In partnership with Creative Connections Inc., Silvermine Arts Center is expanding the cultural and creative experiences of students in the after-school studio-art program at Nathan Hale Middle School, Norwalk. The students create and exchange art with peers in other countries—this year, Uganda and Guatemala—using art to communicate about their lives and learn how others live across the globe, promoting understanding and appreciation of customs and traditions. Each semester culminates in a video conference with their new art friends. Through this face-to-face engagement, the students discover that despite differences and distance, they are more alike than they are different.
Colgate-Palmolive has sponsored the Nathan Hale program for four years, awarding an annual grant of $5000. This critical funding enables the popular after-school art class led by Silvermine’s professional Teaching Artists to run throughout the school year, providing a safe and engaging environment for students to explore and develop skills in drawing, painting and sculpture. Without this program, which has run for 12 years, these students would have only a few art classes a year.
“I am delighted to co-sponsor the Nathan Hale Art Program with Colgate- Palmolive”. said Rose-Marie Fox. “The partnership with Creative Connections Inc. provides our youth the opportunity to tour the globe through ART and friendship. This builds lifelong impressions of cooperation and commonality regardless of differences in country and culture—and vastly broadens their horizons and awareness of the world they live in.”
Since 1992, Art Partners Programs have been engaging professional Teaching Artists to design and execute exciting arts classes to under-served students in Stamford and Norwalk public schools. The distinctiveness of Art Partners, which reaches nearly 1,000 students annually, centers on the quality of the Teaching Artists and their close collaboration with classroom teachers or program directors to augment academic achievement.