April 2, 2003
Contact: Dr. Shari Stoddard (509-963-3151/fax 509-963-1918/e-mail: stoddars@cwu.edu)
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Forty works of art created by
kindergarten through 6th grade students in nine western states will be
displayed at Central Washington University through the Crayola
Dream-Makers exhibit “Drawing on Character.” It will be displayed
April 7 through May 2 in the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery in Randall Hall on
the Ellensburg campus.
“Central Washington University was selected to host the
Crayola Dream-Makers program because of its reputation for excellence
in art education,” Diann Berry, Crayola Dream-Makers art education
director, says. “Through the Crayola Dream-Makers program, we hope to
draw more attention to the role art plays in the development of
children’s imagination, thinking skills and learning.”
An official exhibition opening will take place Sunday, April
13, from 1-4 p.m. It will include a recognition ceremony for student
artists at 1:30 p.m., followed by a hands-on art workshop for children.
“First-time visitors to a Crayola Dream-Makers exhibition are
always amazed by how vividly these children express thoughts and dreams
through their art,” Dr. Shari Stoddard, CWU art professor, says. “The
positive energy that goes into the creation of each work ultimately
helps to weave the character of who they are and who they will become
as adults.”
Along with the Crayola Dream-Makers exhibit, art created by a
number of local students will be exhibited on first floor hallway walls
in Randall Hall.
Binney and Smith, makers of Crayola products, introduced the
Dream-Makers program in 1984 to encourage the creative development and
learning of kindergarten through 6th grade children through art
activities, emphasize the value of visual learning in all curricular
areas and call attention to the creative work of children through
exhibitions of student artwork.
Since the program’s inception, more than 20 million
elementary school children and tens of thousands of teachers have
participated in hands-on art activities inspired by the Crayola
Dream-Makers program.
For additional information about the free, public CWU art exhibition,
or for persons of disability to arrange for reasonable accommodation,
call (509) 963-3151, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.
