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Letter: On finding a child's gift through the arts "...making art is really just solving 1,000 tiny problems..." - LS By Lyn Stanton, Director, Homeplace on Green River Thank you for initiating this conversation in the community. I fully share your belief in the infusion of the arts into a child's development. I could wax poetic for pages (and have) about not only the enrichment created through the expression and exploration of emotions through development, but also of developing the senses, bodily coordination, planning and problem-solving, critical thinking, the ability to accept criticism and to work in a feedback loop, and on and on. When I taught art, I told kids that making art is really just solving 1,000 tiny problems, where only they know the right answer. Exposure to the arts is nothing short of a necessity for a child's education and development as a human being. So, that said, I have some rambling ideas/thoughts for folks to consider. One thing that springs to mind to help encourage the community to develop an enthusiasm for the arts in the schools is public works made by children under the guidance of an artist in residence, or visiting artist. I sat in (virtually) on a KY Arts Council meeting a while back to see what they are up to and there are funds available to compensate host sites who pay artists to make art. There is a list of "approved" artists in KY who qualify for funding in partnership/residency projects. We are not talking huge amounts of funding, a few thousand bucks here and there, but enough to get a project off the ground. I have found that when kids get to make a public work of art in their own town that they see every day growing up, two things happen, 1. they take more pride in their town (think the broken windows theory) and 2. they retain an appreciation for the arts that lasts a lifetime. Also, when an established artist participates in these kinds of projects, it is typically great for media attention. There is a new playground space at the community center, it would be the perfect place for a public work like a mosaic, or mural. Our Adair County art teachers are very skilled and dedicated, and art departments across the Nation can always use more funding and support. Creating residency programs with their partnership would be essential to project success, and can result in a boost to teachers' yearly materials budgets. It can also create paths to investments in their classroom infrastructure in the form of things like kilns, forges, and other large expenses that can then be used for years to come. Now, this is very much a "start and stop" kind of endeavor like you had mentioned, which can be frustrating when the larger goal is to create continuous programming. But in the absence of a community art center or art program outside of the schools, project-based-one-offs are a way forward, albeit labor and resource intensive. Additionally, addressing the obstacle of making the arts more generally a part of the local culture's conscientious objectives can be greatly aided by these types of projects, lending them a more lasting effect after the physical project is completed. Another way to potentially target kids is in the after-school programs. Now, full disclosure, I am not familiar with the before care and aftercare here in Adair, or what kinds of content they currently offer, so this may be moot. However, if the schools can contract out for a regular visiting artist to add content to the curriculum, it makes the kids feel very special about their projects with a "real" artist and can help reach those students who might not get as much opportunity to make art as they would like. I put real in quotations so as to not diminish the appreciation and respect for the art instructors who currently serve these children with their talents and skills. It is just to say that sometimes bringing in a special outside adult can lend a feeling to the kids of being specially catered to, which in turn can elevate their relationship with the arts. Another way to bring more art enrichment to a community can be through family art programming. A simple "cookies and canvasses" series at the local library or community center can be a great way to help whole families engage in the arts. These types of programs are often expensive to start, as they require investment in non-consumable tools and equipment like paint brushes and easels and audiovisual equipment, but can sometimes be subsidized through grants and donations to get the needed investment in materials. After which, they are not so expensive to maintain. I have taught literally hundreds of classes and workshops to people ages 2 to 92 in a wide variety of mediums from ceramics, to acrylic painting to macrame and I know there are lots of other talented more locally established artist educators who might be interested in a little moonlighting in the community arts if there is support via a workspace (partnership with the library, school, community center) and some funding for start-up to reduce the cost of participation. Lastly, as some people know I am the Program Director at Homeplace on Green River, and while it is of course in Taylor County, we do plan on bringing some arts programming to Homeplace in the near future. Homeplace would be honored to support the arts in Adair County as well as Taylor, Green, and beyond any way we can. I can formally offer the local schools our spaces as satellite galleries. Or for hosting student art shops and shows and such. We would be very open to partnerships with the school art, music, and theater departments, art councils, and local instructors or enthusiasts to utilize our beautiful and scenic spaces at Homeplace for programming. I invite anyone with thoughts on those matters to reach out to me at Homeplace (director@homeplacefarmky.org, 270.789.0006). Personally, I would love to do more but just don't have the time, especially as we are gearing up to start a big fundraising campaign at the farm. Additionally, in my own time, I am happy to help as much as I can, though my schedule is restrictive at this time in my life with work and my 7-year-old, and such. But I am happy to help look for funding or write grant proposals for projects and develop ideas. I had joined the arts council but quickly found that I was being too ambitious with my time and withdrew because I don't feel I can give it the time it deserves right now. But I hope to get more involved in the near future in a regular hands-on volunteer for actual events capacity! Thanks again Linda for bringing this conversation to the community. I look forward to seeing other people's thoughts and ideas and hope to help any way I can. The arts are such a vital part of a child's development and I would argue to being a well-rounded person. Exposure to the arts can help a person in so many ways, and is a home for the natural creativity that lives in all of us. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes by the great Sam Clemens: "You can't depend on your eyes, when your imagination is out of focus". This story was posted on 2023-03-23 09:00:05
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