Children's art classes presented at Spire Studios

In To Art Class!

IntuArt School and the Beacon Cultural Foundation are proud to announce after-school art scholarships for young people in Beacon.

IntuArt is a small art school that was founded by art educator, Jennifer Sipple, this past summer in order to provide more art education opportunities for Beacon students ages 10-16.

Says Sipple, “Although Beacon has a flourishing art scene, there’s not all that much available to kids who want to make art. IntuArt is about providing the space, materials, and instruction for young people to learn and create… but that’s not all. Some of my long-range goals for the program include artist studio tours, student art exhibits in local galleries, and field trips to galleries and museums.”

This fall, IntuArt will be offering after-school classes on Mondays and Thursdays from 4:00-6:00 at Spire Studios on Beekman St. The first session starts on September 19.

In order to make these classes affordable for the majority of Beacon residents, the tuition has been kept as low as possible -- $95 per six-week session. But the real news is that some scholarships will be made available to students in need.

So far, the Beacon Cultural Foundation has taken the lead by funding three scholarships. Sam Yanes, President of the Foundation says, “Arts education is an important component of a vibrant community. We are pleased to help this effort in Beacon.”

A recruitment drive is under way to encourage local businesses and organizations to follow their lead. These sponsors can make tax-deductible contributions to the Beacon Cultural Foundation. In addition, if an organization or individual is able to provide just half of a scholarship, the Foundation will match that donation.

“More business participation means more student participation,” says Sipple. “Bringing Beacon’s art and business communities together for the sake of education.”

IntuArt’s 2005 Summer Art program was held at the old Beacon high school, now Bulldog Studios, which is run by the Beacon Cultural Foundation, and courses included: Drawing and Painting, 3-D Art and Sculpture, and Papermaking and Bookbinding. Over a three-week period, seventeen students ranging in age from 7 to 16 attended the program. (If interest is voiced for younger students to be able to attend the fall after-school classes, an additional session will be added for children ages 6-9.)

If you are a member of an organization that would like to sponsor a student or if you are a student who would like to attend IntuArt School, please call: 845-416-5608 or e-mail: jenalice@intuart.com. For online information visit www.intuart.com/jensipple.