Art is… by Bev Jackson Cotter

How many times have you asked a young child “What is your favorite subject in school?”

How many times have you heard this response? “Art!” It may be ranked right up there with physical education and music, but art is always near the top of the list.

The current Albert Lea Art Center Elementary and Secondary Student Art Show at Northbridge Mall is a perfect example of this enthusiasm. Hundreds, yes hundreds, of examples of creativity are hung, shelved, mounted and arranged for viewing. This work has been done by students, all ages and all levels of talent, and it is all done with enthusiasm. The creators are eager to show off their work to their families, friends and anyone else who would like to enjoy it.

This show is an annual event sponsored by the Art Center; it is always visited by hundreds of viewers, and it never fails to bring wonderful comments from the young artists and their guests. It is a great opportunity for a photo op — child plus art plus photo equals great family memories.

And we must not forget the teachers. They make it happen.

In “Meaning in Children’s Art” by Edward Mattil and Betty Marzan, the importance of the role of teachers is stressed.

“As teachers we are seldom conscious of the potential we have for planting the seeds of interest one by one, and how each of those tiny seeds may grow into larger and more important interests in different children in various ways,” the book says.

While this is true of many different subjects, it is especially true in art. Teachers are encouraged to open the lesson with a short account of the importance of that particular art lesson, for example, the meaning of masks in primitive cultures. Consequently, a bit of history may be involved, or science, or even math.

In a recent conversation with Sue Rechtzigel of Lakeside Day Care, I learned of the important role that art plays in her daily curriculum. Her children range in age from 1 to 9, and when I asked her about their favorite time of the day, she said, “Invariably, their answer is art.”

They may be following the regular curriculum with planned and organized subject matter and materials, or given blank paper and water colors and told to create. No matter how the project is approached, it is a special part of their routine.

I asked her about their reactions and how she judged their enjoyment. Her response was immediate.

“Usually they are laughing or smiling or talking or asking questions like, ‘Isn’t this neat?’ or ‘Do you like this?’ and at other times they are quiet and intense, totally focused on their work,” she said.

Often their projects include subjects that they know well, like their family or dog or home, but Sue also has an art library where all types and styles are available by just opening a book and perusing the pages. What a great way to expose children to the different styles of art.

In the activity room, there is an art wall that at any given time holds about 50 special drawings and paintings. It’s quite an honor to have your work hung on that wall.

Sue is an artist. We talked about the importance of losing yourself in your work, how time just slips by when you are creating, how she likes to work in series, and finds peace when she is holding a watercolor brush. How wonderful that she shares her love of the arts with the young people in her charge.

Back to the Student Art Show. Hundreds of students will be showing their work, students nurtured from their earliest years by teachers who understand the value of creative thinking in our daily lives. These students may never have a painting go down in history as a classic worth millions of dollars, but it doesn’t matter.

What does matter is every child learns that he or she has a creative seed inside that must be nurtured and encouraged, and also that the child in each of us will nurture that seed, the satisfaction and appreciation of creativity, throughout our entire lives.

 

Bev Jackson Cotter is a member of the Albert Lea Art Center.