UPTOWNflavor

As arts education programs continue to lose funding in schools, Arts to Grow, a non-profit organization that offers free art classes to low-income youth, uses the arts and artistic expression as tools to empower and educate. For the last four weeks, Arts to Grow has provided free summer art classes to children at Harlem RBI, a youth development organization in East Harlem.

Arts to Grow matches professional teaching artists, like Vickie Fremont, with schools and community-based organizations that have little or no arts programs. Fremont teaches the eight and nine year olds in her class to value and creatively use recycled materials. She guides them through an artistic process that transforms everyday objects into art: bits of fabric and cardboard are turned into picture frames and discarded wire hangers become the bodies of dolls.

“It’s wonderful to see how the kids respond when they realize they can create something from nothing—like Japanese and African puppets from hangers,” says Fremont. “It opens up a whole new world to them.”

The enthusiasm for art among the kids in the program is clearly evident. As the summer progresses, Fremont says the kids become more and more focused and invested in the creative process. The mission of Arts to Grow is to foster creativity within the lives of young people, many of whom are dealing with family challenges and hardships.

According to Mallory King, founder of Arts to Grow, “The opportunity for kids to use their imaginations to explore the world, to imagine life outside their neighborhoods and really own what they create,” is the program’s success story.

On Wednesday, August 13 that success story can be seen as the young artists showcase their work in their very own public Art Show. The diverse collection includes African and Japanese puppets, jewelry, frames, and banners all made from recycled materials.

The show will take place at JHS. 99, 410 East 100th Street, New York, NY 10029 from 12 – 1pm.

Image: Japanese and African Puppets made from hangers. Courtesy of Vickie Fremont and the Arts to Grow participants.

www.artstogrow.org

Grace Aneiza Ali is the Art and Culture Editor for UPTOWNflavor and the Publisher of the online magazine of note. Visit her website at http://ofnotemagazine.org