News

2008–2009

In April 2009, we celebrated our first full year of Recreative Art Center programs for adults and youth. Twelve artists showed works at the Recreative Art Center gallery in the first year, beginning with a reception on April 10, 2008.

We began our second year of weekly social dance classes with ten loyal volunteers reaching over 100 girls. With Free Arts of Arizona, we held a six-week dance program and a tour and art project at the Heard Museum, thanks to volunteer Al Panttaja, for 20 Native American youths. Recreative Art Center sponsored six monthly adult Saturday night dances and Sunday afternoon tea dances to introduce and encourage social dancing for adults.

Thank you to regular, dedicated dance volunteers Carlos and Mary Colon, Kim Combs, Julie Dutcher, Ed Quigley, Skip Sampson, and Nancy Snowden for helping us keep a social dance program hopping for a whopping consecutive 72 weeks for resident girls in a treatment facility.

Our ikebana program taught over 300 hours to 12 students. The tai chi class offered over 600 hours of adult instruction to 75 adults and 50 hours to 20 youth from another treatment facility. Yoga offered 120 hours of instruction for six adults. The chamber music club gave 40 adults over 500 hours of chamber music playing enjoyment.

Recreative Art Center provided weekly tai chi and yoga classes throughout the summer and fall for young people with mental and behavioral health issues. Our instructors achieved stellar support and participation from the youths. They learned movements, followed instructions, and were able to calm themselves and relax. A two-Saturday tai chi and yoga workshop was offered for Big Brothers and Big Sisters for “bigs” to attend with their “littles.”

We completed 11 weeks of social dance classes for 35 students at a behavior and mental health facility through Free Arts of Arizona, culminating with a party and free tickets on May 22 for the People’s Choice Dance Competition, thanks to Misha and Forest Vance. Our continued partnership with Free Arts of Arizona helps us connect our instructors, youth in need, and volunteers who want to help. Fall classes in social dance engaged girls at two behavioral health facilities and several group homes.

Amazing Axé Capoeire teacher Leon took initially skeptical students of an inner city youth academy on a twelve week virtual journey to learn Brazilian music, dance, and martial arts. By the end of the course, they were demonstrating their skills for the rest of the student body to enjoy, too.

The Adult Chamber Players Club resumed monthly meetings in October with 22 musicians reading music together and playing three recitals.

Ikebana students search and prune in the Brecker garden on Monday mornings for line material for their creations. Results can be seen in the Student Art section of the on-line gallery. Carol’s exhibits included annual Phoenix Art Museum Ikebana and Arts and Flowers and weekly arrangements in the Recreative Art Center Galllery. Sensei Carol studied at Sogetsu headquarters and attended the annual fall exhibit in Tokyo and proudly awarded three Ikebana students their first certificates. Carol taught three classes for our Ouray, Colorado, partner Weehawken throughout the summer.