Art festival today at Plano Centre

By Liz McGathey, Staff writer
Saturday, January 27, 2007 3:09 PM CST

Plano residents of all abilities will have their chance to channel their inner Michelangelo today at the city of Plano’s annual Very Special Arts Festival.

The event will run from 2 to 5 p.m. at Plano Centre, 2000 E. Spring Creek Pkwy.

The festival was started in 1985 by the Plano Parks and Recreation Department and Plano Senior High School volunteers as a way to provide learning opportunities through the arts for children and adults with disabilities.

Activities at the festival will run the gamut from placemats to musical instruments — all handmade by attendees at art stations manned by more than 40 community groups such as the Down Syndrome Guild, Plano Children’s Theatre and the Plano Area Art Educators Association. City of Plano public safety personnel and area high schools will also be on hand to help artists create the treasures they will get to take home.

Between crafts, families can enjoy performances by Metro Tumbleweeds Square Dancing, the Denton State School Percussion Band, the German Club Dancers from Plano Senior High School and Logan the Juggler.

One participating community organization, The Classics, will once again offer their expertise at the festival. This year, they’ll give participants the chance to create a clay sculpture.

The Classics is a non-profit organization that works with area children ages 3 to 12 to encourage artistic foundations in children.

The group offers art and theater instruction at their Plano studio, brings national touring children’s productions to the Eisemann Center in Richardson and works with area schools in the arts in education component. The next production will be Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka,” at 2 and 4:30 p.m. today at the Eisemann Center, 9351 Performance Drive, Richardson. Tickets will be available at the door or call 972-744-4560 or visit www.eisemanncenter.com

“My personal opinion is that the arts help you become a well-rounded individual as you grow up,” said Greg MacPherson of The Classics. “It allows you to expand your imagination and helps you think creatively about problems and it’s also just a lot of fun — which should never be forgotten.”

Debbie Mulvenna, executive director of The Classics, said that through their programs, children can take on many different art forms and use many different materials.

“We teach the basics they need to build on a fine arts education,” Mulvenna said.

She stresses the importance of exposing art to young children because of the impact it continues to have on society.

“[Art] is a vitally important component in what our nation is all about. Without it, there would be no beautiful buildings because someone had to creatively conceive of it — it all started with a drawing,” Mulvenna said. “The arts add immeasurably to the quality of our lives. Windows for learning those kinds of things are completely open when children are young. It’s the best time to nurture those skills so they’ll develop into lifelong enjoyment.”

Print this story   |   Email this story