After our successful "Build a Dragon" workshop, we are now fundraising for our second and final workshop for this school year: "Painting our Space"! Please consider donating to provide local youth with the amazing and FREE opportunity to experience plein air painting (landscape painting outside!) with expert plein air artist Dennon Walantus!
This workshop was inspired by an interest in landscape painting expressed by our current youth members. Dennon will help kids learn how to paint on scene and select interesting subject matter from their surroundings in our very own Downtown Plattsburgh! Classes will take place both inside and outside as students explore the city, painting scenes that pique their interest. Kids will learn painting techniques as well as tips and tricks for painting and sketching outside using acrylic paints.
The workshop will take place June 9th - 13th, Monday through Friday, 3pm-5:30pm, in the upstairs Community Room at the North Country Food Co-Op.
We are hoping to reach our fundraising goal by the end of June, so please donate if you can! We would love for our local youth to have the opportunity for this amazing art learning experience before the end of the school year.
HAPPY (Health through Arts Programming for Plattsburgh Youth) was created to provide safe and creative environments for arts-based after-school activities for youth in Plattsburgh. Our current focus is on middle school-aged kids, as only 6th grade has a general art class at Stafford Middle School right now. There is no art at all in 7th grade, and 8th grade has only an advanced drawing class. It is our belief that expression through arts is critical for youth development and mental health—especially for this age group coping with many life changes.
HAPPY is being established as a youth-driven organization, meaning that all members will be youths interested in the arts and will have the ability to vote in board member elections. In addition, at least one board member seat must be filled by a youth member. Our goal is to develop programming based on the actual interests of our members and to help our local youth achieve their creative goals. Though we are not yet a 501(c)(3) organization, we hope to achieve this status by the start of next school year.