For many Americans, Wednesday was all about politics. For some students in the Edmonds School District, it was all about art.
While Sen. John Kerry and President Bush made their concession and victory speeches, respectively, about 375 fourth-graders were moving their bodies to African dance and their brains to poetry during Art Day 2004 at the Edmonds Art Center.
Snohomish County is fortunate to have many nonprofit and business partnerships in its communities. We could use even more partnerships to bring art and other educational opportunities to school children.
Wednesday’s program was the brainchild of two nonprofit organizations: Powerful Partners and Leadership Snohomish County. Powerful Partners, made up of community groups and six elementary schools in the Edmonds School District, finds ways to offer children additional learning opportunities. Leadership Snohomish County is a program that groups local businesspeople who create and complete community projects.
One of the five teams in this year’s class discovered they all shared some common interests: education, the arts and helping youth, said Leadership member Bob Kelley, a Boeing manager. After checking out several nonprofits, they teamed with Rachael Hannah, executive director of Powerful Partners. Add a healthy dose of volunteer time, help from principals of the schools involved and some financially generous businesses, and you wind up with Art Day.
“You get this amazing day of art instruction,” Hannah said. “It’s more than kids get in a year in any normal school.”
Artists from around the area, including Edmonds and Everett community colleges, spent several hours teaching students about their crafts, which included everything from Brazilian percussion, kite-making and cartooning to Japanese origami and mime. More than 20 classes were offered and each student got to attend three sessions. With so many choices, it’s a wonder nearly 400 energetic kids were able to narrow the field.
Hannah said the goal was to make the event multi-cultural and include a variety of disciplines. If student reaction was any indication, they succeeded.
“They were just bouncing up and down they were so excited,” Kelley said. “The kids were just having a blast.”
Hannah said her organization strives to commit itself to an annual learning event. Next year’s project hasn’t been determined. It’s a matter of money and volunteers, she said.
After a contentious election that has many people on both sides of the aisle calling for healing and unity, maybe the grown-ups could use an Art Day 2004, too.
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