The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the Van Wezel Foundation have long partnered to provide educational and outreach programs for children, their families, and educators. Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are launching a new arts education service, Artworks Anywhere, free and online, for parents, educators, caregivers and kids. The initiative will include both live streaming and on-demand recordings of learning activities that can be done, as the name suggests, anywhere.

That includes visual arts projects from Van Wezel teaching artists, story time and dramatic play and more. The plan is to encourage children and families to create art together, whether through drawings, stories, poems, dance moves or songs.

New content will be offered each week, featuring a See Art, Create Art, Share Art model. Each video module will be broadcast on a custom YouTube channel and include a call-to-action project to be shared online at the Schooltime at the Van Wezel Facebook page using the #ArtworksAnywhere hashtag. A landing page on the Van Wezel Foundation website will also be established for the entire community to engage online.

“The teaching artists at the Van Wezel have previously worked with school districts, teachers and early childcare professionals to deliver high-quality performing arts education and integration methods to effectively teach children about core subjects such as math, science and reading,” says Kelli Maldonado, director of Education & Community Engagement at the Van Wezel. “Through innovative content, including collaborations with local arts and education organizations, we believe Artworks Anywhere will be an inspirational way to not only teach important skills, but use the arts to help children as they navigate this ever-changing landscape now and for years to come.”

The Van Wezel Arts Education and Community Engagement department currently serves more than 30,000 students and provides professional development opportunities for more than 420 teachers each year. The Hall also partners with notable organizations including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

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