TEXARKANA, Ark. - Billed as an art adventure for school-aged children, Art Adventures at Arts on Broad will keep children active in art over the next two weeks.
The new gallery and event space has scheduled Art Adventures for July 14-17 - 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for middle school students and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for high school students, and again July 21-24 - 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for K-2nd grade students and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for 3rd-6th grade students.
Although there is a large space to accommodate classes, social distancing will be encouraged by limiting enrollment to 10 tables with one student or siblings at a table.
Retired Texas High School art teacher Debbie Nicholas said the types of activities will depend on the students' age levels.
"We're going to be working with all sorts of media, so they'll be using oil pastels and chalk pastels, watercolors. We're going to do some construction projects with cardboard and everything for some of the older ones. The younger ones, they're going to be doing a lot more of coloring type of things: gluing, collage and some mixed-media type projects," Nicholas said.
Marbling with shaving cream and food coloring will be one unique project undertaken by young artists.
"Each group will be drawing or painting," Nicholas said, adding, "This will be the first time we've offered anything here, yes."
She's a co-owner, and they opened June 4 with a soft opening. They have yet to hold grand opening festivities but they'll schedule one. They've been getting art out the door, she said.
"Having people come in and look at the works, so that's been a lot of fun," Nicholas said.
The colorful paintings of Jenny Stevens are plentiful there, along with Agnes Tirrito's art.
"Theresa Ables does little sculptures out of soda cans that are really neat. I've got Denise Bolster, and she does the pottery that I have in here. Then I have some others," Nicholas said. "It's been great."
She's enjoyed seeing people visit and look at the art. They've given her a positive response, too.
"Nothing but good things about what we've got. Everybody likes the fact that it's all local artists," Nicholas said.
Young artists can sign up at Arts on Broad or call her at 903-278-5868. The cost is $75 per student for four days of classes, about two-and-a-half hours of class daily. "Cheaper than babysitting," Nicholas said.
(Arts on Broad is open at 223 E. Broad St., 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.)