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Community Corner

Volunteers Keeping Art Alive at Mark Twain Elementary

Laura Bartoletti and Cindy Neils are continuing and strengthening the "ExploreArt" tradition at the north Rose Hill school.

At a time when art and music classes are being slashed throughout the country, two local moms are doing their part to keep art alive at  on Rose Hill. Three years ago, Cindy Neils and Laura Bartoletti agreed to co-chair the school's ExploreArt program.

Though the program was initially launched by Ricca Ben and Debbie Bensussen in 2003, Neils and Bartoletti have taken it to the next level by creating an online lesson library and implementing a mentor type of relationship that helps keep volunteer art docents returning year to year.

ExploreArt combines art history and artist biographical information with hands-on projects focused on core art elements like color, line and texture.

“Starting the program was a huge endeavor,” Bartoletti says, crediting her predecessors. “The research, planning, funding, lesson plans, recruiting docents and training, just getting it off the ground, was an amazing effort.”

Bartoletti, mother of Alex (5th grade) and Austin (3rd grade), was recruited into the program when her older son was in first grade. Neither an artist nor a teacher before her time with ExploreArt, she claims she’s learned a ton, including relearning things about art from her childhood.

“How to teach so that the kids will get it, enjoy it and remember the information,” has been the main focus of her training.

Like Bartoletti, Neils, mother of Madison (5th grade), Natalie (2nd grade) and Nick (preschool), began teaching art to Twain students when her oldest child was in first grade. A former teacher, she loves being in the classroom with the kids.

Both women feel strongly that the ExploreArt program goes well beyond developing a basic understanding of art in students.

“This gives (students) both a history lesson and an art lesson in one,” says Neils.

“I love history,” says Bartoletti, “and learning about artists helps kids to understand our world and keep the past alive.”

Bartoletti says that studying, analyzing and discussing artwork has been shown to help students do the same with other subjects in school, stimulating their minds and teaching them how to interpret information.

“But they think it’s just fun!” says Bartoletti, pointing out that kids love and look forward to ExploreArt.

Parent feedback about the program has been very positive. They particularly love the annual Gallery Walk, which is coming up on June 2 for Twain families.

These moms would most like to see ExploreArt flourish after their children move up in the school system, requiring active recruiting even now on both their ends. In addition to new parent volunteers, Bartoletti says there is a need for more funds to update the school’s art facilities.

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Overcrowding has forced one class to meet in the previously dedicated art room, which means students are now doing all art projects in regular classrooms. Art supplies have to be brought back and forth, adding both time and increased hassle.

However, the joys of seeing creative student artwork hanging in the hallways or having students actually remember what the docent taught them previously make ExploreArt a worthwhile cause to Bartoletti, Neils and all the volunteer docents at Twain Elementary.

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