The next artistic prodigy may emerge from Rhode Island thanks to The Collaborative, an all-volunteer nonprofit arts organization in Warren. The group offered free youth art classes for both middle and high school aged students last month, and will be displaying their work throughout April. The classes were led by talented Rhode Island arts educators Juliette Casselman, Lauren Enjeti, Adam Tracy, and Tommy Whalen, and focused on functional sculpture, nontraditional and experimental techniques, printmaking, and filmmaking.
Since its inception, The Collaborative has been a space for local artists to not only hone their art, but also to collaborate and build a thriving arts community.
“This program really follows our philosophy of using the arts to educate,” says Uriah Donnelly, the organization’s executive director. “The two main goals [of this program] are to develop each student’s appreciation of the arts and to encourage self-esteem and confidence.” Many young artists have already had exhibits in the gallery. “We’ve had the pleasure of watching them grow and evolve into budding professionals,” says Donnelly.
Works by the program’s graduates will be on display throughout the month of April; students in the filmmaking course will screen their work on April 8. And soon adults will be able to get in on the fun: in addition to planning more youth art classes for the future, The Collaborative is assembling an adult program for the spring, starting with a photography class. Warren
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