The
Magic of Art: Downtown museum provides creative space for
families
Curiosity
and self-expression are the M.O. for children whose young
minds and spirits are constantly stimulated by the world around
them. 
They
gravitate naturally toward art, as any parent who's painted
over a crayon-decorated wall can tell you. This season, as
summer camps and vacations wind down, and the school year
begins, folks at the South Bend Regional Museum of Art (SBRMA)
are preparing to nurture those youthful urges to create.
Experts,
like instructor Kari Black, have plenty of experience in the
creativity department. Black has been teaching classes for
children and teens at the SBRMA for two years now. "It's important
for children to learn about art because it is an opportunity
for children to learn about themselves."
Black's
Family Clay class offers kids, ages six and up, and their
families a place to learn about this kid-friendly medium together.
They create hand-built sculptures, spend time at the wheel,
and most importantly, create art they love as a family. "What
I love most about Family Clay," says Black, is the opportunities
for families to spend this priceless time together and have
this tangible heirloom that they can look at over the years
and say, 'Wow! Remember when we made this together?" Past
projects include Valentine coffee mugs and saucers, platters,
bowls and vases, and self-designed creatures thought up by
the children themselves.
The
class is just one of many options that Curator of Education/Public
Programs Jessi Lentych Loyd says, "give children a quality
introduction to the arts and an experience that will last
a lifetime." The SBRMA is proud to provide children of all
ages with an environment that inspires creativity, and the
direction of instructors who can lend their expertise in a
variety of media that include ceramics, drawing, painting,
printmaking, and sculpture.
"The
arts have proven to be a vital component to education," says
Lentych Loyd, who has overseen children's programs at the
SBRMA for the past eight years. "We know that creative projects
lead to a child's ability to self-direct."
This
creative exploration teaches children to engage in the world
around them too, a process intrinsic to human nature. "Children
and adults need to explore their own thoughts and feelings
and find ways to express them," explains Black. "The earliest
people did this on the walls of caves…We don't all have to
be art prodigies. We just need opportunities to express ourselves
creatively."
Fall
classes at the SBRMA begin September 8. For a schedule and
more information, log on to www.sbrma.org, or call the Museum
at 574-235-9102. The museum is located inside the Century
Center, 120 S. St. Joseph Street, South Bend.
