S.

MALCOLM X IS THE ONLY MAN THAT I'VE EVER BEEN AROUND WHERE I JUST REALLY HAD TO -- OH, IT'S A NICE FEELING, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE, AND HE KNEW ME.

NOAH NELSON>> BINGHAM'S CAREER AND WORK HAS BEEN CELEBRATED IN MANY CORNERS AND HE IS THE AUTHOR OF TWO BOOKS ON MUHAMMAD ALI. NOT BAD FOR SOMEONE WHOSE COLLEGE TEACHER ONCE TOLD HIM THAT HE'D NEVER MAKE IT.

HOWARD BINGHAM>> I'M NOT A TECHNICAL GUY. I'M ONE OF THE FEW WHO WOULD CLAIM, HEY, I HAVE NO TECHNIQUE. I JUST LIKE TO GO IN AND INTERACT AND TAKE PICTURES AND TRY TO COME OUT WITH AN IMAGE THAT PEOPLE WILL LIKE.

NOAH NELSON>> TIME AND ILLNESS HAVE SLOWED DOWN THE FORMER CHAMPION, BUT THE TWO MEN ARE STILL VERY CLOSE AND TALK OFTEN. AT 60, HOWARD WILL TELL YOU HE HAS YET TO SLOW DOWN.

HOWARD BINGHAM>> THERE'S SOME FRIENDS OF MINE -- THEY SAY, "HOWARD, WE WOULD LIKE TO START A GAME." WHERE IN THE WORLD IS HOWARD BINGHAM? BECAUSE I'M HERE TODAY, SOMEPLACE ELSE TOMORROW. I'M JUST BACK AND FORTH ALL THE TIME.

NOAH NELSON>> ALWAYS MOVING AND ADDING TO HIS BODY OF WORK AND CRINGING AT THE MERE SUGGESTION THAT HE'D COAST ON HIS PAST ACHIEVEMENTS.

HOWARD BINGHAM>> NEVER. I'M GOING TO ALWAYS DO THIS. I LOVE DOING THIS.

VAL>> ART COMES IN ALL FORMS HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE TRY TO DO IS GET YOU OUT OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND SHOW YOU WHAT'S POPULAR ACROSS TOWN. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WALKED INTO CERTAIN VIDEO STORES, YOU WOULD DISCOVER WALLS OF ANIMATION VIDEOS CALLED "ANIME". BUT THIS ANIMATION IS NOT FOR KIDS, AS SAUL GONZALEZ TELLS US. IT'S IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN.

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>> I LOVE ANIME BECAUSE THE ANIMATION IS GORGEOUS.

>> IT CHALLENGES YOUR MIND MORE THAN ANYTHING.

>> SOMETIMES JUST THE STORIES ARE MORE INTENSE.

>> I LIKE THAT BECAUSE YOU GET SPECIAL EFFECTS, YOU GET THE STORY LINE, JUST ALL KINDS OF THINGS IN AN ANIMATED FORMAT THAT YOU CAN'T GET PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE IN ANY MEDIUM IN AMERICA.

SAUL>> THESE FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT A GROWING SUBCULTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT CALLED ANIME, OR JAPANESE ANIMATION. PLEASE DON'T CALL IT A CARTOON, THOUGH. ITS SOPHISTICATED ANIMATION AND COMPLEX STORY LINES, MANY WOVEN WITH TABOO SUBJECTS, HAVE CREATED AN UNDERGROUND ANIME MOVEMENT IN AMERICA. FANS LIKE THESE RAVE ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE SERIES.

>> "KITE" IS, WELL, IT'S SORT OF TWISTED. IT'S VERY ODD AND IT'S A VERY DETAILED STORY LINE THAT YOU DON'T GET UNTIL THE END.

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>> ANOTHER ONE WOULD BE "FUSHIGI YUGI" WHERE A GIRL IN ANCIENT CHINA DOES A MAGICAL INCANTATION WHERE SHE BECOMES A STORY. IT'S GREAT BECAUSE EVERY EPISODE IS A CLIFFHANGER. I WAS ABLE TO WATCH ALL 40 EPISODES IN, LIKE, THREE DAYS.

>> THERE'S A SERIES CALLED "RECORD OF LODOSS WAR" WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS, AND IT HAD A SPECIFIC PHILOSOPHY. THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT. IT HAS A SPECIFIC STORY LINE.

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>> IN "NEON GENESIS EVANGELION", IT COMBINES LITERATURE FROM THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS INTO A FUTURIZED SCI-FI FORMULA.

SAUL>> IN JAPAN, ANIME IS A HUGE TREND-SETTING INDUSTRY. ANIMATED ACTION, COMEDY AND FANTASY SERIES ARE PRIME TIME STAPLES. MANY LIVE-ACTION FILMMAKERS TURN TO ANIMATION FOR GREATER ARTISTIC FREEDOM. AMERICAN FANS HAVE EMBRACED THIS CULTURAL IMPORT. THEY BELIEVE THAT ANIME REIGNS SUPREME OVER HOLLYWOOD IN BOTH STYLE AND SUBSTANCE.

>> THERE'S MORE TIME SPENT ON ANIME THAN AMERICAN ANIMATION, I THINK. THESE MOVIES ARE VERY CLEAR. THE CHARACTER OFTENTIMES JUST STATES THE PURPOSE. I CONSIDER ANIME MORE OF A SHAKESPEARE WHERE YOU HAVE THE CHARACTERS HAVE HIDDEN AGENDAS AND THEY DON'T JUST SAY IT. THEY KIND OF LEAD THEIR ACTIONS SHOW THROUGH.

[FILM CLIP]

>> LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, EVEN IN HOLLYWOOD, "THE MATRIX" WHICH HAS BEEN TOUTED AS "OH, IT'S SO AMAZING WITH THE SPECIAL EFFECTS", WHEREAS IF YOU RENT "GHOST IN THE SHELL", WHICH WAS MADE IN '95, '94, THEY HAD THE SAME EFFECTS. ANIME IS HIGHLY ADVANCED. THEY'VE BEEN INTEGRATING COMPUTER ANIMATION INTO THEIR ANIMATION FOR THE LONGEST TIME.

SAUL>> JAPAN'S EARLY ANIME OF THE 1960'S, "KIMBA, THE WHITE LION", "ASTRO BOY" AND "SPEED RACER" WERE INTENDED FOR KIDS. THE 70'S WERE A BREAKTHROUGH FOR ANIME. A SERIES SUCH AS "GUNDAM" TOOK JAPAN BY STORM WITH ITS BLENDING OF CUTTING EDGE ANIMATION AND ADULT-ORIENTED STORY LINES AND SUBJECT MATTER.

[FILM CLIP]

HOWEVER, IT STILL HASN'T CAUGHT ON HERE BECAUSE AMERICA STILL EQUATES ANIMATION WITH CHILDREN'S CARTOONS.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AS IMMATURE, IT'S JUST A CARTOON SORT OF THING. I MEAN, ACTUALLY, A LOT OF ANIME TOUCHES ON SUBJECTS THAT A LOT OF SOAP OPERAS WOULDN'T EVEN GO NEAR. THEY GO INTO A LOT MORE DETAIL IN WHAT REAL LIFE IS REALLY LIKE. INSTEAD OF JUST MAKING UP A FANTASY WORLD, THEY'LL ACTUALLY TOUCH DOWN ON REAL THINGS AND THEY'LL PUT IT INTO AN ENTERTAINING FORM.

[FILM CLIP]

SAUL>> SINCE MOST ANIME ISN'T AVAILABLE ON AMERICAN TELEVISION OR CABLE, FANS HAVE SATISFIED THEIR HUNGER FOR THEIR FAVORITE SHOWS AND MERCHANDISE BY CREATING AN UNDERGROUND INDUSTRY WITH INTERNET OR SPECIALTY STORES LIKE THIS ONE, [KUEI] ANIME IN PASADENA.

>> WITHOUT STORES LIKE THIS, YOU REALLY CAN'T GET ACCESS TO A LOT OF THE ITEMS. I MEAN, THEY'RE RARE AS IT IS. NOW WE HAVE ALMOST 2,000 TAPES AND PROBABLY AT LEAST 50, 60 DIFFERENT TITLES IN OUR LIBRARY. YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T LIKE A CERTAIN TITLE, WE CAN ALWAYS APPEAL TO SOMETHING ELSE. ALL THE MEMORABILIA THAT THEY HAVE, LIKE BOTTLES AND CD'S AND MUSIC, ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, A PART OF ANIME, YOU CAN SAY.

SAUL>> ANIME'S INFLUENCE HAS MADE ITS PRESENCE FELT HERE IN THE STATES FROM HBO'S "SPAWN" AND MTV'S "AEON FLUX", "THE MATRIX". BUT THE RECENT THEATRICAL RELEASE OF "PRINCESS MONONOKE" AND MORE ANIME FEATURES TO COME, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH ANIME MAY COME OUT OF THE UNDERGROUND AND INTO THE MAINSTREAM.

>> IF SOME OF THE COMPANIES WOULD PUSH MORE IN RELEASING TITLES AND TRY TO PUSH MORE IN PROMOTING IT, YOU KNOW, I'M PRETTY SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD CATCH ON. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE "PRINCESS MONONOKE". IT WAS A LIMITED RELEASE, YET IT IS A GREAT FILM TO WATCH, YET VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW WHERE IT IS AND HOW THEY CAN GET ACCESS TO IT.

>> IF THEY KEEP PUTTING OUT THINGS WITH THE SUBSTANCE THAT THEY HAVE AND THE VARIETY THAT THEY HAVE AND THEY DEAL WITH A LOT OF FANTASY, THEN I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE AROUND FOR A WHILE BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE WATCHING IT.

[FILM CLIP]

VAL>> FOR THE PAST THREE DECADES, EAST LOS ANGELES HAS BEEN UNDERGOING A COLORFUL FACELIFT, ONE THAT HAS TURNED BARE AND ABANDONED WALLS INTO MASTERPIECES. THE ARTIST RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY OF THESE MURALS IS GEORGE YEPES, BUT THERE'S MORE TO YEPES THAN MEETS THE EYE. YEPES IS ALSO PASSING THE ART OF MURAL CREATION ON TO A YOUNGER GENERATION. AS PATT MORRISON TELLS US, HE HAD TO USE HIS OWN MONEY AND DEDICATION TO START THE ACADEMIA DE ARTE.

PATT>> WITH THE ASSURED STROKE OF A PAINTBRUSH AND A NEVER-SATED LONGING FOR PERFECTION, A MASTERPIECE IS CREATED. THE VIRTUOSO AT WORK IS GEORGE YEPES.

GEORGE YEPES>> ART IS A PASSION, YOU KNOW? IT RUNS SCREAMING THROUGH MY VEINS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR, AND PAINT UNTIL YOU DROP.

PATT>> SOME HAVE CALLED HIM THE MICHELANGO OF EAST LOS ANGELES, TURNING DOZENS OF BATTERED BUILDINGS AND BARE WALLS INTO POWERFUL AND PERSONAL WORKS OF ART.

GEORGE YEPES>> LOS ANGELES IS THE WORLD CAPITAL OF MURALS. THE MOST AND FINEST MURALS ARE IN EAST L.A. AND THAT'S WHERE I GREW UP. SEEING MURALS, YOU LIKE TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH BIG GREAT THINGS, SO THE FIRST CHANCE I GOT TO PAINT MURALS, I DOVE RIGHT IN.

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PATT>> WHAT HE KNOWS OF ART, HE TAUGHT HIMSELF, BUT WHAT HE CAPTURES IN HIS WORK IS UNIVERSAL: PASSION, HOPE, DEATH, THE RE-IMAGINATION OF THE SACRED. BUT THERE IS MORE TO YEPES' REPUTATION THAN AS A MASTER OF COLOR. HIS LIVING CREATION IS TURNING LOS ANGELES COUNTY'S INNER CITY KIDS INTO HOPEFUL MURALISTS.

GEORGE YEPES>> IN EAST L.A., GROWING UP SEEING ALL THE ARTWORK AND BEING AN ARTIST, I WANTED TO GET LESSONS. THE FAMILY COULDN'T AFFORD ART CLASSES, SO I STOOD PAINTING AND DRAWING IN MY ROOM AND I KIND OF MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF, IF I EVER MADE IT AS AN ARTIST, I WOULD MAKE AN ACADEMY FOR TEN-YEAR-OLDS.

PATT>> AND THAT PROMISE WAS FULFILLED IN 1992 WHEN THE ACADEMIA DE ARTE YEPES WAS BORN. ITS FOUNDER HAS SINCE THEN INSTRUCTED 240 YOUNG STUDENTS FREE OF CHARGE IN THE ART OF PAINTING.

OCTAVIO GONZALEZ>> WE JUST SET OUR MINDS TO A PROJECT. WE JUST PAINT AND WE FORGET ABOUT THE REST OF WHAT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE IF WE HAVE PROBLEMS. OUR PAINTING SKILLS MERGE TOGETHER TO MAKE A BEAUTIFUL PAINTING.

ELIZABETH PEREZ>> I LIKE ART CLASS BECAUSE WE HAVE FUN. WE DON'T GET YELLED AT THAT MUCH. WE DON'T LIKE THAT MUCH. WE JUST PAINT.

DANIEL GONZALEZ>> WE LEARNED ABOUT THE POLITICS THAT GO ON AROUND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE LEARNED WHAT AN ARTIST HAS TO GO THROUGH JUST TO GET A PAINTING ON THE WALL. IT'S NOT JUST GOING UP THERE AND SAYING I WANT TO DO THIS. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH CERTAIN PEOPLE AND TALK TO THEM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES GO 15 ROUNDS WITH THEM.

STUDENT>> AND WHEN YOU PUT PAINT LIKE THIS, LEAVE IT ALONE. LET IT DRY.

PATT>> WHAT MAKES THIS CLASS SPECIAL? IT IS STUDENTS TEACHING STUDENTS. AS IN THE OLD SCHOOLS OF THE HIGH RENAISSANCE, THE MOST EXPERIENCED YOUNG ARTISTS WORK AS INSTRUCTORS, OR SO-CALLED MASTER PAINTERS.

OCTAVIO GONZALEZ>> IT'S EASIER TO PAINT THAN TO TEACH BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE KIDS ASKING YOU, WELL, WHAT DO I PAINT NEXT? AND TEACHING REALLY WIPES YOU OUT.

GEORGE YEPES>> I DON'T EXPLAIN TO THE STUDENTS THE STEP BY STEP OF A MURAL. WE JUST DO IT. IF THEY WERE TO SIT DOWN AND, FOR THE FIRST FOUR OR TWELVE HOURS, I'M EXPLAINING TO THEM THE 35 TASKS, IT WOULD BE OVERWHELMING.

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GEORGE YEPES>> THE JOURNEY TO PRODUCING THE ART PIECE IS AN EDUCATION IN ITSELF. YOU HAVE TO TEACH A LOT OF PROBLEM-SOLVING. YOU HAVE TO TEACH A LOT OF PRODUCTION SKILLS, A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY, TEAMWORK, DECISION-MAKING, SO THEY HAVE TO COME IN TO THE ACADEMY AND KNOW THAT THEY'RE PART OF A TEAM THAT NEEDS TO PRODUCE AN ART PIECE THAT GOES OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

GEORGE YEPES>> SHOULD WE LEAVE THAT? DO YOU LIKE THAT? THAT LOOKS GOOD. TRY TO DO A LITTLE BIT ON THAT CORNER UP THERE.

PATT>> THE ACADEMY THAT YEPES HAS FUNDED FROM HIS OWN POCKET SINCE 1992 MAY NOT MAKE IT IF YEPES MUST RELY ON HIS POCKETS ALONE.

GEORGE YEPES>> I NOT ONLY FUND THE MURALS, I ALSO FUND THE MOUNTING OF THE MURALS, AND THE PRODUCTION SITE OF THE ACADEMY TAKES ON A LOT OF EXPENSES. THE STUDENTS USE UP TO ABOUT $1,200 DOLLARS A MONTH IN PAINT, SO IF IT'S A DECISION TO EITHER PAINT OR TO MOUNT MURALS, THEY'RE ALWAYS INTO THE PAINTING PART.

PATT>> ALL THAT PUSHED THE BUDGET TO ITS MOST EXPENSIVE YEAR: $58,000. SO HOW DOES YEPES DO IT? ONCE AGAIN, LIKE THE PAINTERS OF THE RENAISSANCE, WITH THE HELP OF RICH AND FAMOUS PATRONS. THEY INCLUDE ACTORS NICOLAS CAGE, SEAN PENN AND MADONNA.

GEORGE YEPES>> SO BECAUSE OF THEM, I GET TO DO MY MURALS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE ACADEMY GETS TO DO THEIR MURALS IN THE ACADEMY.

PATT>> BUT THE PROGRAM HAS UNDENIABLE PROBLEMS. THIRTY-SIX GRANT REQUESTS HAVE BEEN DENIED. FOUNDATIONS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE ACADEMY'S FREE-FORM APPROACH.

GEORGE YEPES>> OUR PROGRAMS HAVE GOTTEN BIGGER AND BIGGER, BUT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SMALLER AND SMALLER. HENCEFORTH, FUNDING AGENCIES WANT TO SEE A HUGE INFRASTRUCTURE. WE HAVE THE PROGRAMS AND THE MURALS AND ALL THE WORK AND ALL THE EFFORT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

GEORGE YEPES>> JUST FLIP IT OVER AND JUST PUSH IT DOWN AND THEN JUST LIFT UP THE PANEL. LET'S SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, OKAY?

PATT>> WHATEVER BECOMES OF THE ACADEMY ITSELF, ITS LEGACY IS ALREADY IMBEDDED IN ITS STUDENTS' LIVES.

STUDENT>> ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM THIS ART CLASS IS TO BE CONFIDENT IN YOURSELF THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE THE GOAL THAT YOU WANT.

STUDENT>> IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF BECAUSE I DID A MURAL. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME AND WE'RE DOING A MURAL WITH A PROFESSIONAL.

GEORGE YEPES>> YOU CAN TEACH ART, BUT YOU CAN'T TEACH PASSION. MY STUDENTS HAVE THAT AND THEY'RE DEDICATED, SO THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THESE VALUES, THEY'RE NOT JUST ROLE MODELS FOR STUDENTS, BUT THEY'RE ROLE MODELS FOR ADULTS. WHEN YOU SEE THEM, IT'S LIKE, GOD, WE SHOULD HAVE MORE OF THESE KIND OF KIDS AROUND.

VAL>> SINCE THIS STORY AIRED, GEORGE YEPES HAS STARTED AN ACADEMY TO INSTRUCT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS SO THOSE TEACHERS CAN TEACH THEIR STUDENTS MURAL PAINTING. THIS IS A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE, WHICH MEANS THE TEACHERS WILL RECEIVE CREDITS FOR TAKING THE EIGHT-WEEK COURSE.

THAT'S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF THE BEST OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT. I'M VAL ZAVALA. THANKS FOR WATCHING.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION
WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMED CALIFORNIA CITIZENRY.

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
UNDERWRITING THE SPANISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATION OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

TO REACH US AT LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT, CALL 323-953-5555. SEND US AN E-MAIL TO LIFEANDTIMES@KCET.ORG OR LOG ONTO OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.KCET.ORG TO SEND MESSAGES OR DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPTS OF TONIGHT'S PROGRAM.