Learning Lab, 9716 Metropolitan Ave, Forest Hills, NY 11375, US

Finally Grownups Can Be Young At Art For 25 years, Westchester youngsters have had one place to go where they are more than welcome to get messy. At Young At Art Workshop in Scarsdale, the mission has always been to encourage kids to be creative in their own way. Soon their parents will be able to enjoy the same no-holds-barred opportunity. "Here there's no right or wrong in art -- it's a rarefied place, " says YAA administrator and co-founder Donna Wiener. "Children feel supported in expressing themselves in their own way through art, creative movement, singing, and storytelling. We simply provide them with carefully prepared materials, stimulate them with concepts, and teach them the skills they need to realize their ideas." YAA takes place in a large open room that is free of furniture. There are shelves floor to ceiling around the room with boxes filled with enticing art materials just waiting to be cut, glued or painted. "Nothing is held up as an example of what the children are 'supposed' to do, " adds Wiener. "The emphasis is on learning by doing --kids learn about mixing colors by mixing colors. They do collaging, constructions, puppetry and puppet stages. They make giant road maps and vehicles. Older children learn how to draw and paint a still life and self-portraits among many other projects." Students are encouraged to work with abandon. Getting messy is expected when children are immersed in the art making process. Paint spills and glue drips are simply wiped up. Wiener and YAA co-founder Marsha Mendel got their inspiration 25 years ago, when the two art lovers wanted a quality art experience for their own toddlers. They found it in a highly respected program at Manhattan's 92nd Street Y. Delighted that their kids left each two-hour class proud of themselves and their creative projects, the two moms soon joined a training workshop themselves on how to teach art-making to children. In 1980 they began the Young At Art Workshop in one room at a local synagogue. From that modest beginning with one weekly class for three-year olds, today YAA serves over 200 children each week in 17 classes taught by 11 gifted teachers. Over the years the Workshop has twice moved to larger quarters to accommodate the growing demand for classes. Students range from 2 to 10, but the upper age limit is about to change. "For years parents who brought their kids to YAA have expressed their own yearning to create in this type of environment, " says Wiener. "So this spring we'll be offering a series of workshops for adults for the first time."

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