Presidential Proclamation Makes Strong Case for Arts Education

President Barack Obama issued a proclamation in honor of National Arts and Humanities Month for October 2009. An excerpt: “Every American deserves an opportunity to study, understand, and contribute to the arts and humanities. This must begin in our schools, where children may have their first and most important exposure to these disciplines. Working on…

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Abrakadoodle Artist of Distinction Wins Award

Master wildlife artist Morten E. Solberg, Abrakadoodle’s first Artist of Distinction, became the second recipient of the prestigious Robert Kuhn Award at the recent National Museum of Wildlife Art’s Western Visions Exhibition in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Learn about Abrakadoodle’s Artist of Distinction program. Solberg was recognized for his “Who’s the Boss” acrylic on canvas painting…

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Erasing Misconceptions About Creating Art

A familiar item in many an art or back to school supply case, the standard rectangular or shaped eraser may not be as popular as in years past. Abrakadoodle co-founder Mary Rogers, MA.Ed, made this observation during a recent visit to a children’s art class. She held up a large pink eraser for the students…

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Avoiding the Elementary Creativity Slump

By about age 10, children’s creativity tends to fall off as they move increasingly toward conformity to achieve peer acceptance and to realize school success measured largely by testing and grading of projects and papers based upon adult standards. This trend was first documented over 40 years ago by educational psychologist E. Paul Torrance, who…

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Originality Elusive with Age

What happens to our ability to demonstrate creativity as we age? Outcomes from a study to determine originality in children and adults reveal dramatic drops. According to findings from testing conducted to determine original thinking, which was presented at a NOVA University program in April 2009, • 90% of 4-year olds showed originality • 70%…

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Art for Kids brings Election Day Excitement into the Classroom

Art education is a wonderful way to help integrate children’s learning, including symbols that characterize the American experience. At the Academy of Christian Education in Fairfax County, Virginia, as in many public and private classrooms nationwide, children engaged in activities that connected them to our general election. This class of approximately 20 students, representative of…

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