By Judy O’Gorman Alvarez
Experts preach about the value of art for children, whether it’s a form of therapy to help them release and express feelings or just gaining an appreciation of drawing and painting. Nowadays, art can be a much-needed and appreciated outlet for kids.
One River School of Art & Design in Middletown offers classes for all ages from 3 through adults. The programs allow students to become well-rounded artists in a variety of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media. For many students, especially teens, classes such as traditional and contemporary Japanese manga, anime and street art are particularly popular.
Our teachers, who are very passionate about art and teaching, also have fine arts degrees,” said Kathryn Kaplan, assistant director/franchise owner of One River Middletown. “Our students are getting a great education about a variety of artists and many techniques in different mediums. In addition, because all of our teachers are working artists as well – showing at galleries, illustrating books – they have the background and real-life experience to pass down to our students.”
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected schools and of course, students, some programs like One River Middletown have continued. With the advent of virtual lessons, the school has been able to reach students – former ones and new ones – from as far away as North Carolina and Washington D.C.
“This is definitely a unique time with what’s been going on with the pandemic,” said Nicole DeBarberie, director of art education. She points out that the creative process of art has always been helpful, even in pre-pandemic times, for managing tensions and the uncertainties of everyday life. “Not just as a product to have a finished piece of artwork, which is great, but also for the art therapy side of it,” she said. “I think we provide opportunities for expressive communication. And you know, self-awareness, fostering self-esteem and even for our little kids, it improves their cognitive and sensory motor functions as well.”
Samvi Raj of Holmdel has produced so much artwork over the years, his parents have a hard time finding places to display them.
One River student Samvi Raj, 10, of Holmdel has churned out so much artwork over the years, his parents are hard-pressed to find places in their home to display and store his and his 12-year-old sister Annika’s pieces. Since he was 2 years old, Samvi “was always drawing and coloring and very interested in art,” said Arun, his father.
One River Art “gave him an excellent avenue to explore,” he said. “He was able to fully realize what he wanted to do and he tried different art forms that he had not tried before.”
At a time when so many kids were spending so much time online, especially over the past year and a half, Arun said, Samvi’s classes at One River Art “unleashed his creative potential during the pandemic.”
“I love how art can like help express creativity and stuff, and it gets my imagination flowing,” said Samvi, who will be entering sixth grade at Indian Hill School in Holmdel in September. “If I have an idea, I usually draw it. If I want to see two characters interacting, I’ll probably draw it myself. It basically gets you in that creative mind flow.”
Samvi said he likes creating comics and is trying his hand at writing a graphic novel. “And I’m gathering lots of influences. That way I can expand my knowledge. I just like to create new things.”
Among the classes and summer camps he has taken at One River are digital scene animation, whimsical watercolors, figure drawing and pen and ink illustration.
“I really liked digital animation because it lets me bring my drawings to life. And I also really enjoyed the pen and ink illustration because it’s something that I have never done before – to brush in ink and mix it with water to water it down and make lighter versions of the color.”
There’s no limit to art, Samvi said. “You can just keep going and going and going. It’s almost like you can’t reach your maximum potential. You just keep proving and improving and trying out new things. There’s endless possibilities with art.”
Youngsters of all ages are welcome to try a variety of art mediums at one of the many classes that the Monmouth County Park System offers. From pottery to drawing to painting and fine arts, there’s something for everyone. “Particularly now, when every one of us – even as adults – have sort of a pent-up anxiety, I think from being restricted on where we can and can’t go and who we can and can’t be with,” said Christina Carlson, program coordinator at the Creative Arts Center. “But the arts have always been about expressing ourselves. And this is a wonderful outlet to do it, whether it’s smooshing clay or learning to exact your brushstroke to mimic a great Impressionism painting.
“It is a wonderful way for somebody to express their feelings in a positive manner,” Carlson said. “Same with music or writing; nobody can tell you that you’re painting something wrong because it’s coming from you and your emotions.”
Carlson noted that by high school, students often lose more structured arts programs, through reduced curricula as well as other demands on their time, such as sports, jobs and activities. “Their time is so limited, so even if they have a snippet of it in their school programs, they don’t really get to focus in on a higher skill level.”
All the park system’s classes are popular – pottery classes fill up in minutes – and Carlson notes that sewing classes for ages 10 to 15 are becoming more and more popular.
“I think that this building – the Creative Arts Center at Thompson Park – is one of the best unknown gems of Monmouth County. We really do our best to offer high quality art classes that are affordable for everybody. It’s just a wonder ful little magical place.”
For more information visit monmouthcountyparks.com.
This article originally appeared in the Aug. 19-25, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
