Celebrations Supporting Our Children's Visual Art Accomplishments

Thank you for supporting your child's education in the visual arts and thank you to the children for working so hard! What a wonderful event we had at Bagel Mainea! The children had been very busy completing their art pieces for weeks, and were so happy to share it with all of us. The exhibit is indeed intelligent, beautiful, interesting and dynamic.

The show will be up until the beginning of April, so please stop by, share with your friends / family, AND now there is a guest book for folks to sign and pass on their comments to these young artists.

Also, I have included pictures from the reception but also a short discussion about why arts education is important (you already knew this)

Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who's Doing It Best. Art and music are key to student development. By Fran Smith

.....Did you know that involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill? Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork. A 2005 report by the Rand Corporation about the visual arts argues that the intrinsic pleasures and stimulation of the art experience do more than sweeten an individual's life -- according to the report, they "can connect people more deeply to the world and open them to new ways of seeing," creating the foundation to forge social bonds and community cohesion.......

Getting Our Work Out There

We are happy to announce that the artwork of fifteen area children are sharing their recent creations in an art show at Bagel Mainea in Augusta! These children have been focused and diligent in their afterschool art classes at Catch the Artbug, and have made works that demonstrate their imagination and development of skills. Viewers will see paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolor, relief sculptures in clay and fiber, drawings and more! Congratulations children! Artist Reception is planned for this Saturday, March 3rd from 11 - Noon.

Making Masks for Hallowell's Mardi Gras Was Awesome!

Hallowell's Mardi Gras Maskmaking Here!

Children and parents alike are invited to come by on Saturday, February 18th from 130 - 330 to make their own Mardi Gras masks (and FREE!). Great views, sunshine, and happy artmaking found here! Enjoy these photos I taken in Venice this summer!

Two Shows Coming Up to Mark Your Calendars With!

All of the children that participate in weekly art classes are having their first art show together at Bagel Mainea in Augusta starting at the end of February! Their reception is on Saturday, March 3rd from 11 - 12! All are welcomed for an enthusiastic celebration of their makings!

Also, coming right up is Artbug's Artist-In-Residence Hélène Farrar's show
opening at Slates Restaurant and OPEN STUDIO on the same evening on Sunday, February 12th from 5 - 7 PM! I look forward to sharing this wonderful events happening the same evening!

They've got the Artbug!

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for. " ~Georgia O'Keeffe

This week we worked with Asian Brush Painting Techniques, Self-Portraits and Colored Pencils, Bringing new life into old works, and starting new in the new year...

An informal Interview with Young Artist Sam!

If you are looking for an insightful and curious young artist and writer, then Sam is your little man! When I posed my "interview questions" today during his lesson, these were his responses:
What do you like to do Sam?
I like to write stories. Actually, right now I am working on a few books. ...Have you read the "Elf on The Shelf"? It was so cool because this week I went online and was able to start a real book.
What is your favorite art thing to do?
I like to draw the most but nothing in particular.
Do you have a favorite artist?
I can't think of one right now, but I'd like to tell you about my favorite animal which is the Golden Monkey. I've never drawn it though. I found it looking it up for my teacher. Its this tall and this wide (he shows me with his hands). I saw it in a book once with a elephant on it called "Faces and Games About Animals."
Today Sam spent time making a unique math teaching ornament for his school math fair, as well as an artist book with three dimensional components called "The Trick". Enjoy!