Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after school, children gather in the Siskiyou Arts Bus behind the Mount Shasta Library for Art Club.
They board the bus for two hours of creativity and fun under the supervision of teacher and artist Haruko Sasaki.
The afterschool program is free for children nine and up, however, any younger child can come with parental supervision.
“This is a place where [the kids] can really explore themselves without rules and regulations,” Sasaki said. “We only ask that they be safe, respect one another and clean up after themselves.”
Part of the magic of the Art Club is that children create anything they choose with a wide variety of materials, said fifth graders Caya Layman and Sammy Blockman.
While Caya was making a house on Wednesday afternoon, Sammy was making a dress.
When asked what their favorite part of the Art Club is, both girls immediately said, “It’s fun!”
Caya said, “I come as much as I can, I love creating things.”
Caya’s mother, Randi Greenspan, said she appreciates the program because it gives her daughter a chance to make arts and crafts that she wouldn’t get a chance to do at home.
“I’m grateful this is here... it gives her time to make art,” Greenspan said.
“We couldn’t offer this valuable program without the support of the community,” said Arts Bus coordinator Pamela Newman. “Steve at Mt. Shasta Electric, Lynn Brown and Alan La Briere of Scott Valley, John Sanguinetti of Mount Shasta and Scott Tift at Mount Shasta RV Repair were instrumental, as well as so many others in getting this project off the ground a few years back.
“There were also many who came forth to help organize, donate art materials and even paint the bus both inside and out. Many of them don’t even have children but care that our local children have safe, interesting and affordable access to art.”
The bus itself was retired from the Mount Shasta Elementary School District six years ago and recycled into a traveling art studio.
Newman stressed that art is important for children for several reasons, including:
• Arts stimulates both sides of the brain.
• Thirty percent of children are visual learners.
• Art enhances perceptual development
• Children who experience art reasd better and do better in math and science.
• Art enhances self esteem.
• Art helps develop hand-eye coordination.
• Children with early art and music are better able to visualize complex mathematical problems nd solve them creatively.
• Art develops awareness of the physical environment.
• Art teaches children to engage in creative problem solving and open-ended thinking.
As a project of the Siskiyou Arts Council, Siskiyou Arts Bus programs include the afterschool Art Club in Mount Shasta, art at public community events, art to youth in juvenile hall, Art From Within for children in Dunsmuir and a Movement and Music program for toddlers.
Upcoming events
The Siskiyou Arts Bus has two events coming up, including Youth Art Day on Saturday, May 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children ages five to 10 are invited to board the bus for free art exploration. Learn about painting, Japanese paper arts and more. Parents must stay with younger children, and volunteers are still needed.
Summer Saturday Art Fun will take place on June 19 and 26, July 10, 17 and 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Children must pre-register. The cost is !10 to $12 per class. More information about the Summer Saturday program will be available at the Mount Shasta Library after May 20.
For more information about any of these programs, call Newman at 530-859-2309.
Mount Shasta, Calif. —
