Children's Art Program At NFA March 23

From Norwich Free Academy: The Saturday Morning Children’s Art Program at NFA celebrates its 125th year with an exhibition opening reception, 1-3 p.m., Saturday, March 23, in the Converse Gallery of Slater Memorial Museum.

The Saturday Morning Children's Art Program introduces students to the visual and performing arts. Visual arts encompass a variety of media and techniques including mixed media painting, design, and printmaking, watercolor, observational drawing and clay. Performing Arts junior theater classes explore the basics of theater and stage performance. Classes meet throughout the school year and culminate with exhibitions of artwork and performance.

This year’s exhibition presents hundreds of works by students – ceramics, paintings, collage, and prints. For 125 years, young people in the region have discovered and developed their talents under the direction of some of NFA’s outstanding art teachers and Museum Directors, including Frido Urbinati, Joseph Gualtieri, Melody Leary, and Mary Anne Hall. For many young people, the Saturday Morning Children’s Art Program has served as an introduction to Norwich Free Academy’s outstanding art program and a lifetime career in the arts.

For the past several years funding provided by the Edward and Mary Lord Foundation has
supported participation by third-graders in Norwich’s public, parochial, and charter elementary
schools in the Saturday program through an Ellis Ruley scholarship, in memory of Norwich
artist, Ellis Ruley, whose work was celebrated in an exhibition in Converse Art Gallery in the fall.

The public is invited to attend the opening and view the students’ artwork. The show runs March
23 to April 5. Slater Memorial Museum is open Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends,
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.