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A jump start for art

MELANIE CREAMER

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Staff Writer

Nearly 350 students in fourth and fifth grade are expected to descend on Heartwood College of Art in Kennebunk Thursday for their annual Heartwood Bound art program.

The program, which runs through May 23, will give kids at Sea Road School in Kennebunk and the Consolidated School in Kennebunkport the opportunity to learn about various art media from Heartwood's faculty. The art demonstrations include: ceramics, pastel, drawing, watercolor, photography, paper making, polymer clay, jewelry, print making and cartooning. Students will attend two demonstrations and choose a workshop to complete a hands-on project with the artist.

''Most children love to create and this program gives them an opportunity to try something new,'' said Darlene Nein, a visual arts teacher at Sea Road School. ''This gives students a chance to get out of the school setting and get into a college setting. It gives these students a chance to open their eyes to new experiences.''

Children receive an hour to an hour and a half of art education every week in Maine Schools, said Audrey Gup-Mathews, dean of the college.

''It's simply not enough. The benefits of educating children in the arts are well-documented,'' Gup-Mathews said. ''Among those benefits are creative thinking and problem solving, which are valued skills in today's world. They are especially valuable in an economy in which a creative approach -- whether through a new product, a new marketing strategy, or just a new way of thinking about an old concept -- can make the difference between success and failure.''

The free program was funded through a grant from the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks. This year, the school received additional funds to extend the program to the Consolidated School.

For the past few weeks, students at Sea Road have been buzzing with excitement about starting the program. The fifth graders have already signed up for their workshops and their younger peers are asking a lot of questions about the demonstrations.

''They are very excited. It's really fun to see,'' Nein said. ''I hope they learn that art is a lifelong gift. They can be doctors or lawyers and still come home and paint or draw. This will give them a whole new way of thinking.''

Heartwood College of Art hopes to extend the art program next year to nearby communities like Biddeford.

''It is such a great program. We want as many students as possible to benefit from it,'' Gup-Mathews said.

Staff Writer Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:

mcreamer@pressherald.com