Summer Art Camp

This past week I volunteered at the Thea Foundation's summer art camp. The elementary age kids painted pictures of super heroes, created pictures using little pieces of paper, and perfected the techqnique of print making. Furthermore, every day the children learned about a famous artist, including Trenton Doyle Hancock and Jean Michel Basquiat. My main goal in teaching the children was to help them realize that no piece of art they created was wrong or not good enough. One little girl felt like she had put too much hair on her superhero, but I told the girl that the superhero used her voluptuous hair as a secret weapon. When I said this, the little girl immediately agreed and said that the superhero used all of her hair to hide from the evil cowboys. When I saw the smile of satisfaction on the little girl's face, I felt accomplished from helping her realize that her art was creative and perfect in its own way!

At the end of the week, the Thea Foundation put the children's favorite pieces of art on the wall to showcase to all of the kid's friends and family. I loved working at the Thea Foundation, it proved to be an encouraging and fulfilling week!

Sunday School Fun!

At my church, Midtown Baptist, I get the chance to teach a class full of elementary age children. One way we teach the children about the Bible is through arts and crafts. Recently I taught about how God made everything in the world. For the children to better understand this concept, they made their own world filled with animals and plants. 

Writer's Club of Arkansas

In the past two months, I've gotten the chance to sing and speak about my platform at two writer's of Arkansas meetings. The meetings consist of published writers in Arkansas and guest entertainers who are invited to perform. It was incredible to hear the work of published authors that are from the same state as I am!

I got to perform alongside Danny Thomason, who's compositions of music have been played around the nation!

It was an honor to sing and speak to the writers of my state

The Sound of Music

At the Salvation Army in North Little Rock, volunteers have started a School of Performing Arts where they are teaching music, dance, and voice lessons to underprivileged kids in the Baring Cross neighborhood. The funds for the program came through a trust in memory of Major Phillip Wise of the Salvation Army who was tragically killed in 2008. Major Wise was actually a musician himself, and the Salvation Army wants to honor him through the program. 

The volunteers for the program are expecting much more children to be taking the classes this fall; so, the Salvation Army is in need of many more instruments. Therefore, I've begun my own program called the Sound of Music where I collect used musical instruments for the Salvation Army. I've been sending out e-mails and posting fliers around town so that every child will get the chance to express themselves. Furthermore, when a person donates a musical instrument they can get a tax receipt. 

Recently, I got to go visit the Salvation Army when one of the classes was taking place, and it was a delight to see how happy the arts were making the children. This fall, I hope to teach voice lessons for the School of Performing Arts, and further the joy the arts bring. 

Jason Sebo and his wife, who began the School of Performing Arts

ARTS

In general, there are many advantages to being involved with the arts. I've made an acronym to explain just a few of the advantages.

A: Academic Development
R: Respect For Diversity
T: Think Out of the Box
S: Social Development

Academic Development: In an A+ school (a school that has arts incorporated into the curriculum) the arts can help students feel successful. Also, arts can give students a new found self confidence. Therefore, the students can carry over the confidence into their academic life resulting in academic success.

Respect For Diversity: A person can learn about cultures and lifestyles of other people by looking at sculptures and paintings.

Think Out of the Box: Arts allows a person to think on the creative side of their brain instead of the analytical side. Therefore, when a student uses arts to learn math, they are using the creative side of their brain. Also, in any form of art there is no set answer.

Social Development: Any person is capable of some form of art no matter what their age and background may be. Therefore, the arts can knit together different people resulting in a bond that can help diminish differences.

A+ Schools

A school that has arts incorporated into the curriculum is called an A+ school. Let me clarify, there is a difference between schools having art as a subject and arts being infused into a school's curriculum. Art incorporated into the curriculum means that in math, science, english, and history a teacher will use drama, music, drawing, and singing as devices for learning. In comparison, art as a subject strictly focuses on perfecting a person's art skills.

Schools that have arts incorporated into their curriculum have seen an increase in attendance and a decrease in discipline. Kids are wanting to learn and come to school because they are enjoying school. Furthermore, students have scored higher on many areas of academics due to their A+ school. 

In Arkansas, there are half a douzen A+ schools, and I got the chance to visit one in El Dorado called the Hugh Goodwin school. I got to see how the Hugh Goodwin school had their students learning by singing their times tables or drawing events in history. 

Arkansas A+ Schools Video