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AYS, Local Artist Give IPS Students the Chance to Honor Family through Art

On Thursday, March 27, students in the AYS (At Your School) after-school program at IPS #106 Robert Frost Elementary will dedicate family portraits on which they have been working for several weeks. The dedication ceremony for the “Living Yarns” projects will be at the school from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Following the ceremony, the artwork will be donated to the school.

AYS offered two, free 10-week sessions to students in the Robert Frost Elementary program. Artist Joe LaMantia guided the children through the project, in which students used yarn and other materials to create self-portraits and portraits of a positive role model from their families. The project, part of AYS’ arts enrichment initiative, captures the importance of positive family mentors in children’s lives. The project was made possible, in part, by the Arts Council of Indianapolis, the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

LaMantia, a visual artist living in Bloomington, has worked with schools and community organizations since 1993. He visited the AYS program on Thursdays for 10 weeks each semester. Because he believes that all art projects should have a purpose, he encouraged family members to participate in the project with the children to encourage family collaboration.

Posted: 3/26/08

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