art180.org/blog

No one can deny that arts education benefits children. The idea of transfer, that learning in one part of your life have implications on other areas, has been examined for ages and is one of the biggest supporting factors for continuing arts education in schools. Studies have shown that children who participate in any type of art, not just visual arts, but also dance, music and drama, get more out of it than they, or their parents, may realize. According to the 2002 study compilation, Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development, visual arts helped students with “content and organization of writing,” “sophisticated reading skills/interpretation of text,” “reasoning about scientific images,” and “reading readiness.”

But there are benefits even beyond transfer. In a 2007 New York Times article, Ms. Winner, author of Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of a Visual Arts Education, says that using transfer as a reason to keep arts education around will “doom the arts to failure, because any superintendent is going to say, ‘If the only reason I’m going to have art is to improve math, let’s do more math.’” Ms. Winner and Ms. Hetland believe that art should be valued for what it is on its own. It doesn’t need to be supported or justified by its transfer benefits because it is valuable enough on its own.

This is echoed by professor emeritus of education at Stanford University, Eliot Eisner, who says, “Not everything has a practical utility, but maybe it is experientally valuable.”

Either way, at ART 180 we know that creative expression is meaningful to the children who have the opportunity and access to arts education. And no matter what the government or studies say, the look on a child’s face after finishing something they have put their heart and ideas into is worth keeping arts education alive whether or not it helps them in other areas of their life.

Last week on July 11, several Richmonders and friends of ART 180 hosted parties to help raise money and awareness about ART 180. Of the 11 parties, most were held in our sponsors’ homes, while two of the parties were held at local restaurants. ART 180 would like to thank Captain Buzzy’s Beanery and Easy Street Cafe for opening their businesses to our parties.

Strawberry Fields Flowers & Gifts and Pick Ups Plus were also made contributions to the parties.

ART 180 relies on generous donations to keep running. Events like this help us provide after-school programs for children in the city of Richmond. Thank you to everyone who hosted and attended our 11 parties!

http://www.strawberryfields.us/

Two things to get on your calendar for ART 180.

Also, be on the lookout for information regarding our partnership with a new Richmond consignment shop!

Through ART 180’s partnership with the Network for Good, donating is simple. You can even schedule multiple donations if you like.

Your donation goes to help uncover and release the creative talent in Richmond’s youth. Part of ART 180’s motivation comes from our belief in the youth population; their emotions and ideas are bigger than they are and we want to provide them with a space to showcase their feelings and imagination. As former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove once said:

If our children are unable to voice what they mean, no one will know how they feel. If they can’t imagine a different world, they are stumbling through a darkness made all the more sinister by its lack of reference points. For a young person growing up in America’s alienated neighborhoods, there can be no greater empowerment than to dare to speak from the heart-and then to discover that one is not alone in one’s feelings.

Thank you for helping Richmond-area kids positively express themselves and showcase their talents.

You can drop it off today or tomorrow morning at Art 180 in Studio 1 at Plant Zero (0 East 4th Street, RVA, 23224).

The money we receive through your donated Ukrop’s Golden Gifts will help Art 180 continue running programs in Richmond-area schools. Thank you for your support!

BRING US YOUR GOODIES
Coming out to Broad Street this weekend? Drop off these goodies, which we hope you’ve been collecting for us…

Ink:
We can recycle and earn office supply credits from your empty ink cartridges! Bring them to us this weekend, we’d be thrilled to collect them from you–any kink…inkjet/laser whatever. Your trash, our treasure.

Have you received your Ukrop’s Golden Gift Certificate? We hope you’ll send your gold to ART 180 (0 East 4th St., #1, Richmond, VA 23224) or bring it to us this weekend! We need to recieve them by JUNE 10 to cash them in.

And of course, we’d love for you to donate your own gold as well–we, and the children we serve, will be grateful.