Elementary and middle school-age children have the opportunity to expand their artistic skills through the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center’s Art After School Program.
Youth Education Program Director Brenda Berg said that the center is currently offering the after-school program to students at San Lorenzo Valley Elementary, Boulder Creek Elementary, Bonny Doon Elementary, and SLV Middle School.
“We are going to start looking at Scotts Valley, which is an area we have not reached out to yet,” Berg said.
These classes offer small class sizes of 15 students and are taught by practicing artists and an assistant. Parents pay $25 per session, which includes one class per week for four weeks. Class times and locations vary depending on the school.
“The same teachers that teach the Saturday classes and all the art camp classes (at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center’s Ben Lomond headquarters) are the same teachers that go into the schools for the Art After School Program,” Berg said. “…These are people that actually do the art that they are teaching.”
A grant from the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County and private donations are funding the program.
Those who wish to make a contribution can do so by donating to the Gloria Seneres Memorial Fund, which was created by the center specifically to support the Art After School program.
“We are really excited about how the program has been received, and the fact that people want us to expand and do more,” Berg said.
Art is something that is disappearing from public schools throughout California, said Art After School instructor Lori Wilson.
“It’s unfortunate that the school systems are pulling it (art) these days — it’s kind of the lowest on the totem pole, and it shouldn’t be like that,” Wilson explained. “We are not going to have any culture.”
The after-school program offers a variety of classes that have different themes and teach students different artistic techniques. Some of the classes have included mask making, 2D and 3D art, clay, fiber arts, drawing in color, and mixed media collage.
“I really think that we are doing a great thing for the community,” Wilson said, “and I wish we could do it for more communities, so we are trying to reach out to Scotts Valley because we found out Scotts Valley doesn’t have any art at the middle school.”
The After School Art program has been welcomed by schools with open arms, allowing students to participate in all aspects of art.
“Parents have been excited about the opportunity for their kids to be involved in art,” said SLV Elementary School Principal Shannon Calden.
For more information about classes offered visit: http://www.mountainartcenter.org/youth/art-after-school/ or call the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center at 336-3513.
