Planting Artistic Seeds

Each and every fall, several hundred Phoenix-area children climb the stairs at ASU’s Art Building, take crayons, pencils, paintbrushes, and clay in hand, and embark on a 10-week journey of self-expression.

The Children’s Art Workshop is led by Bernard Young, an ASU professor of art. The workshop is designed to offer quality instruction using art materials and techniques for rendering images not available at tightly budgeted school districts. The program also has been credited as a creative way to teach art to children whose public school experiences are often limited to craft projects.

Students of all ages hone their creative skills by experimenting with several media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, and sculpture. In addition to the “nuts and bolts” of creating art, students also learn how contemporary and historic artworks relate to everyday life and culture, explains Young, who has taught art education at ASU since 1988.

“Every process, from painting to photography, is explored in context with the artwork of an individual artist, culture, style and/or time period.”

Undergraduate and graduate students working toward art education certification teach all classes, making the program a “win-win” for both students and teachers. Occasionally, students grow up to become teachers.

“I loved art as a kid. I didn’t get enough of it in public school, so I took both morning and afternoon classes at the CAW,” said Kamala Miller, who eventually majored in art education and taught in the program. —Dianne Cripe