Ina Gill, with the Sharp County Library Committee, invited the three area artists to help her come up with ideas.
She explained that she has been in contact with the Thea Foundation, about obtaining a grant for the Ash Flat Library's Kid's Art Club. The foundation is a Little Rock based group that assists with funding art related projects and curriculums in the state. Most noteworthy is the Arkansas A+ Schools program, touted as the nation's most successful arts-based, whole-school reform models. The grant would be used to provide seed money to establish the club, to help boost children's esteems though various art-related projects.
The group normally only assists schools, but the executive director asked Gill to submit an outline of activities, plans and guest artists for consideration in the grant.
Joining Gill in the meeting were local artists Dianne Reidling, who creates hand painted cards, watercolors and calligraphy work; Pat Dunlap, who assisted Gill in formulating the outline to submit to the grant commitee; and Cathy Demko, an artist who has a studio and paints western art, and also offeres her art locally at Stam' s in Highland. Demko stressed the importance of art to children as a means of self expression and a way to boost self esteem.
"When educating children, many people do not believe art is very important and stress sports in many schools. Let's face it, all kids do not like sports or may not be good at them," Demko said.
