Collections Spring 2013 Volume 95 | Page 8

EDUCATION Community Programs Continue to Grow The Columbia Museum of Art provides many excellent and accessible opportunities for art education in South Carolina by taking community art education programs into the city, county and state to provide greater exposure to art for those who might not otherwise have the opportunity. An example of this is our five-year partnership with St. Lawrence Place, a 30-home community that provides transitional housing and programming — for up to two years — for qualifying families. St. Lawrence Place offers families the structure, training and support that can help them overcome homelessness. As part of our mission to bring art to the community, the CMA community programs staff conducts weekly art sessions for children in kindergarten through 12th grade as part of St. Lawrence Place’s afterschool program. Plus, the children come to the Museum for tours of the collection and temporary exhibitions. This year the children have had the opportunity to see Mark Rothko: The Decisive Decade and Impressionism from Monet to Matisse. 6 columbiamuseum.org Teens living in a St. Lawrence Place home can access much more than a steady, safe place to live. They also participate in counseling and weekly Tackling the Tough Skills classes that provide life-skill development and help them grow into responsible, caring adults and community members. In January 2013, the St. Lawrence Place teens began a First Thursday program at the Museum that includes a variety of experiences such as tours of the galleries, art talks, and films. Each session concludes with an art studio session taught by a local artist where the teens are exposed to many different types of materials and processes. To date the teens have learned the art of printmaking, comics, mosaics and painting, with ceramics and metalworking to come. This after-school program provides meaningful activities to fill those crucial hours when teens are often left on their own while parents are at work. It is through this type of partnership that we can see the excitement and passion that only participation in the arts can generate. “I love coming here and learning about art, but making art is the best. I’m pretty good at it!” – St. Lawrence Place teen “There’s no way to put a value on the experiences our St. Lawrence Place teenagers have had through our partnership with the Columbia Museum of Art. They’re getting to see, touch and be a part of programs they would have never had the opportunity to be a part of. They’ve had their eyes and minds opened to goals and dreams they can now reach for!” – Lila Anna H. Sauls, president and chief executive officer, Trinity Housing Corporation & St. Lawrence Place To learn more about our partnership with St. Lawrence Place and the CMA’s other community programs, contact Molly Wise Drews at 803.343.2186. Grant supporters include the Lipscomb Family Foundation, The Nord Family Foundation, Bi-Lo Charities, and the National Endowment for the Arts. n