Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Rotarians learn of 'Art Blast'

Each year the Arts Cooperative Team in Hot Springs holds an event specially designed for children, and according to Executive Director JoAnn Mangione, its a blast.

Mangione was the speaker for the Gurdon Rotary Clubs weekly meeting on Thursday, Feb. 15. She talked to the Rotarians about the Arts Cooperative Teams Art Blast childrens art festival held each year in an effort to get children more interested in art. The event is open to all area children, and some from Gurdon have already attended.

We always try to do fun and interesting things, she said of the program.

One activity she described allows the children to be models for a life-size replica of themselves made out of cardboard. She said that previously the painting of the children has been left to professionals, but at a recent Art Blast, the participating students got to give it a try.

Mangioni said there is a craft festival on the same weekend as Art Blast, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and that usually allows parents to drop children off at Art Blast while they go on the craft show. Parents are welcome to come to Art Blast, however, and they are admitted for free.

The cost for a child to participate in Art Blast is $5, Mangioni said. One of the reasons the cost is so low, she said, was because of donations given to the group by the Cabe Foundation of Gurdon which help buy t-shirts and lunch for the children who participate.

For those who cannot afford the entry fee, Mangioni said there are scholarship tickets available.

We dont want anyone to stay home because they cannot afford it.

Two local girls who have attended Art Blast also spoke briefly to the Rotarians. They said they had an extremely good time at Art Blast and plan to attend again.