December 3, 2009

Peninsula Hands on Art is a program created by dedicated parents and local artists to expand art education in the schools.  Each year we develop four art projects designed around specific concepts, history, and techniques in art, and then teach the projects to parent docents (volunteers), who bring the projects and lessons to the classroom. Your involvement and donation of time and resources to our program is the foundation to its success!  Thank you for your generosity and commitment to the arts!

Peninsula Hands-On Art provides high-level arts education to elementary schools in the Gig Harbor area.  Founded in 2003 by concerned parents and local artists, PHOA serves approximately 2,600 students in grades K-5 across five schools.  Each year, PHOA provides four art projects to these students, designed centrally and presented in the classroom by trained volunteer docents. The docents teach classes using professionally developed curricula that incorporate art theory and history, satisfying Washington State EALRs.  Each student is provided with artist-quality materials and informational handouts, and guided through the process of making the project.  Afterward, each student has an original art piece to take home or display in the school, and, we hope, a greater understanding of visual arts in culture and history, as well as the pleasures and rewards of the creative process

The theme for the 2009-2010 school year is Architecture.  The first project will introduce students to basic architectural design elements and vocabulary.  The remaining projects will all build on that lesson while focusing on different concepts and artistic media.  We will be offering “Building a Foundation”, a study of basic design elements in architecture; “Planning with Perspective”, a guided drawing lesson in perspective and how it translates to building plans; “The Finishing Touches”, an opportunity to learn about decorative and functional aspects of a building, then sculpt a gargoyle from clay; and “Putting It All Together”, an introduction to vernacular architecture, creating individual sculptures based on the Watts Towers in Los Angeles.  Each project has been chosen carefully to provide students with a broad spectrum of art experiences while teaching different facets of an overarching concept.  As always, each project will include a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the concepts, historical elements and techniques featured in the project.

In the last five years PHOA has provided over 40,000 art lessons to students, coordinated hundreds of volunteer hours and brought the creative joy of art to our kids and the community.  Please give generously and help us continue.

Sincerely,

PHOA Board of Directors

Marla Morgan / President PHOA                                 Meredith Hale / VP Director of Education PHOA

H 253-851-1603                                                          H 253-756-5733

C 253-732-7222                                                          C 253-906-0403

mmm19622002@yahoo.com                                     ladyluck131@gmail.com