Please Upgrade Your Flash Player
SWAAC sponsors a wide variety of educational opportunities, including arts-in-education projects in local public schools, after-school programs for youth, summer arts for children, and workshops for persons of all ages. Funding for these programs comes from membership contributions, grants from the Arkansas Arts Council, and support from the participating public school districts.
The heart of SWAAC is its strong arts-in-education program that brings professional artists into the classrooms of public schools throughout the region. These residencies include creative writing, art and math, dance, cartooning, poetry, song-writing, and visual arts of various media.
)
)
)
)
)
)
"Sixth grade students from Beryl Henry Elementary work on paper mache sculptures to created under the leadership of artist Susan Sanders."
)
)
)
)
"Students in 6th grade social studies chose 'America and Its History' as the theme for their pulp-paper mural. The completed mural proudly displays on a wall in the cafetorium of Beryl Henry Elementary School."
)
"Students from Garland Alternative Learning Center created Bugzilla, an outdoor creation made entirely of discarded materials. Bugzilla resides in the front yard of the Pruden Art Center, residential home for visiting artists.
Art at the Heart" and "Intervention Hope" are two after-school programs that recently won the national "Coming Up Taller" award, the nation's highest honor for exemplary after-school programs. These programs use the arts to teach self-esteem and discipline to change the attitudes of at-risk youth. More than 300 youth have participated in the program and their progress tracked by Hope Public Schools. The results show an 85% improvement in grades and a 70% improvement in school attendance. The arts change lives !!
)
Student Hivey Thomas and SWAAC Executive Director Repha Buckman receive the Coming Up Taller Award presented by First Lady Laura Busch at the White House.
)
)
"Intervention Hope" students from Yerger Middle School met with professional dancer Rebecca Hahn each day for 3 hours after school and 4 hours on Saturday. Their practice culminated in a public performance on local tennis courts in Hope Fair Park.
)
This mural depicting ??????????????????????, was created by students of ???????????????. Shown are (l. to r.) SWAAC Exec. Dir. Repha Buckamn, ????????????, and Hope Public Schools counselor Dr. Linda Clark.
"Art at the Heart" is a summer arts program offering classes in pottery, creative writing, mask-making, music, creative movement, print making, water color, drumming, and a wide variety of visual arts. The program is cosponsored by the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope.
)
"Led by artist Ann Bittick, students are taught the fine points of painting on glass."
)
"Drummers not only learn to play the drums, but to repair them. Here a summer arts student uses goat skin and rope to install a new drum head."
)
"The Drum Ballet created and led by African drummer Zinse Agginie has performed for numerous national, state, and local events, including the grand opening of the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock."