‘WEE ARTISTS’: Johnson Center hosts pre-schoolers and moms

Published 3:00 am Wednesday, June 28, 2017

A group of three- and four-year-olds went out to play with their moms Tuesday and the smiles all around told the story of their day together.

The Johnson Center for the Arts docents are hosting a two-day creative art experience in art, music and movement for Wee Artists and their moms. One group of moms and We Artists visited the arts center on Tuesday and another group will have a similar art experience today.

Docent Judy Dye said the idea for activities that involve families originated with Joyce Conrad.

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When visiting the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Dye had observed mothers and their young children sitting on the floor and participating in an activity that involved art and reading. She gave the idea her full support, as did all the Johnson Center docents.

Ideas for family activities at the Johnson Center were tossed around and the hope was to involve Jenny Meadows, who has theatrical experience, and Pam Smith, an artist and teacher by trade.  Both readily agreed to share their talents and suggested a mom and kid activity.

“The docents thought summer would be the best time to offer a creative art experience for moms and their pre-schoolers,” Dye said. “Tuesday was our first day for Wee Artists and the children and their moms or grandmothers obviously had a fun time together.”

Meadows got the day off to a welcoming start with singing and dancing.

“The moms and Wee Artists sang a song about names and each child got to add his or her name to the song. Along with singing, they did some fun movements,” Dye said. “Then Pam talked to the children about lines – straight lines, curved lines, zigzag lines – about triangles, squares and circles.”

Smith showed the Wee Artists the lines in the artwork on the gallery wall. Then, the children and their moms sang more songs. This time, they did some artwork with their hands and feet. They drew circles, squares and triangles in the air with their arms and the shapes on the floor with their feet.

“And, a good time was had by all,” Dye said.

Next, the Wee Artists and their moms went across the street to Art by the Tracks and got to dabble in paint. Together the moms and Wee Artists painted fish and learned about colors and how the colors will blend together when they “swish” them around with a wet brush.

Dye said the Wee Artist activity is the beginning of what the docents hope will be many more activities that bring families together for creative art experiences at the Johnson Center.