AAEP Children's Gallery Walk
by Theresa Carpine5/1/2008 8:16:58 AM
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Whether your child is a painter, an actor, a dancer, or musician, there’s plenty going on in Bellingham that guarantees to inspire and entertain art-lovers of all ages during the first weekend in May. The festivities kick-off on Friday, May 2, with the 8th Annual Children’s Gallery Walk. Throughout the downtown area, venues will display art by students from the Bellingham, Lynden, and Mount Baker School Districts; certain locations will feature live performances as well.
Poster courtesy
Allied Arts Education Project
The Children’s Gallery Walk is organized by the Allied Arts Education Project, which is partially funded through a grant from the Washington State Arts Commission. This funding, along with the support of other donors and local organizations, allows the AAEP to bring teaching artists into Whatcom County schools for workshops and residencies. They also work with the Whatcom Museum, designing art programs that will reinforce curriculums learned during student field trips to the museum.
“One of the stipulations of this grant,” explained Children’s Gallery Walk Chair Suzanne Goodell, “is to organize a community event that will share what the kids have been learning through AAEP programs. We decided to present the art through a gallery walk.”
This year’s gallery walk will not only display student art, but also features a showcase of work by the teaching artists themselves, so parents can get to know some of the artists that work with their children.
“One of our teaching arts, Ben Mann, has a presentation about what it’s like to be a teaching artist,” said Education Project Manager Chris Brewer. Another unique showcase this year will feature artist Patty Mitchell’s quilt pieces, which she based on the artwork from 2002-2008 AAEP Children’s Art Greeting Cards (which can be purchased at the Allied Arts of Whatcom County Gallery). Quilt patterns will soon be available on Patty’s website and in local quilt shops, and new greeting cards based on pieces from this year’s gallery walk will be available in the fall of 2008.
Enjoy AAEP student art at various downtown venues and businesses.
Friday’s gallery walk begins at 6 PM and venues will be open for viewing until 9 PM. A reception with refreshments and live performances will take place at the Whatcom Museum until 8:30 PM. Maps of all venue locations and activities will be available at the Museum, as well as at the Allied Arts Gallery on 1418 Cornwall Avenue and other participating locations.
“We’ve got some great partners, like the Whatcom Museum and the American Museum of Radio and Electricity, that are hosting some performances and demonstrations this year,” said Chris. Various elementary school choirs will perform at these locations, and theatre and dance groups are also featured this year, as well as a Marimba group at the Leopold’s Crystal Ballroom. There are also some fun hands-on activities for kids at certain locations throughout the evening.
Even if you can’t make it to Friday night events, you can still enjoy the gallery art, which will remain displayed around town for the next week. And the rest of the weekend is just as busy for kids celebrating and participating in the arts. On Saturday, the Pickford Cinema is holding the 2nd Annual Bellingham Children’s Film Festival, with a variety of entertaining and family-friendly short films, on Saturday, May 3, at 11 AM and you can check out plenty of performance and fine arts workshops for kids following the event downtown.
Poster courtesy
Bellingham Storytellers Guild
Still haven’t got your fill? The 5th Annual Bellingham Procession of the Species parade will make its way through downtown Bellingham on Saturday evening. It’s the fifth year of the event, which celebrates our connection with nature. All are welcome to dress-up as their favorite animal and join in the procession, starting in front of City Hall at 5 PM, or just cheer from the sidelines and come to the celebration at the parade’s end at Maritime Heritage Park.
Enjoying the Children’s Gallery Walk is free for the community. If you like the kinds of things you see, speak to your child’s school administration about the importance of the arts in schools and getting your school involved with AAEP programs.
“There are all kind of studies that show how the arts help kids develop problem solving skills,” said Suzanne. Dancing or drawing out a concept can be a useful way for kids who aren’t “math-minded” to learn certain curriculums.
Chris added that kids who have had four years of arts education, including visual, musical, and theatre arts, score 7-12% higher on their SATs than kids who didn’t. “That’s between 30 and 60 points, which can make a big difference on final scores,” Chris said.
You can also show your support of AAEP with a financial donation or by volunteering your time to help keep Allied Arts of Whatcom County and the AAEP running. For more information about the Children’s Gallery Walk, call (360) 676-8548 or visit Allied Arts of Whatcom County.