The Arts & Craftsmen Guild is proud to announce a new collaboration with Rural Outreach Center (ROC) to offer youth art classes at the Roycroft Campus this summer. As part of their mission to break the cycle of rural poverty, ROC provides programs to children which includes play therapy services, enrichment and learning opportunities. Through this partnership with the Guild, several of the talented juried artists will teach classes on Saturday mornings in July and August, highlighting the mediums of clay, printing, fiber arts, painting, etc.
This initiative is being spearheaded by two Guild members, Paulette Krakowski and Stacy Smith. “We are so excited as a group to share our wealth of knowledge and creativity with these children,” states Guild Community Project Co-Chair Paulette Krakowski. “This program is a unique opportunity for them to learn, create and grow on the historic Roycroft Campus.”
Experiencing the arts can be very formative for children; from development of fine motor skills and critical thinking, to creativity, increased self-esteem, and stress reduction. ROC Program Director Amelia Leggett shared that, “The ROC is so excited for this amazing opportunity and to explore new possibilities that this collaboration will offer ROC kids.”
The Guild’s long-term goal is to continue this pilot program through the rest of the year on a monthly basis in partnership with the ROC. For more information on ROC’s youth programming, please visit https://theroc.co/.