Tag Archives: after school art programs

04/10/14

One Child Wins Free Art Classes for One Year

Our Green Dream exhibition at The Distillery Gallery and Artspace opened on April 5, 2014, and will be up till the 27th of April. The exhibition shows 100s of curated artworks from more than 27 countries, and we’ve included artworks by the children who attend this Jersey City Heights gallery’s after school art class. We want to inspire even more local children, teachers and parents, so we’re having a RAFFLE contest.

Enter and One Child Wins FREE Saturday Morning Art Classes at The Distillery Gallery for a Whole Year!

(Value = $250+)

Visit the Gallery on Saturday/Sunday between 1-3 pm on April 12, 13, 19, 20; during the Earth Day celebration, April 22, 7-10 pm; or at the Save The Frogs Day celebration, April 26, 4-7 pm.

Just $5 equals two raffle tickets and the WINNER will be selected and announced during the April 26th event. You must visit the gallery to enter.

The Distillery Gallery and Artspace is located at 7 Hutton Street (right off the corner of Palisade Avenue).

About the Children’s Art Classes at The Distillery Gallery and Artspace:

  • Saturdays, October – July
  • 10:30am – 12:30pm
  • Children ages 4 – 15 years old
  • Basic studies of painting, drawing, sculpture and all around fun!
  • Children’s Art Show to showcase artwork

Why is Frogs Are Green hosting this?

We’re giving children the opportunity to learn about the environment, frogs and amphibians and express themselves. It’s through art that even 3 year olds can share what they think.

When I see the artwork that comes in from children between 3 and 12 from Lithuania, Kenya, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, Estonia, Bangladesh, South Africa, Macedonia, Serbia, India, China and so many other countries it’s clear from their skills that they are not learning just about art but conveying their own personal messages about the state of the environment and how they feel about frogs. The USA is just not seeing how important this ability to self-express is, and so it must change for the next generation.

(The next Frogs Are Green children’s art contest will open for submissions on September 2, 2014. The age categories are expanding to 3-6; 7-9; 10-12; and 13-16. There will be expert judges this year and prizes. Stay tuned for the official announcement).

I’m proud that The Distillery Gallery & Artspace has partnered with Frogs Are Green to bring our “Green Dream” to life and show why children need this education in their lives.

So, swing by and ENTER!

teacher and students painting in art class

03/2/14

My Green Dream – Children’s Appreciation of the Arts

Each Fall Frogs Are Green hosts a Kids’ Art Contest. It gives me such a thrill when hundreds of children from around the world answer that call.

These children are enrolled in after school art programs. Their parents must realize how important it is to enrich their child’s education and encourage them to express themselves through art.

I grew up in Queens, New York, and my parents enrolled me in ballet and piano lessons, and my father, an accountant by day and an artist by night, would sit with me and teach me how to draw a house or a tree. He was so excited when I chose art as my career and began my higher education at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

My brother and sister and I were introduced to a thriving cultural world. We would get dressed up and head into New York for the circus, Ice Capades, ballet, museums, Broadway theater and opera. This gave me a rounded appreciation for the arts that I still feel.

Is this culture missing in children’s lives today?

I will tell you that the submissions to the 2013 contest yielded 450 entries, but only a few came from the USA. My only conclusion is that children in this country are not being taught arts appreciation the way I was decades ago. Is this due to the digital age of games and apps, or the economy and arts classes/programs being cut? When children spend their days watching TV and playing games that others have created, and they are not learning how to express themselves, this will hurt them later in life. I’m sure of it.

green-dream-4-artworks-ver2

When I see the artwork that comes in from kids between 3 and 12 from Estonia, Australia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, South Africa, Macedonia, Serbia, India, China and so many other countries it’s clear from their skills that they are not learning just about art but conveying their own personal messages about the state of the environment and how they feel about frogs. The USA is just not seeing how important this ability to self-express is, and so it must change for the next generation.

I’m happy to share that The Distillery Gallery & Artspace in Jersey City, New Jersey does have art classes for kids (as do a few other places here) on Saturday mornings, and it is partnering with Frogs Are Green to bring our “Green Dream” to life and show why children need this education in their lives.

Opening on April 4 and running through April 27, “Green Dream” will be an International Children’s Earth Day Exhibition. It will be the first time Frogs Are Green is showcasing the amazing artwork received over the years. Many of the works will be hung on the walls and a digital projector will show hundreds more. The children in The Distillery art classes will also be showing their frog pictures and are creating flower pots.

kids frog artwork ehibition in jersey city

I hope you will celebrate with us on Earth Day (4.22), Save the Frogs Day (4.26) and join us with your children for this extraordinary event. If you would like to learn more and support this effort to increase environmental awareness and heal the planet, visit the Indiegogo campaign here:

Green Dream – International Children’s Earth Day Exhibition – Indiegogo Campaign

 

 

Video by Brandon Somerton, Filmmaker