Feb 07, 2019
A Child’s Place School Visiting Art Initiative
Beth Solin
In order for people to compete in the global marketplace, they must demonstrate imagination, creativity and innovation when developing ideas for new inventions and products to market to consumers.
The creative process is supported by the philosophy and practices of A Child’s Place School, where each day students have access to rich artistic media including clay, paints, wire, collage, loose parts, woodworking and more.
To build on this process, A Child’s Place School has created a Visiting Artist program. Conceived by the school’s Atelierista (studio teacher) Bev Miller, artists from different focus areas will provide mentoring for young students.
After reading a New York Times article about museums that have visiting artist collaboratives, Miller thought it was necessary to bring this type of apprenticeship to the school community, where educators believe children have 100 languages to express themselves, through dance, song, drawing, sculpture and more.
So far this school year, students have visited with the following artists:
• Sculptor Beth Solin of Fair Haven facilitated exploration with wire sculpture.
Beth Solin
• Potter Christina Carlson of the Monmouth County Park System brought her potter’s wheel to demonstrate, and then helped students make pinch pots and clay coils.
Christina Carlson
• Visual Artist Barbara Russo of The Guild in Shrewsbury, shared her still life drawings with students and taught them how to sketch by integrating geometric shapes and the idea of overlapping objects.
Barbara Russo
• Established local Artist Mary Lynn Murphy, also a former Atelierista, guided students as they explored water colors and then created drawings and paintings of winter birds.
Lynn Murphy
A Child’s Place School is located at 1409 W Front St, Lincroft, New Jersey.
