Parents Make Art a Priority in Classrooms

Concerned about the lack of arts education in their children’s curriculum, parents at Woodlake Elementary School have taken it upon themselves to make sure that their kids know the difference between Leonardo da Vinci and Andy Warhol.

About 30 parents, mostly mothers, have volunteered their time this year to ensure that every student at the K-5 school receives at least one hour of arts instruction a week.

“We want to make sure that our kids have this as part of their education,” said Kika Wilson, who, along with fellow parent Michele Young, has spearheaded the volunteer teaching effort.

“Of course the children need reading, writing, math and all of that. But they also need to learn that they can be creative,” Wilson said.

Wilson, who instructs eight classes a week at Woodlake, and Young, who instructs two, also led a crash course in teaching art for the other parents involved in the program. With the school able to provide only a small budget for the classes, Wilson and Young rely on donated materials and generally make use of anything that they can get their hands on, they said.

“We’re not necessarily trying to make little artists out of these kids. We just want them to be aware of what is out there,” Young said.

“It’s so important that kids know about Van Gogh and Picasso and that this world of beautiful art exists,” she said.

The colorful results of Woodlake’s art program are on display in the school auditorium where dozens of works emulating masterpieces by Picasso, Marc Chagall, Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffe and others line the walls. On Tuesday evening the works will be a featured attraction of the school’s open house.

“I like yellow a lot so Georgia O’Keeffe is one of my favorites,” said Sharmaine Wilson, Kika Wilson’s 7-year-old daughter, holding up her version of O’Keeffe’s “Sunflower.” “But it’s hard because I like to see all the artists. They’re all different.”

Wilson, who has three children at Woodlake, and Young, who has one, say they plan to continue the arts program through the end of the year and beyond.

“This is really important,” said Wilson, whose youngest is in kindergarten, “and I have quite a few years left to be here.”