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CLASSES FOR KIDS MORE CLASSESAVAILABLE! Check out www.pteschool.ca for detailsor to register for Munsch fun Find outin ONCEUPONAMUNSCH or MISSIONMUNSCH. PTE's is known forits hilarious Munsch shows.Now 7–9year-olds can experience thefunin a 10week class for just$160. PhotobyB. Monk. HowMunschfuncanyouhave? Celebrating39Years ofUkrainianDance! Comedancewithusinthe 2015-2016Season 2015-2016Season Ages3andup Formoreinformationemail rossdaledancers@gmail.com www.rossdaledancers.ca Registrationis Thursday,September3 Thursday,September3 at6:30pmatRossdale Hall,537DonaldRd., St.Andrews ClassesstartMonday September14, St.AndrewsSchool ���������� ClassesheldatSislerHigh School,1360RedwoodAve. Formoreinformationcontact: MariyaPuhachat204-233-4704 www.ridnashkolawpg.ca RIDNASHKOLA,CHYTALNIAPROSVITA September to May Saturday Mornings Classes: K– 10& Adults Children'sclassesinclude: ❖Ukrainianlanguageandliterature ❖CultureandTraditions ❖HistoryandArts Wewelcomeallchildrenand adultswhowanttosupporttheir Ukrainianheritage. UkrainianConversationalClasses forChildren&Adults By Jennifer McFee for the Free Press With a splash of colour and a dash of design, kids can sculpt a bright future by drawing on their artistic abilities. A t the Winnipeg Art Gallery Studio, young artists can hone their skills in classes that focus on drawing, painting and mixed media, including collage and sculpture with found objects. For older youth, opportunities also involve clayworks, cartoon art and animation. "For these students, it's fun. They're engaging with professional artists. Sometimes the teachers who are teaching art in schools might not be from an arts background. Our art instructors are very skilled and they understand how the materials work," says WAG Studio manager Diane Lafournaise. "They understand things like composition and concepts and doing portraits. It's a type of play, but it's serious play." The benefits extend beyond creative expression for young students, who range from age five to 17. "There are skills to learn. There's problem solving. In and of itself, working with the material is quite satisfying, and so is figuring out how to make characters if you're doing cartoons," she says. "I'm always really impressed with what our instructors can do with children, especially the younger ones. They really bring out the artistic ability in the student." As an added bonus, all students enrolled in classes at the WAG Studio have the chance to tour the gallery. "There's lots of different things going on in the gallery they get to see," Lafournaise says. "Then they make that connection to making art and viewing art, which is very important." Similarly, Paradise Art illustrates the link between kids' creations and the bigger picture. "Our projects are all based on art history, but it doesn't have to be historical art. It could be a contemporary artist that we're looking at. At school, I don't think they have the time to teach art literacy," says Jeff Kerr, who co-owns Paradise Art on Academy Road with his wife, Laura. "That's why we say our program is not arts and crafts. There's nothing wrong with crafting or craft materials. It's just that we're trying to do it based on art history as opposed to finding a new material to explore." At Paradise Art, preschool-aged children participate in one-hour classes for 10 weeks. Then starting at age six, the session extends to 28 weeks of 90-minute classes, eventually working up to two-hour lessons. "We teach traditional fine arts — painting, drawing, clay sculpture. We've always followed a university model, so even if you're majoring in sculpture, you're still required to take drawing courses and painting courses, and you also draw three- dimensional subjects," Kerr says. "The idea is that one actually helps the other because you use different parts of your brain. Everybody is good at something. We focus on the positive and try to give them extra help for anything they need extra help with." Most kids enjoy drawing at home, he adds, and art classes allow them to improve their overall abilities. "Because we offer this long session, we tend to get kids who are actually passionate about it. I hope they get the basics at school, but we get into some meaty projects," Kerr says. "With practice, you get better. Kids are open to trying everything, but all of us adults have a lot of insecurities and it all comes out in your art. Kids don't overthink it. They're so open-minded." For more information, visit www.paradisefoundartschool.com or wag.ca/studio. ❚ Above: Laura and Jeff Kerr from Paradise Art. Darcy Finley photo Above right and below: Students work in a class at WAG Studio. WAG Studio photo B a c k t o S c h o o l , M u S i c & D a n c e … a n D M o r e ! - S u p p l e M e n t t o t h e W i n n i p e g F r e e p r e S S - S at u r D ay, a u g u S t 15 , 2 0 15 3

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