Budding Artists Show Their Stuff Thanks to Art in the Village

For the last six years, the USC Fisher Museum of Art’s education department has cultivated and perpetuated the Art in the Village arts outreach program in local elementary schools. The program has proved to be nothing less than a masterpiece, supplying visual proof of the value of arts education in our local public schools.

Art in the Village aims to offset the lack of arts education in local elementary schools by helping teachers introduce captivating art projects that enhance students’ engagement with curriculum in the classroom. A grant funded through the Good Neighbors Campaign provides school children with the supplies to produce works of art, a theme to inspire the children, and the space to professionally exhibit their final masterpieces. Within the last two years, the Art Teaching for Educators workshop series has been added to the program’s offerings and has been embraced enthusiastically by teachers.

The efforts of Art in the Village have made a dramatic difference in the lives of students, teachers, parents and community residents. The program continues to instill confidence within students and strengthen the community of parents, teachers, and locals who collectively appreciate the students’ accomplishments.

Celebrating the Creative Spark

Art in the Village began in 2002 and initially worked with 10 classes at seven schools. The program has since grown to work with over 25 classes at nine schools. The program provides 5 themes for art making projects each year and receives over 400 submissions per theme. The students also compose an artist’s statement, prompting them to consider the concepts behind their artistic choices and appreciate the powerful ideas that art can portray. From the 400 submissions, 40 works are chosen to be exhibited on the walls of the University Village Shopping Center food court. Students are invited to attend an opening reception where they are recognized individually in front of their families, peers, teachers and members of the surrounding neighborhood.

Through all of this, Art in the Village strives to improve the educational experience of each participating student and teacher, simultaneously increasing arts appreciation and understanding. This is evidenced in many ways throughout the program’s implementation every year. From the moment the children receive their bundles of art supplies and instructions to inspire their art work, to the shining moment they are recognized for their artistic achievement, the children participating in the Art in the Village program embrace a sense of creative expression and freedom.

An Array of Benefits

Studies conducted by the Association for Arts Education found that including art in a child’s education produces life-changing and long term benefits. The arts require self-discipline, creativity and confidence to succeed. These habits stay with students and help them succeed in other areas of school, life, and work. Finally, the arts remove boundaries and allow students to explore aspects of life around them in new ways, and connect the arts with other disciplines as well.

Nothing portrays the invaluable nature of the Art in the Village program more compellingly than the participating teachers and parents. Teacher John Purcell from 32nd St./USC Magnet said, “This has been a great program to motivate students, despite their differences in academic abilities, to create a work of art that may be publicly exhibited. I recall one student who was struggling with learning disabilities and had never ever won an award. When this student won Art in the Village they had never looked so proud and happy before.” One parent, whose son had his artwork exhibited, saw an immediate change. Deborah Griffin wrote a letter to the program saying, “My son thoroughly enjoyed the event and the recognition. He woke up the next morning and began writing and drawing. It was obviously inspiring for all the children who were present. It’s amazing what something like that can do for one’s self-esteem and confidence.”

Several students who have participated in the program in the past have won scholarships and continue to hone their talents through art classes, and some have gone on to win other art competitions.

The Good Neighbors Campaign provides the Art in the Village project with funding to supply a full selection of art materials for children to create their works, including oil pastels, watercolor paints, markers, crayons, collage materials and, or course, the regulation-size paper. It also affords the children a certificate of achievement to honor their participation and submission of artwork, recognizing the importance of their efforts. Art in the Village has received funding for six years.

Contact Information
For more information on Art in the Village, contact Katherine Goar at: goar@usc.edu or at 213-740-5537.