A Successful Summer
for Project Challenge of
Long Beach and West End Arts

West End Arts Summer Project "Art a` la Carte" at the Beach Clubs East and West

West End Arts offered an innovative summer art program, "Art a la Carte", to the Long .Beach. middle school children July and Augustwho attend summer Beach Clubs , East and West, Youth Centers sponsored by Project Challenge of Long Beach. The Beach Clubs began three summers ago through the efforts and dedication of Roy Lester and Project Challenge to offer kids in our community a safe, fun and supervised place to go Tuesday-Saturday evenings. West End Arts ,directed by Kathleen Regan, came on board to offer art courses taught by it teaching artist members. This year West End Arts , funded by a NYS Special Legislative Grant, has expanded its project by offering art courses each taught by a variety of talented and creative teaching artists. The children experienced pottery with painter/potter Michael McLaughlin, T-shirt design with clothing designer Ron Emanuele, printmaking with painter/printmaker Kathleen Regan, painting on silk with painter Wal Achmueller, acrylic and watercolor painting with painter Karen Prezioso, crafts with broom maker /crafter Karen O'Neil, Portrait drawing with painter Robert Stewart, video production with the "Long Island Artist Habitat" team Barry Rivadue and Alexandra Karafinis, and Bob Shanley photographed the entire summer project . The students chose from an "Art a` la Carte " menu of 8 different art topics. The program offered an opportunity for the kids to wotk in a variety of media as well as a variety of interesting and professional artists. The teens experienced interacting with artists who have many artistic professional life experiences . They got a chance to see the artists portflios, ask questions and think about art as a serious subject and career choice. Art can be profitable as well as fun. An official Beach Club T-Shirt was created and distributed to all the participants . The T-Shirt was developed from drawings that the children created and the "Art a` la Carte" logo designed by illustrator Phil Jacobs. The art program was a huge success and sparked the artistic light in many young minds.