Claude Monet may not win any popularity contests against Sponge
Bob Square Pants with Healdsburg youngsters, but educators at Live
Oak Preschool say four-year-olds like the French Impressionist
painter just fine.
The school recently kicked off its Famous Artists’ curriculum,
activities designed to spark creativity while introducing students
to the masters. Teacher Judi Fors hung prints of Monet’s paintings
for students to enjoy and invited them to paint their own
Monet-esque landscapes.
“I don’t think it’s ever too soon to introduce children to art,”
she said. “No matter how they use art supplies, the result is
theirs and it’s unique.”
While Fors skipped the lecture on the Impressionist Movement,
she did show the students a map of where Monet lived and a movie
that blends animation with his work. She spoke about his love of
being outside and of gardens, simple pleasures easily understood by
her young class.
And through his work, she taught them art. “I showed them
technique, to see shapes and things visual,” she said. “They picked
up a lot of it. It’s amazing.”
Fors wrapped up the Monet unit with a fieldtrip to Healdsburg’s
downtown Plaza Arts Center. There the students crowded around
paintings, photographs and ceramics. Laurel Hager, 4, later wrote
in a thank you letter that she liked the big chicken. Samantha
Simpkins, 5, liked the tulip picture and Logan Cheriff, 5, “liked
the rock with the smiley face.”
Preschool director Therese Walker said the walking fieldtrip was
a big hit for the children. “It was just fun for them experiencing
that next step of going to a gallery,” she said. “I’ve never seen
the children more enthusiastic and interested in a project.”
The Plaza Arts Center shows a mix of local artists and special
exhibits. Regular artists circulate their work every six weeks,
giving visitors something new to enjoy each time they visit. The
center also raises money for school programs and scholarships and
offers tours to children interested in art.
“Art starts when we’re young and gets in our blood,” said Ellen
Minter, an artist and docent at the Plaza Arts Center. “Any time a
child sees something that inspires them is good.”
What’s up next for the preschoolers? “We’re going to do van
Gogh,” said Fors.
