introducing your child
ARTS
to the
E xplore your child's creative side Brooke Reynolds
This summer, 6-year-old Uma Manning and her brother, 10-year-old Jackson, took a week-long art camp at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Uma's teacher was so impressed with Uma’s work that she pulled her parents aside to tell them. “We were very pleased with the news, but initially we thought that's what is said to every parent,” Uma’s dad, Scott, said. “However, when we saw Uma's work at the end of the week, we knew that Uma had a gift. We were aware of her talents as she is always drawing at home, but this was the first time she was able to explore with acrylic paints, and she took to it very well.”
Even if your child isn’t the next Monet, introducing them to the arts is still so important. It allows children to flourish, both mentally and emotionally. “Allow your child the freedom to experiment and the ability to express themselves without the pressure to be perfect or to fit into a mold,” Carole Eney, preschool mixed media instructor at the Indianapolis Art Center, said.
Visiting museums or other venues that offer arts programs, visual or otherwise, can stimulate creativity and curiosity by encouraging young people to wonder and discover. According to Preston Bautista, Director of Audience Engagement at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, these 22 INDYSCHILD.COM