Register Now for the CAC's February Vacation Arts Program!

Registration is now open for the Children's Art Centre's February Vacation Arts Program! This full-day program for children ages 4.5-12 runs from February 21st to 24th during the Boston Public School's vacation week. The Vacation Arts Program is a non-competitive environment that encourages each young artist to develop their interests, grow in their own personal style and work with others as they explore the world of art.  

Each day, children will be given the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of visual arts projects and techniques ranging from crafts projects to painting, printmaking and sculpture. Children will be taught traditional technical skills but will also be encouraged to work on original creations and will be given freedom to use their imaginations for innovation and creative problem-solving. Children will also participate in yoga and music enrichment classes, as well as a field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts.  

New this year, we will be accepting a limited number of 11 & 12 year olds into the program as Leaders in Art (LIA) who will assist Art Instructors with various lessons. LIA's will help facilitate, lead, set up, clean up and encourage younger participants.

Breakfast, lunch, snack, the field trip, and art materials are all included in the enrollment cost, and subsidized slots are available based on need. Spaces are limited in this unique and engaging program. Visit the following link to learn more and register:

February Vacation Arts Program 

This fall, United South End Settlements was invited to participate in Boston Center for the Arts' Community Windows Project at the Mills Gallery in the South End. Blueprints: Boston's South End Re-imagined was an exhibition of works created by students from the Children's Art Centre Youth Programs that centered on understanding and re-imagining our community.

In this collaborative project, youth explored different artistic processes and techniques, from creating graphic cutouts and stencils to drafting floor plans and elevations, to convey their representation of the historic South End neighborhood. Mapping, drawing and model-making of the South End inspired these young artists in creating a unique vision of the neighborhood imagined through their own eyes.  

Students' work was on display at the Mills Gallery from November 30th - December 7th.  

Community Windows features artwork from local organizations on display between Mills Gallery exhibitions throughout the year. Through workshops at the BCA and at partner sites, artists of all ages curate exhibitions of their work or create new, site-specific artwork for the Mills Gallery windows. The Community Windows project is just one of the many ways that BCA partners with the Children's Art Centre and USES to enhance our programming and foster an appreciation for the arts in the youth we serve. Many thanks to the Boston Center for the Arts for this unique opportunity!

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At the Children's Art Centre, a firm belief in the power and importance of creativity to children's cognitive, social, and emotional well-being is at the center of everything we do. Across the field of education and child development, creativity is increasingly being recognized as an essential core skill necessary for success in the 21st century. But what is creativity exactly, and why is it so important? And how can we best encourage and foster creative development in our children?  

These questions and more are answered in simple, straightforward, substantive ways in Creativity Matters, a FREE downloadable E-Book by author and educational blogger Amanda Morgan. This book is a fantastic and approachable resource for parents, teachers, or caregivers, and is easily downloadable as a PDF file. Click  here to download your free copy, and happy reading!