ART REACH PICTURE PROGRAM - 25th Anniversary!

We just celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Picture Program! Click here to see a list of all of the past docents. The Art Reach Picture Program consists of volunteer docents that introduce local elementary age students to art and art history. This program is designed to help them understand how art is a part of our daily lives. The Picture Program began in 1981 and has grown to reach over 9,000 students in 31 schools throughout Mid Michigan.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering for this program may come to one of two training sessions. No experience is required, docents learn with the students. All research is provided.

THE 25th ANNIVERSARY  OF THE ART REACH PICTURE PROGRAM - by Nedra Fisher

This year is the 25th anniversary of the Art Reach Picture Program. On Wednesday, April 14 from 1 – 4:30 pm there will be a reception at Art Reach on Broadway for all volunteers who worked as School Coordinators and Docents for the “ARPP” since 1984. 

It certainly doesn’t seem like 25 years. Art Reach of Mid Michigan began its’ life as a community arts center in 1981. The term “life” is important because Art Reach is the staff and volunteers who work together to bring the Arts to our community and schools.

Our Visual Arts Education Committee formed in 1984. Early members included Jan Alfano, Linda Binkley, Penny Endres, Mary Lou Evett, Ron Farrell, Nedra Fisher, Karen Fredericks, Linda Hall, Pat Herron, Kathy Hunt, Phyllis Jeppesen, Richard Kerr, Polly Koenigsknecht, Claudia Lang, Judy Thurston, Alice Stengren, and Betty Tyler. We developed a program that would help K-6 students by enhancing the art education they received in area schools. Trained volunteers (Docents) would introduce reproductions of art that great artists created throughout history. Discussions could include color, style, technique, what the world was like in which the artist worked, geography, science, and feelings about the art. The goal of the ARPP was to help students understand, appreciate, and feel comfortable with various styles of art. With the teachers’ permission, a simple art project would be included in the presentation.

Committee members visited schools to explain the program. A fee of $250 was needed to join the ARPP – just what a set of 16 reproductions would cost to purchase and prepare. All Mt. Pleasant schools, Blanchard, and Shepherd decided to participate. First we chose the reproductions. It was not an easy task when you’re trying to cover many time periods. A research team lead by Mary Lou and Phyllis typed histories of each artist (no on-line Google to help). A 150 lb. dry-mount press was borrowed (and returned) each weekend from Dave Britton, owner of The Picture Place, and lugged to the Art Center by Ed Fisher and Yaron Lang. Dave Britton showed us how to use it and teams including Rose and Bob Traines, Claudia and Yaron Lang, Louise Plachta, Kathy Hunt, Ed and Nedra Fisher, and others worked many hours to dry-mount reproductions to the masonite boards and attach research and handles. Our goal was to bring a museum to the children.

Over 80 volunteers came to the Center to be trained by Docents from Midland. A woman from the Detroit Institute of Art also came to help. She was so good that we feared every volunteer in the room was going to be afraid to do the program and leave (possibly by getting down on their hand and knees and crawling behind the chairs out the door). Fortunately, the Midland Docents told them it was easy and fun so all went well. Actually, volunteering is easy. If you can spare 2 hours once a month, enjoy working with children and can read you don’t need to know anything about art, you’ll learn with your students. On November 14, 1984 the first presentation was made at Vowles Elementary School, and by January 3,526 children had began the ARPP.

Things got really busy after that. Weidman, St. Joseph’s, St. Henry’s, Farwell, Clare, and Gladwin joined the program – and Art Reach purchased a dry-mount press. In 1989 the Gratiot/Isabella RESD asked us to offer the ARPP to Gratiot County. That eventually added sixteen more schools to the program. In 1990 Lapeer schools requested the program and eventually 50 schools in the thumb, Hastings, and Heartland also participated. The distance was too great for them to join us, but we supplied the research and trained their volunteers.

In 1996 Art Reach was given the Governor’s Award for Education because of the ARPP. Olga and Rollie Denison hired a bus and we traveled down to the DIA to accept the award. We were surprised when Art Reach received a $15,000 grant from the Dayton/Hudson and Target Companies. Each could have given their $5,000 to the winner of a different award. I guess we were doing something right. Through the years some schools have closed. Others have dropped out because of a lack of volunteers. In 1998 there were 12,750 students receiving the ARPP. Today there are 30 schools with over 9000 children participating in mid Michigan. The Arts must be a part of every child’s education. They enhance creativity and prepare these young adults for tomorrows’ workplace. So, here’s to the next 25 years!