Ogden, UT– Did you know that our local public schools can only provide 6 hours of art instruction for elementary school children by a trained art educator every other year? To help fill in the gap, the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Art Gallery in the Ethel Wattis Kimball Visual Arts Center at Weber State University has an annual elementary school outreach program called Fabulous Fridays.
Thanks to generous grants from Autoliv, Weber County RAMP Initiative, Ogden City Arts, and The Alan E. and Jeanne N. Hall Endowment, the Fabulous Fridays program provides a bus, a guided tour of the Shaw Art Gallery and a 1.5-2 hour art lesson taught by a professional artist/educator to elementary school classes. The tour of the gallery will be a launching pad for the creative hours that follow as students work with the artist. Each session will include lessons in art history and studio techniques, along with a hands-on activity related to the artworks on display. This program is available to 25 elementary school classes on a first come, first served basis.
Weber State University began its current visual arts outreach program in 1999 with a gift from Autoliv. This program was housed in the former Collett Art Gallery. During its first three years, the Autoliv “Artreach” program provided activities for two fourth grade classes annually, including a field trip to the gallery, an artist in residence, and a public display/celebration of the completion of their own art project.
In 2002 the program expanded to include “Fabulous Fridays,” a half-day gallery talk and hands-on activity for visiting classes. During the 2006-2007 school year, 13 schools and 699 children participated in activities ranging from printmaking to photograms.
In May 2002, the visual arts outreach program moved to its new home in the Shaw Gallery in the Kimball Visual Art Center. This beautiful new center provides more space and an inspiring setting for children to explore their own creativity.
Schools are invited to contact Lydia Gravis at the Kimball Visual Arts Center, phone: 626-7689, if they would like to schedule a Fabulous Friday.
For more information on the year’s exhibition schedule click here or please call 626-7689
