CONGRATULATIONS AND HELLOOOO SUMMER!

Welcome back! This past week the winners of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Competition were announced and I have some great news.

Congratulations to our students Jabez L. and Leah P.! Jabez was given THIRD PLACE in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Competition and Leah was given the HONORABLE MENTION award this year.

BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE!

Congratulations to Olivia N., Emma B., and Fareen K. for also receiving their Certificates of Appreciation!

The Duck Stamp Competition is a good break from all the fun projects where our students can take away a lot in terms of skill during this time. The competition requires a lot of observation and focus for our students to paint a duck from the list which is provided. Young students learn to pay attention to detail as well as absorb intense painting skills. I don't know about you, but I'm extremely proud of these young students. It isn't easy to sit down and paint for a good hour at this age - but they did it, and look at the results. 

Our spring semester has come to an end and we finished it off with such joyful news. NOW IT'S TIME FOR OUR SUMMER PROGRAM! Stay updated for our summer projects. Enjoy the rest of the school year!

Illustration by Diorama

We try our best to get our students put their 100% into their projects. This week we read a classic storybook that is loved by our children called, Where The Wild Things Are. 

"That very night in Max’s room a forest grew and grew and grew until his ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around"

Watching our students excited about each scenes was just too cute! Our teacher asked the students to create what they imagined while the story was being read into a three-dimensional diorama. Some students painted grass, some students painted a river, and some students got super creative and painted a world of their own. 

When we took a storybook that the children were already familiar with and incorporated it into an art project, we were all able to see the story in a new perspective.

Annual Exhibition_SPECTRUM OF EMOTION 2018

When was the first time you went to a gallery? Or what about the first time you took your kids to their first gallery exhibition? Our students were able to experience their very own gallery opening this past Sunday June 3rd, 2018 which exhibited their art work from the past few weeks. Each little artist stood in front of his or her work with joy and pride, explaining their each brush stroke to their friends and family.

You know I watch these children run into class eager to get their hands on new material each week. They leave class with this goofy smile reaching for their parents' hand, dragging them inside to show them what they worked on. After each class, I ask how their project went and what they learned that day. It amazes me every time when I see a four year old who can't even tie her own shoe laces explain the way she portrayed cubism in her painting that day. 

These young children come to class expecting to have fun and they allow their minds to wander into the world of creativity. When these kids saw their projects hanging on the wall of a gallery, a new purpose was embedded in their artistic minds. They reached out their hand to parents, teachers, and friends, with newfound pride.

We hope that this day remains in their memory for a very long time. (Or until next year!)

Thanks to everyone who stopped by.

JOIN US!

Little Ashcan Art will be hosting their first gallery exhibition at Gallery MadisonPark. Our opening reception will take place Sunday, June 3rd, 2018 from 1:00pm-3:00pm. Feel free to bring your friends and family to share the excitement with our young artists. 

Contact us for more information about our membership opportunities.

Spectrum of Emotion_CURIOSITY

'Spectrum of Emotion' is the title of our 2018 Little Ashcan Annual Exhibition. This project incorporated a storytelling session along with a series of projects to spark our students' curiosity. Each child was able to imagine what the characters would look like after taking a feel in our Mystery Box. 

River of Words

River of Words is a competition that celebrates the local watershed environment. Much of our wildlife depend on the waterways in Long Island and we had our students convey this message through their artwork. Our students learned watercolor techniques to paint the animals of their choice. Congratulations to Ethan K. on being a finalist in this year's competition.

Recycled Sculpture

One of the more difficult aspects in art is group work. Combining two completely different perspectives into a single work of art is a challenge our students had to face in this project. Our young students learned to work with one another while understanding the concept of recycling and reusing.