Art program for kids encourages creativity, community
Each weekday some Mercer University students head over to nearby Tindall Heights Homes and try to build a better future for youths there through art.
The after-school program was started by Creighton Rosental, who is a Mercer philosophy professor and not an artist. On Saturday some of the youths' artworks were on a display at the Hester Bivins Youth Center as a part of the Tindall Heights Fall Family Festival.
Mercer gave a grant for the art program. Mercer students created it and teach it. It has been going on for about a month and is for children from 6 to 12 years old.
"The motivation behind this is not precisely about creating artists but creating a sense of community built around creative expression," Rosental said. "These kids get to decide what they want to do and how they want to express themselves and they are forming a group where they are doing things they are proud of."
One of the Mercer students involved is Gabrielle Carter, a sophomore nursing student. Although she is pursuing a degree that probably has more job opportunity than art, she is an artist and has taught art to home-school students. She decided to contribute to the Tindall Heights program.
"I thought it was a good idea when I heard of it, so I wanted to be a part of it," she said. "It's been different but it has also been really fun because you see how creative they can be and how they can run with it."
She said "quite of a few of them" have potential as artists.
Jayla Hopkins, 9, who attends Jessie Rice Elementary School, participates in the art program every day.
"It's been fun," she said. "You get to learn how to draw."
Rosental said some local artists have been advising the student instructors. The Mercer students also contributed to the Fall Festival by providing face painting and art-related activities for the youths in attendance.
This story was originally published October 17, 2015 at 9:20 PM with the headline "Art program for kids encourages creativity, community ."