Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Artists- kids can learn how to be one!

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I am NOT an artist, but I do have a degree in art history.  What do you do with that degree?  ROFL- that's what you do!  Unless you have good connections and speak five languages you might, maybe if you're lucky, land a job as a museum curator.  Otherwise, you try to write articles or teach.  Art historians do a lot of research and writing.  I do like that part!

But, when my children went to school I saw that the teachers didn't have time for art in the classroom, even simple 'wearing-a- smock-with-shaving-cream-art' wasn't going to fit into their day.  WAAAAy back in the day, I started volunteering in my girls' classrooms as an art docent.  That meant I taught a short lesson about the artist, then we had a simple craft or art project to explain that artists kind of style.  Sometimes it went great, other times, not so much.  Like embarassing.  The time we tried to recreate roman mosaics =  Disaster.  2nd and 3rd graders shouldn't be breaking tile into little shards of possible death tools.  My bad.

But the idea caught on.  After 4 years of volunteering, the PTA and the elementary school hired a part-time art teacher to give the kids 1 hour a week of instruction.  I was thrilled.  She is amazing and has added so much to our elementary school.

Here is another mom who did the same thing, but turned it into a business.  This program is perfect for little kiddos.  And this woman even has my exact secret wish! (see her About page).

Check out this sweet video about kids and artists

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