The development of personal visual arts is too often a venture not pursued, as it is sometimes viewed as self-indulgent and a frivolous use of time. It is my aspiration that by engaging the youth of the community in freelance individualized creativity sessions, their fertile imaginations and proclivity for being curious and creative will nurtured, encouraged, and guided leading them become more confident in their self-expression. It is anticipated that this mutual investment will translate into each child having a more positive self-image and an enhanced ability to communicate and articulate his/her feelings and emotions both verbally and through the visual arts.
The time has come when the value of visual arts expression needs to, once again, realize a place of prominence in social and interpersonal human development. The “WONDER” Of Children Project is geared to facilitate children aged 4-10 and consists of one-hour individualized sessions in which the child collaborates with local artist Bet Gusta at her studio in the Bucktown Center For The Arts, experimenting with artistic styles and sharing thoughts on imaging, composition, lighting and other visual arts techniques.
There is no long-term program commitment, as each session is scheduled separately. The materials needed are provided at no cost, and the session fee is $25. Sessions will begin in September and run through November. They will be held Mondays through Saturdays from 1:30 – 5:30 p.m. Payment (cash or check) is due at the beginning of each session. Scheduling will begin August 7th, and September sessions scheduled prior to August 15th will receive an “early registration” discount making the cost of those sessions $20.
For scheduling sessions, or for more information, feel free to contact Bet Gusta at (563) 349-6973 or e-mail her at: bernadette468@hotmail.com. Brochures are available for The “WONDER” Of Children Outreach at the Bucktown Center, 225 E. 2nd St., Studio 202-B, Davenport IA or you can request a brochure by phone by calling the number above. 
Thanks, Bet.
PROGRAM GOALS
Through the “WONDER” of Children Outreach Project, Bet Gusta, artist of Bernadette’s Vision Art Gallery/Studio plans to create a safe, nurturing, and instructional environment in which children feel confident to delve deep into their inherent creative imagination and translate these emotions into their own illuminating art.
This endeavor is seen as a positive venue in which children have the opportunity to:
· Gain confidence in their own visions and how they wish to present these visions to others,
· Find an artistic style through which they feel comfortable and effective in expressing their visions and emotions, and become more fluid in visually expressing themselves and their feelings,
· Experiment with the possibility of blending, or bending, the traditional rules of art composition to create their desired response or emotion,
· Become more innovative in their use of color, shading, lighting and imaging, and · Relax their creative inhibitions while maintaining focus on their intended visual statement.
This outreach is primarily aimed at instilling confidence within the child artist to hold true to their personal style of visual expression yet blend this confidence and exploration with traditional artistic guidelines to enhance, not restrict, each child’s individual method of artistry. By approaching this project utilizing a one-on-one setting, it is anticipated that each child will feel less restricted, be more easily engaged in freeform creativity, and potentially unearth their visual arts aspirations and direction.
The concluding vision of the “WONDER” of Children is to join these young artists/creators for Christmas exhibits, “Art For The Ages”, to present their favorite and most meaningful pieces to elderly groups throughout the Quad City area. Ideally, an intermingling of young and elderly to explore each other’s visions and perceptions could follow the visual presentations, stirring the spirits of all ages.
Thanks for sharing my vision. Bet.
