Are you the parent of a child or teenager who loves to paint or draw? Here are some suggestions to help you encourage their interest:
Look for after-school programs in your community. You may wish to begin with general art classes, moving to a more specific focus, such as illustration, cartoon, printmaking, design, digital art and photography. Art undertaken solely as a creative outlet is important, but as your child gets older, look for courses that include elements of technique that will help them further their craft.
Take your child to the art gallery whenever possible. Buy them books on art, and talk about art together. Art is a way to enrich a life – both creating art and enjoying the art created by others– regardless of the career your child may eventually choose.
Art is a solitary interest. Look for ways to help your child connect to others who love to do what they do – not only online, but in the real world, too. It is far easier to validate the interests of a child who loves sports than it is to do so for a child who spends their time painting, or drawing manga. Look for competitions your child can enter and galleries where young people can exhibit their work. An artist at our summer camp was recently commissioned to produce a piece of art of someone in their community. Opportunities like this offer validation and teach young people that what they love to do can enrich the lives of others, as well as themselves.
Many families live in communities without the resources to meet the needs of a child or teenager who loves art. An overnight program like Centauri Summer Arts Camp may be the answer. At our camp, young artists choose from specialist programs such as Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Photography, Cartooning, Design for the Theatre and Digital Art. All programs are taught by qualified and experienced professionals, and everyone works towards a gallery show at the end of the session. It’s about top notch training, developing creative skills – and building community, too.
Julie Hartley
Director
Centauri Arts