"I've always wanted to be completely loved. But the only love I truly feel is from up above. I've always wanted to fly with wings, soar over everyone and be called an angel, make other people happy."

These are the heartfelt words of Takiyanna Hamilton from Oakland Technical High School. They accompany her painting, which is part of an art exhibit at San Francisco State University featuring the artwork of more than 50 students from Claremont Middle School, Oakland Tech and the former Carter Middle School.

The exhibit, which runs through Nov. 8, is called "Let Me Tell You What's Really Going On in the World."

"Peace is hidden everywhere, hatred is not," wrote Tyrese Johnson from Carter Middle School in his poem. "War is everywhere, tensions high and hot. Life is full of peace, love, war and hate. Life is getting better and me bettering myself — I can't wait."

Jaime Schwartz, 29, manager of the Art Gallery in the Cesar Chavez Student Center at SFSU and exhibit co-curator, said it is the first time they have been involved with Oakland students. The exhibit features the work of East Bay high school and middle school students in a program called ArtGate.

The project is funded by Opera Piccola, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing access to the arts. The program provides arts education for more than 1,800 underprivileged young people within 20 Oakland public schools that lack arts funding.

"I just feel like this program is so important that I wanted to give these kids a different kind of space," said Schwartz. "These kids have crazy lives. You don't know their stories completely, but we all have some idea of what goes on in Oakland and what is happening to our education programs in public schools. These kids need to be able to see outside of their immediate environment."

In a mural by ClaremontMiddle School, students painted a bright display of the "internal and external landscaping" of their community on a gallery wall.

Among large green trees, sky scrapers, bright yellow sun and city life were little brown squares containing words representing their "internal landscaping" — African, war/peace, graffiti, family, Americans, power, crackheads and money.

"Having the Claremont students come to the gallery and actually paint on the walls, I think further brought them in to this experience. They got to really see their creation and experience what it's like to be part of an art show, and have people look at your work," Schwartz said.

The student artists expressed a variety of feelings, with many talking about the need to be valued.

"We can inspire people to express and speak up for themselves," said a poem by Carter Middle School students. "We can change this world through speaking our minds. Make the world a better place through art. Change resources and change the school to eliminate all stereotypes."

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