Around 100 pieces of striking artwork by children and teens were on display on Friday following the conclusion of a two-week art workshop, which was held at the Carifesta Sports Complex.
The art exhibition, which was organised by Lou Ann Lewis-Jackson, had pieces by each of the 36 persons who participated in the workshop on display. Facilitators included Lewis-Jackson, Devina DePutron and Joanne Blenman, among others. Persons from ages 3 to 16 participated in the workshop.
During the course of the workshop, participants were taught lessons in paper crafting, painting, and fabric arts, among others. The younger children were taught to develop their motor skills and free hand painting, while the teens were taught the elements of arts including drawing and shading.
Lewis-Jackson, who is an artist and teacher, said that she has been hosting the art workshop since 2010 before taking a short hiatus. She said that she decided to resume the workshop this year because art is not considered as important as Mathematics or English. However, she believes that art is vital to child development because it captures the interest and can be used as a method for teaching other subjects.
The main purpose of the workshop, Lewis-Jackson said, was mainly recreational and to build confidence, which will enable participants to express themselves freely.
In addition, Lewis-Jackson said that although she usually gets the support of corporate Guyana when hosting the workshop and exhibition, she was forced to bear the financial burden on her own this year. Hopefully, she said, next year with financial support, she can host the workshop and exhibition on a larger scale. The artist added that she would also like to cater for persons who cannot afford the workshop.
Participant Yhanice Brown told this newspaper that he finds fabric arts interesting and enjoyable. The 11-year-old revealed that art is one of his favourite hobbies and said he enjoyed the workshop very much. “It was a good experience. It’s my first time doing fabric arts and it was very fun,” he related.
Another participant, Talitha Kissoon, revealed that the workshop was very stressful, mostly due to the fact that some of her paintings weren’t perfect. Regardless, she said that she immensely enjoyed the workshop.
Meanwhile, 13-year-old Geovanna DosSantos, who is an aspiring artist, also said that she enjoyed the workshop and hopes to return for another one next year.
The children received certificates for successfully completing the workshop.
