Author: Kristin Perry

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How Art is Good for Children’s Mental Development

Art is often seen as just a fun activity for children to do, but it is so much more than that. Art has been shown to have numerous benefits for children’s mental development, including improved creativity, problem-solving skills, and emotional regulation. In this article, we will explore how art can help children’s mental development and provide tips for parents and educators to incorporate art into children’s lives.

The Importance of Art in Children’s Lives

Art is a form of self-expression, and for children, this can be an important outlet for their thoughts and feelings. Through art, children can explore their emotions and express them in a safe and non-threatening way. This can be particularly helpful for children who struggle with verbal communication or have difficulty expressing their emotions.

Art can also help children develop their creativity and imagination. By creating art, children are encouraged to think outside the box and come up with new and innovative ideas. This can be useful in all areas of life, not just in art-related fields.

The Benefits of Art on Mental Development

Improved Problem-Solving Skills

Creating art requires children to think critically and problem-solve. They may need to decide what materials to use, how to arrange them, and how to achieve the desired effect. This can help children develop their problem-solving skills and improve their ability to think critically.

Increased Emotional Regulation

Art can be a therapeutic activity for children, helping them to regulate their emotions and reduce stress. When children create art, they are often in a state of flow, which is a state of deep focus and concentration. This can be calming and help children regulate their emotions.

Boost in Self-Esteem

When children create art, they have a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work. This can boost their self-esteem and confidence, which can carry over into other areas of their lives.

Improved Fine Motor Skills

Creating art often requires fine motor skills, such as gripping a paintbrush or manipulating clay. By engaging in art activities, children can improve their fine motor skills, which can be useful in all areas of life.

Tips for Incorporating Art into Children’s Lives

Provide Art Supplies

Make sure children have access to a variety of art supplies, including paint, markers, crayons, clay, and paper. This will allow them to experiment with different materials and find what they enjoy the most.

Encourage Creativity

Encourage children to be creative and come up with their own ideas. Avoid giving them strict instructions or guidelines, as this can stifle their creativity.

Display Artwork

Displaying children’s artwork can be a great way to boost their self-esteem and make them feel proud of their creations. Consider framing and hanging their artwork or creating a special art display area in your home or classroom.

Incorporate Art into Learning

Art can be incorporated into other areas of learning, such as science or social studies. For example, children can create art projects related to the solar system or historical events.

Make it Fun

Above all, make art a fun and enjoyable activity for children. Encourage them to experiment and explore different materials and techniques. Avoid putting too much pressure on them to create a perfect masterpiece, as this can be stressful and counterproductive. You can create custom stickers which are fun and unique for children.

Conclusion

In conclusion, art is an important activity for children that can have numerous benefits for their mental development. By providing children with art supplies, encouraging creativity, and incorporating art into learning, parents and educators can help children reap the benefits of art. So next time you’re looking for an activity for your child, consider breaking out the art supplies and letting them create something beautiful.

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How Art Helps with Child Development

Artistic expression is paramount in the development of young children, as it has been shown to enhance brain function during early childhood. Children are able to engage in open-ended play through artistic activities, which facilitates the development of cognitive, multisensory, and socio-emotional skills. As children advance to elementary school and beyond, artistic activities continue to play a crucial role in brain development, self-esteem, creativity, and mastery.

Nurturing creativity in children is fundamental in allowing them to express their unique ideas and experiment with a range of materials. Encouraging creativity requires providing children with a diverse array of supplies and allowing them to create freely, while also observing them and providing additional supplies when required. Encouraging children to try new artistic experiences can also foster creativity, with open-ended questions enabling children to consider the possibilities of what they can create.

Artistic activities introduce children to various tools and materials and offer them the opportunity to create using their own unique vision. As children draw, paint, and create collages, they learn about color, shape, and size. Engaging with paints, glue, and markers facilitates planning, experimentation, and problem-solving skills. Mixing paints teaches children about cause and effect and allows them to make decisions about their artwork, which enables them to learn from their choices.

Artistic expression is an avenue for children to communicate their emotions and ideas. Through their artwork, children are able to articulate their feelings and thoughts, which they may not be able to do with words. Artistic expression is a valuable way to assist children in managing the natural stressors of growing up, in addition to fostering a sense of individuality, self-respect, and appreciation for others’ work.

Artistic activities also promote the development of physical skills in children. Using scissors, finger-painting, and weaving with yarn help refine the small muscles in children’s hands, which is essential for their fine motor control, necessary for writing, and other activities requiring dexterity. Along with drawing with crayons or markers, artistic activities promote the development of fine motor skills.

Mixed Media Collage For Kids

One idea for a kids art project is creating a mixed media collage. A mixed media collage is a type of art that combines different materials and techniques to create a unique and interesting composition. This project can be done with kids of all ages and can be adapted to suit the skill level and interests of the children.

The materials that can be used for this project are:

  • Construction paper in different colors
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Magazine cutouts
  • Fabric scraps
  • Feathers
  • Paint
  • Markers
  • Yarn
  • Glitter
  • Anything else that the children might like to use to add to their collage.

The steps to create the mixed media collage are:

  1. Begin by discussing with the children the concept of a mixed media collage and show them examples of different types of collages.
  2. Give the children the materials and let them explore and experiment with the different materials. Encourage them to think about how they want to use the materials in their collage.
  3. Have the children cut out pictures and shapes from the magazine cutouts, fabric scraps, and construction paper. They can use scissors or any other cutting tools they prefer.
  4. Once they have a collection of cutouts, they can begin to arrange them on a piece of construction paper. Encourage them to think about composition and balance as they work.
  5. After they have arranged the cutouts, they can start to glue them down. They can also use paint, markers, yarn, glitter, or any other materials to add more details to their collage.
  6. Once the collage is complete, the children can take a step back and admire their work. Encourage them to share their collages with the class, and explain the meaning of their composition.
  7. Finally, display the collages in a prominent place in the classroom, or take a picture of them and share them with the parents.

This art project encourages creativity, self-expression, and problem-solving skills. It also allows children to explore different materials and techniques and encourages them to think about composition, balance, and meaning in their art.

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Paul Allens Art Collection Sells for $1.6B

Introduction

Paul Allen is known for his massive collection of art and collectables, which he amassed over 20 years. Now, the art world has a new record-setter:

This week, a $1.6 billion sale at Christie’s was the most valuable ever auctioned by a single owner in history.

The proceeds will go to philanthropic causes, including research into brain cancer that killed Allen himself just last month.

Art amassed by late Microsoft co-founder over two days of sales this week

 at Christie’s, Paul Allen made more than $1.6 billion.

Last week, the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen made a record for the most expensive single-owner art collection ever sold at auction when he raked in more than $1.6 billion at Christie’s over two days of sales. But which pieces have fetched the most?

  • A painting by French artist Claude Monet, “Le Bassin aux Nymphéas” (1914), sold for $110 million.
  • A sculpture called “Le Penseur” (1931) by Auguste Rodin was purchased for $95 million.

The most expensive of the 60 auctioned works of art was Georges Seurat’s “Les Poseuses, Ensemble (Petite version)”.

One of the most valuable paintings sold during the event was Georges Seurat’s “Les Poseuses, Ensemble (Petite Version),”  which fetched $149.24 million, including fees.

The work was created in 1890 and is part of a series of works by Seurat called the “Gardens.” It broke the artist’s previous auction record, set at Christie’s in New York City when his painting “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” sold for $60 million in 2012.

La Montagne Sainte-Victoire by Paul Cézanne sold for $137.8 million, more than double the artist’s previous auction record.

The highest-priced work of art sold at auction was Paul Cézanne’s “La Montagne Sainte-Victoire,” which sold for $137.8 million.

The sale almost doubled the artist’s previous record, set in 1990 when his “Nu au coussin bleu (Madame Cézanne)” sold for $48.4 million.

Cézanne is a French artist born in Aix-en-Provence who worked in Paris during the 19th century and is widely considered one of the most influential artists of all time.

The priciest pieces were sold at a Wednesday night auction.

 

The most costly lots were sold during a Wednesday night auction that featured 60 of Allen’s collection’s most priceless items and brought in a combined $1.5 billion. On Thursday, other properties went up for auction and made roughly $116 million.

The artwork sold for the most incredible money on Thursday wasClaes Oldenburg’s sculpture “Typewriter Eraser, Scale X,” which fetched $8.4 million as one of 95 artworks from Allen’s collection that went to auction Thursday and Friday at Christie’s Rockefeller Center headquarters in Manhattan. 

“Allan had an incredible eye for quality,” said Brett Gorvy, chairman of Christie’s and international director of post-war and contemporary art. “He was always buying into the best artists at the top end of their market.”

Forbes Evaluation estimated Allen was worth $20.3 billion in 2018, the year he died.

According to Forbes, Allen was worth $20.3 billion in 2018, the year he died, making him the 44th richest person in the world.

Allen didn’t start collecting art until the early 1990s

“Paul was always a late adopter,” Deborah Gunn, associate director of art finance at Vulcan, Allen’s investment management company, told CNBC.

“He started collecting in the early 1990s when he visited the Tate Modern in London and realized he could own world-class artwork too.

 His taste was varied, and his collection spans more than 500 years of art history, from Botticelli to McArthur Binion.”

Allen’s pointillism collection includes works by Seurat and Signac — both hallmarks of this style.

He also had a penchant for landscapes, particularly scenes from Venice (the auction includes eight).

“I’m not sure if I’ll ever really know why Paul liked these particular paintings,” said Gunn. “But what I do know is that Jasper Johns’ numbers allowed him to think about coding.”

Conclusion

Paul Allen’s death was a sad loss for the world, but it’s good to see his legacy live on in this way.

His collection of art and collectables has been sold for a record-breaking $1.6 billion, and many of the buyers are new collectors who might not have been able to afford these pieces if they had not been acquired at auction. It will be fascinating to observe what takes place next with them.

“The Dirty Charm” Richard Paul Davis & Hank Van Hawkins

Richard Paul Davis and Hank Van Hawkins create “The Dirty Charmers” and hit the road

Most of you reading this will fondly remember an extraordinary band known as the Texas Red Legs.  “Black Sky Growl”, “Burnin’ Down 35″ & “Chaste Machine” in their originality and passion, were all songs that left the audience (and especially) our ArtLoveMagic family screaming for more.  Here is our ‘more’, people.  Richard Paul Davis and Hank Van Hawkins team up to bring you a true Texas duo, ‘The Dirty Charm’.  Their official press release is as follows.  Spread the word!

The Dirty Charmers begin their performance collaboration at the Brett Dillon of KHYI 95.3 the Range’s hosted “bike and Mic night “at Main Street Liquid Company Richardson Texas.

Richard Paul Davis, currently of the Dallas Americana act ‘The Lost Immigrants’ and formerly of the Texas Red Legs, has joined Hank Van Hawkins in a songwriting, mobile performing song-swapping two-man duo titled ‘The Dirty Charm’. Their upcoming shows of note are below:

  • Brett Dillon’s Bike and Mic night at main street liquid company Richardson TX.

August 17th at 7pm. They will be opening for members of the Tejas Bros. 115 East Main Street
Richardson, TX 75081

  • August 19th at the Tap-in Grapevine Texas 7:30 pm. 120 south mains street Grapevine Texas. 75067
  • 10/22/2022 8:00 PM Roots Coffeehouse North Richland Hills, TX, US
  • 9/25/2022 8:00 PM tap-in 120 main street grapevine Texas 75067 Grapevine, TX,
  • 9/23/24/2022 7:00 PM Coffee Rules Hays, KS,

Media & Press Information

Please contact, or view the below sites.

  1. The Dirty Charmers on Facebook

The Dirty Charmers came together by happenstance more or less. It was a chance meeting bringing two very different and eclectic songwriters each with their own different and unique voices together in the same band for the same purpose and with similar creative goals already in mind. Thus the Dirty Charm was born.

Hard luck lots prove to be the most fertile of ground for songwriters although it is not a path one can take by choice, so much as it is a path some have had no other choice than to walk down. These vagabonds and troubadours seem to have had no other choice than to be outlaws and outcasts of some sort, considering all the combined years of experience, hardships and tragedies that stand as a muse between the two of them. Rightfully so the truth keeps them hell bent on expressing and exposing truths so that nothing else remains to be sugar-coated.

Rock and Roll is indeed a dirty business and the Dirty Charmers have been buried up to their necks in it for years now. With a healthy sense of adventure and a bad case of morbid curiosity, they remain on the hunt for the next song.

Creatively speaking they are a perfect storm of sorts bringing slow and brooding together with fast and bitter. Culminating at the crossroads where myth meets the magic and brewing deep within the underground where legends are born through trials of fire.

The mission is to bring integrity and substance back to what was once a legendary music scene.

THIS IS TRUE… there’s energy in collaboration

20 poems to 20 visual artists. Today was the day that the painters on the THIS IS TRUE show picked up their boards and received the poems they’ll be interpreting.

post by Michael Lagocki

What’s really TRUE is I overbook myself. It’s a curse. I’m producing like 100 shows right now, managing a few personal art projects, and trying to get artlovemagic further off the ground, and (oh yeah) I need to find some time to make some money here and there so you don’t see me standing at a stoplight trying to wash your car windows between greens.

I mention this not (just) for sympathy, but really to explain how jazzed I am about THIS particular show. THIS IS TRUE is something special, something new for us. It’s giving me fuel to keep going through a very busy schedule and still be enthusiastic.

Each artist has been given a primed board that they will use to create their artwork, making this the first artlovemagic gallery exhibit where each piece is of uniform size and shape.

20 poems to 20 different visual artists. Sounds simple, but it’s a treasure chest of experiences. 20 new collaborations between artists who haven’t worked together before. 20 opportunities for local poets to see their work interpreted as visual art. 20 new pieces of original art, each created just for this show.

The artists and poets won’t even meet each other until the gallery is hanging. Each one of them is collaborating with someone, they just don’t know who that anonymous author or artist is… yet.

Exciting. Energizing.

I love stuff like this. We set it rolling and you have no idea what’s going to happen. Who’s going to bring their A game? (hopefully all of ‘em) Who’s going to be inspired, and in turn, inspire someone else with what they produce? Who’s going to find something new that becomes part of who they are as an artist (or a writer) from here forward?

Artist Ashley Jones gets her first read of the poem that she’ll be interpreting into a work of art.

The Show goes up on September 2nd. That means from the 3rd all the way until the 18th you can see it for free at the Janette Kennedy Gallery. That Saturday night we’ll celebrate it all with a live show (and yes, we have a few surprises in store there, too).

Stay tuned on this one.  In the weeks leading up to the show, we intend to post some of the poetry and some photos of the art as it’s progressing. Kind of a backstage pass kind of thing. I suspect it will be interesting to watch how it all comes together.

Truthfully,

-ML

Kids Music Workshop

This morning, ArtLoveMagic hosted its first ever kids music workshop. While we’ve done this with visual art before, this was the first time we were able to do it for music.

The workshops are in partnership with the Deep Ellum Foundation and special thanks goes to Jeanne Blanton who made a donation to specifically underwrite them.

Deborah Driscoll–ArtLoveMagic’s music director–arranged the day. The kids were in groups of 5 and they rotated through 20 minute classes. The directive was simple. Do something that inspires and make sure it is hands on.

Kelly Nygren taught percussion. Not only did she have multiple instruments for each of the students to try, but she also taught us that we all have rhythm in our pulse, heartbeat and breathing. She showed us that anything could be an instrument, and she made waterbottles filled with rice that the kids could take with them as shakers.

As it was, the shakers turned out handy in Tony Cherry’s songwriting class. Not only did the groups learn to write songs through word associations, descriptions, and daily life stories, but in a couple of classes they pulled out the shakers and sang along.

In guitar class, we learned about the difference in electric and acoustic, the different parts of the guitar and about chords. We also learned to “play loud and play proud.”

Melody Cherry taught us how to breathe in order to use our bodies as instruments. After some warm up and practice at holding notes, the kids were able to get onstage with the microphone and perform.

In Ms. Delphi’s piano class, there were three keyboards and we learned that “Jack and Jill” (the two black keys close together) were near C, D, E and the “Three Little Pigs” (three black keys together) were next to F, G, A, B.

Isaac Davies taught about how Hip Hop started from sampling records and how those samples are linked together to make new music. The kids were albe to play with the sampler and Isaac even taught a bit about freestyling and showed off his skills.

After the classes, the students had pizza, then when that group left, the others arrived and teachers and volunteers set up to do it all again.

Many thanks to Life in Deep Ellum for providing the venue, all the teachers and volunteers who walked kids from class to class, set up chairs and made sure even the most timid weren’t left out.

For ArtLoveMagic, days like this are about passion. As public schools are cutting art and music programs, we are becoming stronger and stronger advocates for the power of the arts. We all remember our own introduction to paints, instruments, color and song. We are brighter more beautiful people because of it and it was very, very fun to share that.

–Cathy Hutchison

note- we’d also like to extend thanks to Jeanne Blanton, The DEF, and Mayor Pro Tem Caraway’s staff for supporting this event.

A Moment at City Hall

post by Michael Lagocki
photos by Sherry Smith

On Wednesday, August 8th, ArtLoveMagic was recognized and honored at City Hall for our work pairing artists with local children in our Kid’s Workshops. It was a great experience.

Thankfully, Photographer Sherry Smith was among those there to be honored, and she took these photos. Also present to be recognized were Kelly Nygren, Deborah Driscoll, Michael Lagocki, Conor Muldoon, and David Rodriguez.

We didn’t really know what to expect going in. We were invited and accepted. It was a really nice gesture. The Mayor and the City Council were in attendance, and in front of everyone a slide show played of photos from the worksops. Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway spoke about artlovemagic and what we do, and the importance of recognizing it.

The workshops are the result of a ton of people’s efforts, many more than were able to be at the ceremony. Most certainly the Deep Ellum Foundation, who found space and funding for the program, Jeanne Blanton generously provided that funding, and over a dozen more artists and musicians associated with the artlovemagic family brought their time and talents.

I wasn’t expecting to speak. But Barrry Annino of the DEF asked me to. I thought it was a cool gesture. I told the Mayor and those present that they really needed to create space and funding to kid’s art and music programs. That when children learn to think creatively, they learn to think metaphorically. And if you can do that, you can be intelligent in any situation.

Ashleigh Vroom (pictured far left) coordinated the latest round of workshops. She helped us find the kids, find the environments to work, feed everybody, etc. Aidan Reese (9 yrs old) attended the experience as a student.

The whole experience was kind of surreal. Even seeing the inner workings of city government… watching the procedures that took place before we were called up, citizens addressing the mayor with grievances about budget cuts and local libraries, it was wild, something I’m sure we’ll all remember.

A certificate of recognition was presented to us..

Afterwards, we got to hang out a little outside of City Hall and enjoy time together. The artists involved in this day know each other pretty well. We’re close friends but don’t always get time together outside of shows. It was good to fool around a bit.

We work pretty hard. So something like this is meaningful. We’re proud and thankful. And we hope to do more with kids, especially in Deep Ellum which has been so welcoming to us.Want to learn more about our experiences at the Kid’s workshops?

A Sneak Peek at the DMA

Hey all. Deb here.

Monday, Michael Lagocki and I got to tour the Dallas Museum of Art with Nicole Stutzman, the Director of Teaching Programs and Partnerships. The coolest part about that, (aside from getting to spend some time with Nicole who is super nice) is that the museum is closed on Mondays. That’s right. Mike and I got to sneak around after hours and check out all their pristine exhibits.

We were visiting specifically to do some research for our upcoming Creativity Challenge this Friday night, August 20th. Mike needed to take a good look around and find the perfect spot to have our class, and I think he really did a great job choosing it. I love the art we’ll be surrounded by…Pollack, Rothko, and Kline. Truly inspiring stuff!

We also wanted to take a good look around at all the exhibits so that we’d have an idea of what our participants would have to choose from in their Creativity Challenge. Some of the past creativity challenges that Nicole told us about were pretty neat, however I think ours which includes help from 7 local artists and breaking 3-d images down will be amazing!

I’ll be one of the teachers this Friday and I’ll be in great company! Bianca Elise, Michael Lagocki, David Rodriguez, Jamel Jones, Michelle McSpadden, and Dehvon Ward will also be leading our different groups on this cool experience.

All you have to do to participate is buy a regular price admission to the museum on Friday night. Once you’re in you can sign up to participate in the CREATIVITY CHALLENGE on the first floor. We’ll teach two rounds of it- at 8 and 10pm. Maximum fifty people can sign up per time, so make sure to sign up a little early.

Looking forward to creating with you

Kid-power: The ArtLoveMagic Kids Workshop

words- Michael Lagocki
photos- Josh Dryk

This past weekend we produced our first Kid’s Workshop of 2022 (we did two last year) that invited local children to come out and learn from artists in the ArtLoveMagic collective. As many great artists as we know, it’s a logical extension of what we do to include teaching in our model.

We brought six artists in, each with a different discipline:

Conor Muldoon: pottery
Sherry Smith: graphic design
Samax Randolph: illustration
David Rodriguez: painter
Diana Hawkins Rushing: bookmaking
Ashley Jones: collage

The day was fantastic. Many of these kids don’t have access to great art programs, so to be able to pair them with local working artists is a real pleasure. It’s good for the kids, it’s good for the artists, and it’s good for us as an organization to remember why we do this and to invest in the future of Dallas art a little.

Special thanks to our supporters: Jeanne Blanton, the Deep Ellum Foundation, and Mayor Pro Tem Caraway and his staff.

We’ll be creating another workshop next weekend, this time with musicians! Check back here for pics and story.

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