Special Needs Residency Program @ P.S. 15

Exciting news! This month, K.I.D.S. Art Education received a grant from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation to support an initiative 2 years in the making: a year-long residency program serving Julie Cavanagh's amazing special education class from P.S. 15.

Ms. Cavanagh's students have been visiting Kentler for the past 2 years and have benefited greatly from our inquiry-based teaching and hands-on creative activities. We're so happy to expand our presence in their lives through a 12-class program led by Teaching Artist Ruth Wetzel.

Today, the students arrived at the gallery for their first visit. Working from the exhibitions of Jaanika Peerna and Chris Gonyea, they discussed the same ideas of gravity, "stretched" composition and color contrast explored by the kids in our general School Programs.

We allowed them to move throughout the space exploring the effects of art on the body and eyes. Peerna's installation offered sensory experiences that contributed to the understanding of math and science concepts referenced throughout the class. Gonyea's trees inspired talk about plants, animals, environment, and weather.

At the end of the session, students were asked to describe their drawings and comment on the work of their peers. The pride and achievement of these young artists is infectious and they are already working hard. We cannot wait to see what is in store for our year ahead with these incredible kids!

Thanks again to Ruth, Julie, all of the dedicated chaperones who accompanied the class to Kentler, and the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation for recognizing the need and potential for this exciting collaboration! Much more to come in the months ahead.