Youth in Arts Goes Back to School!

Fall is almost upon us an Youth in Arts is back in the swing of things! We have returned to quite a few schools and have added some new sites as well.

Mentor Artist Julia James, began teaching visual art in K-5th grade at a new site, Two Rock Elementary in late August.  She is working with the students on an observational drawing project in their school garden, as well as various forms of printmaking and bookmaking.  She loves taking in the beautiful West Marin landscape on her drive to Two Rock, which is situated halfway between downtown Petaluma and Tomales.
Shawna Alapa’i was thrilled to return for a back-to-back year of teaching Hawaiian Hula and Storytelling to the K-6th grade students at Sonoma Mountain Elementary in Petaluma.  Her students learned the basics in their last 12 week residency, so she is looking forward to teaching them more complicated movements, while expanding their knowledge of the dance style steeped in culture and history.  As Shawna says, “I strive to teach the flow of the Aloha spirit through dance and sound.”
Though Youth in Arts has worked with Cascade Canyon School for a number of years, they are exploring visual art for the first time with the help of Mentor Artist Cathy Bowman.  Cathy, an award winning cartoonist and writer, is sharing her special skills with the 3rd-8th grade students in Fairfax.  They are working together to learn how to tell their story through drawing, painting, printmaking and of course cartooning.
In addition to working in our model program at Davidson Middle School, Katie Issel Pitre began her Devised Theater residency for 8th & 10th graders at the Canal Alliance last week.  This 12 week advisory class at the Canal Alliance’s University Prep program is focused on investigating self and building confidence.  Katie will help the students create, write and perform a collaborative piece that explores issues pertinent to them.
We have several more Mentor Artists beginning their residencies in the coming months.  Stay tuned!