visual arts Archives - Arts for Learning Virginia

IDEAL Evening at the Chrysler Art Museum

May 12, 2023 By Cindy Sherwood

Pictures are worth a…. you know the rest. Enjoy these wonderful photos of the student art exhibit, performances, and reception at the Chrysler Museum of Art as the IDEAL (Intentional Designs of Expression in Artistic Languages) residency wrapped up for upper elementary students at Norfolk’s Lindenwood, Portsmouth’s Westhaven, and Virginia Beach’s College Park schools.

It truly was an IDEAL evening as students shared their art for family, friends, educators, and community leaders. Throughout the residency, students created art that explored and expressed their unique identities. The public can view the beautiful artwork through June 11.

We thank all of our partners who made the first year of this residency possible: the funders–with special thanks to our major funder the Hampton Roads Community Foundation–teaching artists; residency stewards; Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach public school divisions; Chrysler Museum of Art; Richmond Ballet; staff and board of Arts for Learning; families; and most of all, the students. We hope they’ll remember this special night forever.

An IDEAL Exhibition of Student Artwork at the Chrysler Museum

May 9, 2023 By Cindy Sherwood

Artist and Programming Manager Drew Lusher shows off a student’s painting.

School and Community Relationships Coordinator Aisha Noel at the IDEAL art exhibit.

Today’s the big day—the public can come view a unique collection of student artwork exhibited at the Chrysler Museum of Art from May 9 to June 11 at the Margaret Shepherd Ray Family and Student Gallery.

Arts for Learning staff members have been busy organizing and hanging the artwork at the Chrysler in preparation for the exhibition. Upper elementary students in Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach elementary schools created the artwork during an after-school residency named IDEAL, Intentional Designs of Expression in Artistic Languages. They were guided by Arts for Learning’s professional teaching artists.

In the the first year of this three-year residency, 54 students have explored themes of self-identity, collaboration, and community through movement, music, and visual art. The program’s highlight comes this Thursday, May 11 when students will perform and show off their artwork for family, friends, and community leaders at the Chrysler.

“To bring students to the museum and show them it’s their place to have a voice is just an amazing opportunity,” said Anna Green, Chief Operations Officer for Arts for Learning. “It may inspire them to go on and create art or find their voice in movement or music or in other ways.”

Students have been led by Arts for Learning teaching artists Cindy Aitken, Gary Garlic, and Jennifer Graham at Lindenwood Elementary in Norfolk; Asiko-oluwa Aderin, James Cooper, and Nathan Richardson at Westhaven Elementary in Portsmouth; and Jackie Adonis and Valerie Davis at College Park Elementary in Virginia Beach.

There’s no charge for the public to view the exhibit, so make plans to come see how the students in the IDEAL residency have explored themes of identity and community through their artwork. We’re so happy to celebrate the talents and creativity of each one of these students!

THANK YOU!

There was no cost to students to participate in the IDEAL residency thanks to our wonderful sponsors. The Hampton Roads Community Foundation provided the bulk of the project’s funding when it awarded us the largest grant in our organization’s history to be paid over the course of the three-year residency.

Other funders for the first year include Arts Alliance; the arts commissions of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach; Mr. Gary Jensen; National Endowment for the Arts; PRA Group; Portsmouth General Hospital Foundation; Mr. Lawrence Steingold; Tidewater Children’s Foundation; the city of Virginia Beach; Virginia Commission for the Arts; and Walmart.

Arts for Learning Delivers Creative Summer Camps at the Suffolk Center

May 12, 2022 By Cindy Sherwood

We’re busy planning three exceptional summer camps in Musical Theater, Visual Art, and S.T.E.A.M. in partnership for the ninth year with the Suffolk Center For Cultural Arts. Campers in third to fifth grades will immerse themselves in each theme as they work with professional teaching artists Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

HURRY: EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION FOR EACH CAMP ENDS FRIDAY, MAY 13

NEW MUSICAL THEATER Camp ~ Lights, Camera, Action: June 20-July 1

Campers will have the chance to do it all as they explore the performing arts in a two-week Musical Theater camp—write scripts, design costumes, sing and make music, act, and dance. Campers will learn what it takes to create and participate in an original production from start to finish—and then dazzle family and friends with their unique, one-of-a-kind show.

VISUAL ART Camp ~ Arts from Around Your World!: August 1-5

Campers will experience the cultures of other parts of the world – Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Caribbean – as they create multiple visual arts projects. While discovering ties between cultures and art forms and having lots of hands-on fun, they’ll also investigate their own heritage. Projects will include making a colorful patterned textile called a mola and creating clay coil pots. The week’s highlight will be an art showcase for family and friends.

S.T.E.A.M. Camp ~ Thinking Outside the Box: August 8-12

Campers will think creatively through all aspects of S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) as they experience hands-on learning. Projects will include designing using 3D printers, experimenting with dyeing textiles, drawing and assembling tessellations, and so much more! This camp will help kids learn to think on their feet, problem solve, work collaboratively–and have lots of summer fun with their peers–while showing off their projects to family and friends in a special program on the last day.

“Our teaching artists have loved mentoring students at Suffolk Center’s summer camps for the past nine years,” says Anna Heywood Green, chief operations officer for Arts for Learning. “Our artists are inspired by the campers as they watch their creativity and talents flourish throughout the week—they can’t wait to see what campers will come up with this year!”

Summer camp registration is $475 for the new two-week Musical Theater camp and $275 for the one-week Visual Art and S.T.E.A.M. camps. Both full and partial camp scholarships are available. For more information and a registration link, click here: https://arts4learningva.org/summer-camps/

IDEAL Evening at the Chrysler Art Museum

An IDEAL Exhibition of Student Artwork at the Chrysler Museum

Arts for Learning Delivers Creative Summer Camps at the Suffolk Center

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In Their Own Words: IDEAL Residency Students

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