This year, YIA Mentor Artist Hannah Dworkin has been working with students that have speech and language delays in an Early Intervention Program.  Hannah designs curricula utilizing Music and Movement to enhance development in a variety of areas including Verbal Skills, Language Accuisition, Gross and Fine Motor Skills, Interpersonal Skills and Phonemic Awareness.

Students in Hannah’s class experience 45 minutes of singing, dancing and fun while building these important skills.

Our VSA program has provided program in Marin Special Day Classrooms for about 30 years.  One Special Day teacher had this to say about our progam:

Having VSA Arts residencies in our classroom is such a valuable
experience for the students with severe special needs. While we
always strive to mainstream with our typical peers on campus, the VSA residencies take the pressure off our students to perform perfectly or even modify their behavior, so they can enjoy the lessons.

Not only do my students feel more relaxed and are therefore able to
listen and participate in classroom activities, but they are able to
improve their verbal skills through song and their locomotor skills
through the fun movements. My students and staff enjoyed the weekly lessons and missed our artist dearly when her time was up.
Our staff also benefit from the VSA residencies because we are able
to fully participate in the activities and truly engage all of the
students at the same time, therefore allowing us to perform better.
It is what we like to call “magic time”!

We look forward to another year with your VSA arts program!  Thank you so much for continuing to offer this phenomenal program to our students with autism and other severe special needs.

To support this program, visit our home page at youthinarts.org and click on the “donate” button.

Blurb.com is a print on demand service that will deliver your hard cover book straight to you (or a gift recipient). Preview the book online and buy your copy today–a great gift, but hurry! Holiday shipping deadlines are coming up very soon!

Faces of the R…

2009 Youth in Arts…

By Youth in Arts

Book Preview

YIA Mentor Artist Marty Meade has been working with Jennifer Hammond’s Special Day Class in Mill Valley through our VSA arts program, creating colorful and original fused glass art.  Marty is a master of glass art, teaching the art form at the College of Marin and in schools throughout the area.  Marty enjoys bringing students a variety of materials, encouraging them to go beyond ‘the limits’.

Creating glass art through VSA arts

Ms. Hammond has students with a range of abilities including Down Syndrome and Austism.  Youth in Arts provides subsidized funding so that students of all abilities have the opportunity to create and communicate through art.

“The students in my Special Day Class have fully enjoyed their experience this year with Youth in Arts. For the very first time they were given the experience of working with glass and creating one of a kind hand-made glass pieces. Simply watching the students open their packages with their finished work was awe-inspiring.   Their eyes lit up when they saw what beautiful art they had made. The day they received their necklaces every student wore theirs proudly throughout the day showing it off to anyone who would listen. I even went around to show other teachers what great pieces my class had made! What a great experience for these students! Pride and honor continue to be the best success for positive self esteem.”  Jennifer Hammond, SDC Teacher

Students were eager to show off their amazing artwork

Youth in Arts is collaborating with the Marin Youth Center (MYC) for their art exhibit “Exposure III” to take place on December 4th at 6:30PM.  One of Marty’s students, Rae, decided to share her piece for the art exhibit at the MYC.  Since Rae has Autism, she is usually hesitant to interact with new people, but after a few classes with Marty, she has fully engaged in the art experience.

“Rae’s story was very moving to me, as she isolated herself for the others and immersed her self into a book.   When I gave her the scratch art paper she accepted it immediately and began to draw faces that revealed her connection to the outside world….  she participated in the glass project the following week, and again drew on the paper.   On the day that she offered her piece to be hung, she had been crying and wanted to go home…. she calmed down when she joined us, and did another piece.

We weren’t expecting her to be enthusiastic about exhibiting her art-work, and were all happily surprised when she said yes.” Marty Meade, YIA Mentor Artist

If you would like to see Rae and other student work from our Youth in Arts programs, join us at the MYC, 1115 Third St in San Rafael, on December 4th at 6PM.

There will be over 400 student works on display, created by K-8 students of YIA Mentor Artists Brooke Toczylowski and Evan Bissell. Performances by in-school music students will be featured, along with a theater performance and capoeira (Brazilian dance-martial arts) demonstration by Youth in Arts’ Twilight After School program students.

Selected students will be honored for their work, achievement and contributions to school community life with new awards inspired by three well-known artists:

Recipients of the Frida Kahlo Award will be selected for their willingness to take risks and confidence in their approach to making art. The Dawoud Bey Award will honor students who are good listeners, who care about other people’s perspectives and who are positive community builders. And the Ruth Asawa Award will be given to students who are hard workers, determined and diligent about learning and making art.

The event is free to the community and light refreshments and dessert will be provided.

Choose Tomoteru Saito’s painting that is pictured here or choose one of three other cards. Go to our website now to see the selections and make your donation.

Artist: Tomo Saito, Photo: Joy Phoenix

Youth in Arts new CD

Join us for a sing-along for children of all abilities with music from Youth in Arts new CD C’mon Everybody! Marin Youth Center (MYC) in downtown San Rafael, 10 am, Wednesday, November 18. Reservations required, call 415-457-4878 ext. 18 or email jdaly@youthinarts.org.

C’mon Everybody! features original music composed by Youth in Arts Mentor Artist Miguel Martinez and featuring performances by additional YIA Mentor Artists. Songs encouraging response to direction, social behavior and language acquisition. It is fun and accessible for developmentally typical PreK children, as well as children with cognitive or developmental delays. Our live performance at the MYC will be an informal setting welcoming to kids of all abilities.

C’mon Everybody! was produced with support from FirstFive Marin as part of a special 2009 workshop for families with children on the autistic spectrum.

Mentor Artist Lead Students in a Sing-Along

Students were called into the Art Room with a Aztec Conch shell trumpet and drum.  They packed in for a lively sing-along with Mentor Artist Rhonda Benin. Then they were treated to a traditional Oaxacan performance, beginning with a call to the Four Directions by Mentor Artists Ernesto Hernandez Olmos and Nydia Gonzalez, with assistant drummer Amiel Gonzalez. Students were eager to get involved in the activities and came up to the stage to play turtle shell drums, deer antlers and shakers.

Students Participate in Traditional Oaxacan Performance

Festive food was donated by Carlos Santana’s restaurant Maria Maria in Mill Valley, and three creepy but tasty “brain cakes” were provided by The Pleasure is Mine Catering in Tiburon.

Kaila, a third grader, sang a song all by herself.

Kaila

Nico, in fourth grade, showed off his guitar skills and left us amazed!

Nico

New After School Director, Victor Toman, finished out the event with a lively song.

Victor

Check back here to find out details about the next event. Parents, friends, and family are always welcome!