Of course, it looks different in each of their lives than it does in my own, and I've sometimes wondered if perhaps my oldest especially just doesn't like art ... until this year when he began coming home from school proudly showcasing his latest creations.
Some flowers bloom later than others, and my oldest has been one of them. I'm deeply grateful for his teachers, who've long encouraged him for two school years to keep creating no matter how his masterpieces turn out.
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| Art work created together by my toddler and me |
Sadly, art is one of the first classes to be cut from the day when budgets fall short.
And it's a shame because these art focuses so much on taking what's inside the heart and mind and bringing it to life in new ways. Creativity must be lovingly fostered, which is why I deeply understand the importance of keeping art in the classroom.
With Blick Art Materials' program, Art Room Aid, we parents and teachers and educators are empowered to keep art in our children's classrooms!
Art Room Aid is a program that allows teachers to piece together art supplies needed to carry out art projects in their classrooms and receive donations toward their projects through their Art Room Aid wish list.
Want to see what an Art Room Aid wish list looks like? My oldest son's teachers and I put one together HERE based off of an art project we'd like to do in late February.
In an effort to expose the children to some great artists and masterpieces, we'll be looking at pictures created by Monet, Van Gough and Seurat. We'll discuss with them the different fun methods the artists employed in creating their masterpieces and then give them free reign to create two pieces of their own. Finally, G and his classmates will learn about what it means to have a gallery showing, and they'll hang their pictures and host an open house for parents and grandparents to come view their creations!
Guess what? Your children could have the same experience! Any teacher or art instructor can set up a wish project in Art Room Aid simply by going to the Art Room Aid site and creating a new project wish list!
Word can then be spread about your wish project via email blasts, social media or word of mouth, increasing the likelihood of finding sponsors for the project. And it's FREE to set up a project, so it's a win-win situation.
Can't wait to share our classroom's project after the little artists are finished!
What about you? Are you an advocate of art in the classroom? Could your school benefit from Art Room Aid?
Disclosure: I was contacted by The Motherhood to work on the Blick Art Materials' Art Room Aid project. My child's school is being gifted with some funding for the project, and I am being compensated for the time it takes to write posts about the Art Room Aid program.
