By Kathie Wagner
VSA Wisconsin
Every Tuesday and Thursday in July, 23 children ages 3‒5 marched through the back hall of Smartie Pants Early Learning Center to their next door neighbor, VSA Wisconsin, to participate in an Art Start: Healthy Foundations program. Art Start programs use the arts to better prepare young children with and without disabilities to succeed when they enter the typical school environment.
The program was conducted by VSA teaching artist, Patrizia Ferriera, who used children’s literature combined with visual art to help promote independent thinking and decision-making. According to Ferriera, “Most children are familiar with the basic concepts of drawing, painting and cutting; however, the idea that art can represent an idea, dream or emotion is a new concept for them.” Her ultimate goal was to stimulate their senses, particularly their visual and tactile senses. She also sought to provide them with tools to express themselves in a new visual language, one that exceeds words.
Smartie Pants director Nikki Barr was pleased with the outcome of the program. “Our experiences at VSA Wisconsin were very positive. The children were excited to create their very own masterpieces. They gained confidence in using materials without help and worked on self-sufficiency skills. In addition, they learned how to use art vocabulary words such as shade, texture and abstract within everyday life.”
VSA Wisconsin has been conducting early childhood programs in collaboration with early learning centers for more than 20 years. The program is expanding this fall and will be directly available to families in the Madison area who have children with disabilities.
Starting in September, late afternoon art and music classes will be conducted at the VSA Art Center, 1709 Aberg Ave., for children ages 3‒6 with disabilities. Disabilities may include learning disabilities, speech/communication disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, developmental disabilities and autism. Typically developing children are also welcome.
Contact Megwyn Sanders-Andrews at 241-2131 or megwyn@vsawis.org for more information.