Park Rapids Enterprise
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 A5
YouthMONTH Art
S D I P A R K R A P
Photos by Shannon Geisen / Enterprise
Madison Thompson, a senior at Park Rapids, is fascinated by tigers. “I really like painting tigers. It’s one of the main things I’m good at painting,” she explained. This oil painting is labeled “Psychedelic Tiger.”
YOUTH ART EDUCATION NURTURES CREATIVITY AND OTHER VITAL SKILLS
Y
outh Art Month is an annual observance each March to emphasize the value of art and art education for all children and to encourage public support for quality school art programs. Art is for all youth, not just the especially gifted. Art activities stimulate creativity, imagination, perception and selectivity so necessary for our future decision makers, business people, engineers, scientists and teachers. Art education develops self-esteem, appreciation of the work of others, selfexpression, cooperation with others and critical thinking skills – all skills vital to the success of our children as they continue their education and enter the working world. Yet, art education is often considered a “fringe” program. In reality, it provides students skills they will need as adults. Our fast-changing environment requires future leaders – today’s children – to be creative and imaginative in problem-solving. These skills are learned by students involved in art.
Tips to nurture creativity
► Encourage intuition and spontaneity. Not everything has to Sydney Koppelman’s oil painting is be planned; encourage your child entitled “Statue.” She’s a senior at Park to act on his creative thoughts and Rapids Area High School. actions spontaneously. If he feels like a superhero one minute, run around and save stuffed animals from burning buildings with him. If he is sad or scared about something, encourage him
Senior Juliana London captured imaginative photos of her sisters. She discovered the unique lighting effect in Sophomore Evelyn Guajardo devoted a lot of time to “VS,” her first-ever painting. She’s the bottom photo by having her sister giving it to her brother. “My brother and I have always bonded over Spiderman. He used stand in front of a projector. “It looked to say, when he was little, that he was Spiderman. We both equally loved it,” she said. really cool,” London said. “It was a lot of fun to do. It took me a long time, but the end result made me excited.”
to draw or color to express his feelings at that moment. ► Remove the pressure of performing. Your child’s creativity isn’t about performing for parents, teachers, or friends. It isn’t about who came in first or last; who is better or worse. A child should be free in his creative thinking. By removing pressure to perform, you allow creativity to flow in every direction. Your child shouldn’t feel the need to always excel; he should feel at ease to express, create, and imagine. ► Allow mistakes. Children often fear ridicule if they make a mistake. This fear inhibits higher order thinking: creative problem- solving. ► Start “blank book” drawings. Each day put an interesting object next to a notebook with empty pages for your child to draw in. Make it a surprise. For example, ask him or her to draw shells, a small new toy, a miniature household item, an interesting flower, a feather or fossil. Provide at least two different mediums for experimentation, such as colored pencils and oil pastels. ► Experiment. Be willing to tolerate a little messiness while family members experiment with new flavors and original recipes, design new clothing fashions from old favorites, personalize letterhead and stationery, or try out various paint or color schemes in personal spaces. In an atmosphere of increasing peer pressure, growing children, especially young teenagers, need a chance to assert their identities and their uniqueness in a safe environment.
Senior Kaelei Olson, a fan of superheroes and villains, drew all of the actors who portrayed The Joker. She’s a senior, and her piece is entitled “Joker Hall of Fame.” Sophomore Simone Wolff aimed to “go above and beyond your normal portrait,” in this photograph. “I’ve always been fascinated by lights and their illumination,” she said. After her subject entwined herself with lights, Wolff said, “We had so much fun just playing and admiring their shine. In the photo, you can see the fascination in her eyes.”
Submitted photo
Danielle Brakefield, a Park Rapids senior, said she was going for a Greek theme in her water color and pencil drawing. “I wanted to do a stone garden. Half of it is Medusay, and this turned into stone, but half of it isn’t,” she explained.
Arianna Englund blends calligraphy and color pencil in this piece, “Gadsden Snake.” She’s a junior.