A luxury worth investing in

Because schools in Florida and across the country have suffered budget cuts over the years for many kids art and music classes are “luxuries” their schools simply can’t afford. On top of being incredibly sad that our children have to miss out on the joy of creating something of their very own with their own hands, some studies say the lack of arts education is doing them a disservice. These studies suggest students who take high-quality art classes do better in other courses and are taught important mental habits not emphasized elsewhere in school such as self-criticism and the willingness to experiment and learn from mistakes. If your child’s school has a less than stellar art program (or none at all), you may want to consider enrolling them in one of these classes:

Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens 801 Riverside Ave
(904) 355-0630
The Cummer offers a number of classes for children and young adults throughout the year. During these sessions kids ages 6 and up will learn about painting, printmaking, collage and construction. For more information on these classes, visit http://www.cummer.org.

European Art Garage 3821 Hendricks Ave
(904) 399-2773
European Art Garage in Miramar offers private and group art classes and a summer art camp for kids. Children (and adults) of all ages will learn the basics of drawing, painting in different mediums and art history. Visit http://www.europeanartgarage.com for more information on the gallery and the classes they have.

JaxParks Arts Programs various locations
(904) 630-4100
The city of Jacksonville offers an array of art classes, most of which are free of fees. There are four cultural art centers in town: Murray Hill Art Center (4327 Kerle St, (904) 384-8039) has classes in watercolor, oil and charcoal painting, drawing and pottery for kids ages 8 and up. Balis Community Center (1513 LaSalle St, (904) 306-2148), Edith Brown Ford Community Center (2839 W. Beaver St, (904) 388-2640) and Joseph Lee Community Center (5120 Perry St, (904) 630-0307) all have pottery and ceramics classes. To learn more about each center and the classes they offer, go to http://www.coj.net and search for “JaxParks Arts Programs.”

Riverside Children’s Arts Center 2841 Riverside Ave
(904) 389-1751
This Christian-based non-profit has visual arts classes for kids from Kindergarten to fifth grade. Younger students will be introduced to watercolor, clay and mosaics during the 6 week sessions while older kids get to try their hand at set design. Riverside Children’s Arts Center only offers these classes and workshops during the fall, but they fill up fast so check their website, http://www.riversideartscenter.org, regularly for enrollment dates and other information.

MOCA Jacksonville 333 N. Laura St
(904) 366-6911
MOCA Jacksonville offers “Studio MOCA” classes for teens ages 15 and up and routinely has camps during school breaks for younger kids. Current Studio MOCA classes available include “Acrylic Essentials” and “Go Beyond Figure: Drawing Live Models.” For more information, visit http://www.mocajacksonville.org.

Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach
50 Executive Way, Ponte Vedra Beach
(904) 280-0614
The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach has plenty of classes and workshops for your little artist to choose from. Kids can learn about sculpture, painting, mixed media, printmaking and much more. The Cultural Center’s winter 2008 class and workshop schedule can be found at http://www.ccpvb.org.