7 months ago
An art teacher's brainchild started three years ago has now become a program with 100 enrolled children and is funded by the Buffalo Public Schools District.
Kids ages 5 to 14 throughout the District are chosen in a lottery system to participate in the Art Day Camp Summer Enrichment Program at the Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts.
"Children are natural artists," said Buffalo Public Schools Art Education Supervisor Michele Agosto.
The four week program, free for parents, doesn't just give students something to do in the summer but teaches these children to appreciate art.
"They learn a lot through art. Not only about art and how to do art but they learn problem solving... critical thinking and what will make something better, what material, what medium will make this a better piece of art," said Agosto.
Every week is theme-based and this week is "Discovering Buffalo."
Students also take field trips once a week as part of the camp. This week kids had the chance to explore the Burchfield Penny Art Center.
From paper mache, to sketching and alien masks made with plaster... "We do lots of messy stuff," said 7-year-old Nyla Turpin.
"You can see how they forge friendships. You do see growth, some of them are very shy, some of them become more outgoing. You see their vocabulary enhanced when they talk about art, they talk in a way that's very advanced. And it's really exciting to see that they use the right vocabulary words when they're discussing art," said Agosto.
The program works in collaboration with art teachers from Buffalo State College.
