For many artistic and creative children, school art classes once or twice a week just isn't enough. Their love of the medium goes far beyond what is required by the Polk County School Board or picked up on a casual basis.
For the serious young artists, numerous venues and organizations exist in the area to grow and enhance their skills, and exposure is the key.
"Kids need to be exposed to art. The more art they see, the better," says Christy Hemenway, executive director of the Ridge Art Association. "Looking at art in a book is good, but they really need to see it in person. That's when it comes to life and does far more than a photograph can convey."
The Ridge Art Association helps to promote this concept to children and others by holding approximately six young artist's showings a year.
"They need to feel what it is like to have any opening," Hemenway says. "They need to see others get excited about their work."
Additionally, every February, the organization hosts a Young Artists Show for middle and high school students and offer scholarships and prizes to the top artists.
Buddy Sears, the resident artist at the Arts Ensemble International Healing Arts Center and Education Foundation, another local art venue, recommends exposure to a variety of activities.
"Children need to be exposed to a lot of different things in the beginning - from sports, to music, to art, everything," Sears says. "Then, when parents see a passion developing quickly, focus on that."
Sears and the other artists at the Arts Ensemble offer that focus in a number of classes they offer there.
Additionally, the Arts Ensemble offers classes to students with a disability, those who might need healing due to abuse or possibly past experiences.
"We are a place of great beauty and much fun - with one very defined purpose, to change the world through beauty and creativity," says Jane Waters, executive director of the Arts Ensemble International Healing Arts Center and Education Foundation. "We offer a holistic approach to therapy to those who need it, but we are open to anyone."
The center does not charge a fee to those who can't afford it and accepts students from the Alzheimer's Association, a local autistic youth group and the Peace River center.
"I am very proud to say that we provide almost all of our programs free of cost or for cost only to those in need," Waters says.
The Arts Ensemble officially became a healing arts center in May. It works closely to their physical neighbors, the Alzheimer's Association, as well as other support organizations. Classes for children with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy also are offered.
"The kids come in and just have a ball. Everything they do here is right. They get tons of encouragement," Sears says. "Their lives are stressful, so it's great that they have a place where they can just relax."
The Lake Wales Arts Center's motto, "You Gotta Have Art," conveys its enthusiasm for promoting the visual arts to children, as well as adults.
"The Lake Wales Arts Council is proud to offer art, music and dance classes and instruction for both adults and children during the fall and spring," says Martha Seney, marketing director of the Lake Wales Arts Center. "We are a year-round, state-of-the-art gallery and have different and unique children's classes."
From events like ArtsCamp! and its annual art show, in its 41st year next March, the council promotes visual arts to children.
The art show displays more than 600 pieces of student art in a variety of styles and media, including computer graphics, clay, watercolor, oil, pastels, origami and mask making. Every summer, ArtsCamp! features art, music, dance and theatre for children ages 6 to 15, taught by qualified instructors. Students can exhibit their artwork and participate in a performance at the end of each session.
Finally, the Polk Museum of Art offers quite a few activities and classes for children throughout the year, as well.
Ultimately, no matter how students become familiar with or work to improve their artistic skills, it only matters that they are successful.
"Seeing and creating all kinds of art, whether kids like it or not, is what is important," Hemenway says. "The more they see, the more diverse they are and the more they appreciate art as a whole."
