Outreach & Art Education at Webster Arts
Webster Arts Outreach & Education programming takes art out of the gallery and into the community through a variety of partnerships, programs, and collaborations for all ages using all mediums Our past programs include:
Studios at the Webster Arts Fair: Studios allows fair goers of all ages and skill levels to experience making their own art. Studios has grown from one tent to a six-tent art experience at the Webster Arts Fair, and in 2016, more than 5,000 children, along with their families, participated in over a dozen hands-on art projects – most completely free. Children can learn calligraphy, make spin art canvases, try their hands at throwing a clay pot, paint original album jackets, create personal collages, weave cloth, and much more. Several of the projects use sustainable art methods and materials.
Connecting Community through the Arts: Webster Arts joins The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Springboard to Learning, Nipher Middle School in Kirkwood, and the Meacham Park Neighborhood Improvement Association in bringing the history of Meacham Park to life on the stage and through visual art. Journalism students in 7th Grade are collecting oral histories of residences and friends of this historic African American suburban community. The oral histories will be used as source material by local writers and artists to create a stage presentation and visual art, to be presented in September 2017.
Outreach and Art Education to Refugees and Immigrants: In collaboration with the International Institute of St. Louis, Webster Arts is launching a program for refugees and immigrants in the St. Louis region who may be feeling especially stressed and uncertain. Webster Arts believes that art can elevate the human spirit, provide health benefits of stress reduction, and bridge communication gaps. Among other benefits, the creation of art to tell their stories and connect with their neighbors is intended to relieve stress and help them find their way in their new country.
Summer Camps: Webster Arts is committed to exposing kids to the beauty and power of art. Each summer Webster Arts brings art education and creative activities to the children's programs at Webster-Rock Hill Ministries and Meacham Park Neighborhood Improvement Association. These special partnerships nourish future artists and make the communities stronger. The Summer Art camp is funded by a grant from Union Pacific. Watch the 2020 Summer Art Camp videos here and here.