Community Arts Programs
WVU COMMUNITY ARTS PROGRAM TAKES THE ARTS ON THE ROAD
With the recent combining of the WVU art, music, theatre and dance community art programs under one umbrella, one of the college’s main goals is to expand its outreach into the community by bringing the arts to those who might not have access to or the opportunity to attend an art-based program. During the Fall semester, the WVU Community Arts Program was able to bring a puppetry class to students at Terra Alta Elementary School as part of an after school activities program sponsored by Preston County Schools.
This puppetry class, which is offered by the WVU Community Theatre Program, is an exploration of puppetry as a medium of self expression and introductory storytelling and theatre investigation. Puppetry projects range in scope from puppetry of found/recycled objects to mask making/ masquerading to visual means of expressing student’s thoughts and feelings through puppetry. Themes may include concepts of multiculturalism such as customs and traditions around the world, sharing of different cultures and their celebrations, and learning about the world we live in through the eyes of puppets.
Instructed by Debra Hart, this class gave students at Terra Alta Elementary School a chance to create various kinds of puppets with everyday objects and work in groups to create stories using the puppets that they made. The puppetry class exposed the students to the world of theatre and art, provided opportunities for social interaction, exploration of ideas and creative thinking.
Debra is a WVU Master of Arts graduate in Art Education. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the School of Visual Arts in New York, New York. She has worked in the design, marketing and advertising world for many years prior to pursuing her Masters degree with pre-K through college teaching certification. Debra has joined the WVU Puppetry Mobile for in depth holiday weekend workshops at The Greenbrier. She has served with Arts Monongahela, Inc., Appalachian Education Initiative, and the Monongalia Arts Center to promote the arts in education throughout the state of West Virginia.
Research shows that participating in the arts helps increase the effectiveness of cognitive thinking. The Community Arts Program looks forward to continuing to share the benefits of the arts throughout the region in future outreach projects.