‘Arts for All' means you, too

Music lessons, dance lessons, art lessons. Kids want to do all of those things.

But especially in these troubled economic times, it may not be feasible.

There are art supplies to consider and musical instruments to rent or buy.

The lessons may be across town, making it difficult to get to them.

And kids can lose interest so quickly. Parents can see money go down the drain as children bounce from one enthusiasm to another.

One Omaha-area organization is trying to address all of these concerns.

Arts for All has been around since 2006. With little fanfare, it works to make the arts accessible and affordable to all by offering top-quality classes in several locations and for a modest cost.

At its five main locations, Arts for All offers a wide variety of lessons in “semesters” lasting 14 weeks (the current winter semester began Jan. 11 and will end April 17). The semesters conclude with recitals and art shows.

Hourlong classes range from music (piano, violin, drums, guitar, voice) to art (paintings, drawing, sculpture, cartooning, photography) to dance (ballet, tap, ballroom). There also are classes in acting/improv, creative writing, poetry, weaving and filmmaking. There are classes for beginners and also for more advanced students.

Four things make these classes attractive: class times of 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday evenings and 9, 10 and 11 a.m. Saturday mornings; the instructors, nearly 60 professionals and teachers; class sizes, which are kept small to give individuals more attention; and, last but not least, the price. Most classes cost $6 a session.

On the evening of Jan. 11, it was a chaotic first night of lessons at First United Methodist Church. But once everyone had registered, the teachers wasted no time in starting lessons.

Jim Puls was there with his three sons: 10-year-old twins Isaac and Ian, who are taking piano lessons, and 11-year-old Xavier, who is taking guitar.

“It's a good program,” said Puls, whose kids are on their third semester. “It's affordable. We can bring them all here.”

Angie Bergman was there, too, waiting for her son J.T.'s advanced guitar lesson to finish. “I like that they're all over town,” she said. “We can do this here tonight, but we live in Valley, so we can go to the Elkhorn location on Saturday.”

In a room down the hall, Leah Vinton was teaching beginning ballet to seven little girls.

Mom Sade Roundtree, who was watching 6-year-old daughter JaShyia from the sidelines, said her daughter really wanted to take dance lessons. “She wants to be a ballerina.”

Roundtree found Arts for All on the Internet.

After the class, JaShyia's only complaint was that she would have to wait a week to come back. “I want to come back tomorrow. It was fun.”

Another plus for the music classes: Instruments are provided for the class period. The only disadvantage to that setup is the lack of practice time at home.

Someday, the organization hopes to have enough instruments to be able to rent them out to students so they can take them home, said founder and executive director Judy Mallory.

Justin Reiss, 14, said he has been taking Arts for All lessons since he was 8. He keeps coming back because of the good teachers. That Wednesday night he was in Andrew Prine's advanced guitar class.

Would Justin recommend the program to others? “Definitely,” he said.

If the program could be defined by only one word, it probably would be flexible. Mallory used the word often as she explained how she and her staff do everything in their power to accommodate everyone who wants to take a class.

Even the $6 fee isn't set in stone, she said. “We try to help as many people as we can. We can reduce rates if there is room in a class and the price is truly a hardship.”

Since next week will be the third week of classes, some are full. But there are slots still available in others, Mallory said.

People who would still like to get into a class this semester should call her office at 556-7821, send an e-mail to info@artsforallinc.com or visit www.artsforallinc.com.

Each class is different. Some are strictly children, others a mix of ages. Sometimes a family makes up a class, Mallory said. It gives parents and children something to share and time to be together.

Sue Keyser was taking a painting class with her 11-year-old daughter, Megan, while her son, Ian, 9, took a guitar lesson.

“It's the first time I've ever picked up a paintbrush,” Keyser said as she used watercolors to paint a still life of fruit and a bottle. “I'm trying.”

In addition to the public classes, Mallory said, the organization has summer day camps and after-school programs at Western Hills Elementary and Lewis and Clark Middle School, and they offer classes through the Open Door Mission.

Just started: themed parties that provide lessons (for example, a birthday party for 12 little girls who all get a ballet lesson). Mallory said Arts for All will supply a cake or food for an additional fee. The first party, held recently, proved a great success, she said.

The nonprofit manages to pay its staff and the teachers.

“We don't pay a lot,” Mallory said, “but everyone does get paid.”

She has plans for other programs if funds become available. She would like to offer more workshops and recitals, maybe in a space Arts for All purchases. The organization also is working on being able to accommodate more special-needs students. And some day it would like to start a residency program.

Arts for All has a board of directors, Mallory said, and is setting up an advisory board, which she hopes will include some “heavy hitters” who have lots of contacts and can give them advice on raising funds and applying for grants. Arts for All also is seeking sponsors and Web page advertisers.

One of the program's greatest attributes is the enthusiasm of the staff and instructors.

Phil Sledge, 20, a site supervisor and a Metropolitan Community College student, was everywhere doing everything to keep things running smoothly, but he didn't mind. “It's good work most days. It's very rewarding.”

Although most of the classes are presented in churches, Mallory stressed that Arts for All has no religious affiliations. The group's office space, at St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church near 24th and J Streets, and the class spaces are donated.

“They have been incredibly generous,” she said of the churches. “We couldn't exist without them.”

Contact the writer:

444-1067, carol.bicak@owh.com

« Community

Share