Syracuse University students have more opportunities to get involved in the Near Westside now that 601 Tully has started new afterschool and Saturday art programs.

“We’ve had the Homework Club since last semester and thought of creating the Creative workshop with more focus on the younger kids,” said Melissa Gardiner, the coordinator of public programs at 601 Tully. “We’ve started this because it’s art-related and will give the students confidence and allow them to be creative. They also interact and develop relationships with all these different artists who live and work in the community.”

601 Tully: The Center for Engaged Art and Research provides elementary and middle school-aged students with new artistic concepts every week and homework help. It plans to bring in graffiti artists, DJs and African dancers, among others, for the students to learn from.

The afterschool program will run Mondays and Thursdays from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m., and the Saturday art programs are during the afternoon.

It will also benefit the same students by teaching them how to make art projects using old and recycled items. Some of the projects include making a birdhouse out of floppy disks and creating kaleidoscopes.

“The students will be learning to use things around them to make art,” Gardiner said. John Cardone, the lead teacher of the program, said creating art through recycled products was beneficial because the program has a lack of funding.

He added that using recycled goods as a resource was both frugal and crafty, allowing students to learn a new way of “thinking outside the box and the importance of creation instead of consumption.”

601 Tully has partnered with numerous organizations in the past, including SU’s School of Education, the Kauffman Foundation and the Near West Side Initiative, to cultivate art through education by providing a space for artists to use, especially students, since its establishment in 2010.

“Marion Wilson and her staff are so dedicated to bring art to the community. They provide a holistic environment using art,” said Maarten Jacobs, director of the Near Westside Initiative.

The art programs give many students, especially in this area, the opportunity to utilize their artistic skills.

Jacobs said he feels the 601 Tully programs are important to the community, saying that it is filling the void of youth educational programs in the area.

“The programs will positively impact the students. After spending a long day in school, they can come to a safe space where they can be creative,” he said.

Although the programs have already started, 601 Tully is continuing to look for volunteer teachers. Potential applicants include high school students, SU students and adults within the community.

Applications for both the afterschool and Saturday programs are available on 601 Tully’s website.

“A lot of public schools in the Syracuse area, like many in the U.S., have a lack of art programs,” Cardone said. “Students now have a safe space to use their art skills and a healthy use of their time.”

Volunteers for the afterschool program will help students with homework assignments and other academic programs. Volunteers will also act as assistants to the guest artists. During the Saturday program, volunteers will be there to aid the artists and help with the art projects.

Said Gardiner: “Through our program, students will have a sense of identity. They will develop positive relationships with their peers and their teachers and gain many tools that will enable them to express themselves.”

Published on February 4, 2014 at 9:18 pm

Contact Bodeline: bkdautru@syr.edu