Areas like the painting room at the Neighborhood Art Center allow kids to paint anywhere – on paper, on the walls, or on the floor – creating a space where kids can be artists without worrying about making a mess. The Neighborhood Art Center is celebrating a new expansion with a free grand reopening ceremony this Friday, December 10th, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Provo Towne Center. (Courtesy photo by Tallia Feltis)
The Neighborhood Art Center is celebrating a new expansion with a free grand reopening ceremony this Friday, December 10th, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Provo Towne Center.
The Neighborhood Art Center is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization based in the Provo Towne Center. The Neighborhood Art Center has been providing the community with a space for children to participate in a variety of hands-on art activities since its inception Take place.
“We just expanded the space next to us and our size has more than doubled,” said Feltis. “It will really change the things that we can do. We’ll have a classroom. In the foreground we will add a thrift shop for art supplies and simply have a lot more space for activities. “
Feltis also said the center plans to expand the arts activities available, including more resources for ceramics and printmaking. Currently, visitors to the center have access to a variety of creative activities and spaces, from a painting room to screen printing to an art library, according to Feltis.
One child works in the “workshop room”. This area is stocked with a variety of tools and materials that allow children to build, experiment and create. (Courtesy photo by Tallia Feltis)
For Feltis, the Neighborhood Art Center is her answer to a need she saw in the Provo community. “I’ve always loved creative spaces for children,” she said. “When I was little and when my children were little, I loved taking them to places where they could be creative and discover. I noticed that there really aren’t such places here in Provo. “
The center offers a calendar of events and courses as well as a walk-in time on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Entry to the center is $ 5 for children and $ 3 for adults. In the center, children are given the freedom to express themselves without fear of chaos.
“I believe that children are creators and artists by nature and that their need to create is innate,” said Feltis. “As children get older, they can sometimes be shy about creating art – we try to promote art as something that is about trying out and having fun.”
A child uses a screen printing frame to create a work of art. Screen printing is just one of the many resources available to Neighborhood Art Center visitors. (Courtesy photo by Tallia Feltis)
Emily Bade, a board member of the Neighborhood Art Center, also believes giving children a space to be artists is important. “I love that (this space) isn’t a craft center – it’s not a place where kids can create an exact replica of a model, it’s a place where they can explore and do whatever they want,” said Bade.
Bade said she wished there had been a place like the Neighborhood Art Center when she was little. “I was really excited about the idea of a community center for kids where they can go and be messy than at home and learn about art.”
For Keera McClellan, chairman of the Neighborhood Art Center, the upcoming grand reopening ceremony is an opportunity to share the center’s resources and excitement with even more parents and children. “I’m just looking forward to people seeing what we have to offer. I’m really excited to get people to show them, ‘this is what we do.’ “
The Neighborhood Art Center website has more information about the December 10th reopening ceremony and other events and programs.
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