On Wednesday, the children participating in Art Adventure Week at Morningside School answered the call of Amanda Morgan, a USU alum and author of “Not Just Cute” an Early Childhood Education blog. In April, Ms. Morgan posted a phenomenal video of painter, Holton Rower, and his creative team, collaborating in the creation of a “Tall Painting”.

She pondered how such a wonderful “process art” experience could be translated to art for the young child. Our staff was inspired, and in discussing this potentially amazing art project with others; garnered the interest of Nadra Haffar, Education Curator for the Nora Eccles Harrison Musuem of Art. Nadra offered to donate a 4 gallon bucket of acrylic medium to reduce the cost of the project!  She got so excited about the idea that she and her daughter, Alia Peragallo, accepted an invitation to attend the event.  They enriched the experience for the all of us by bringing a descriptive art vocabulary to the work of “Tall Painting”.  Jeri Malouf, Owner of Morningside School joined us for the morning too, bringing her delightful way with children to the mix.

Process art brings joy, creativity, playfulness, challenge, social connection, and sensory stimulation to our children at Morningside School. The end product of the “Tall Painting” was not really the point.  We enjoyed the moment, and knew that the results of this project might only exist in the child’s memory, an expressive moment when paint, fingers, and gravity collided. No matter. It was ART.

This week we also painted with water colors and sea salt, pounded herbal playdough, made millions of bubbles, built structures with gum drops and tooth picks, painted glass, made sculpture with recycled stuff, and made our very own original Morningside School tote bags!

For more information about the 2011 Summer Program or the Preschool/Kindergarten programs at Morningside School, please contact Jacqueline Gauthier,  Director Morningside School Inc.