Prairie Arts Center plans
 ‘Kids Art Day in the Park’

PRINCETON — The Prairie Arts Center has been awarded a Sun Foundation grant to provide a special “Kids Art Day in the Park” program. This free program will be held on Aug. 1, outside, at the park across the street from the Prairie Arts Center, 24 Park Ave. East. Arrangements have been made to hold the event that day even in case of inclement weather.

There will be two art sessions held on that Saturday. From 9 to 11 a.m., children grades 2-5 will create texture drawings using crayons and texture boards. From 1 to 3 p.m., in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, children grades 6-8 will create charcoal portraits of Abraham Lincoln with Bob Telfer impersonating Abraham Lincoln.

The children will also prepare their own display boards for their art works to be exhibited in an art show at the Prairie Arts Center from 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 2.

The art program will be presented by two local art instructors. Mary Michael taught art at the DePue schools for 25 years and currently teaches art lessons in a number of schools in Bureau County. She has a master’s degree in art education from Illinois State University.

Deb Young is the director of the Prairie Art Center’s Youth Art League. She was the owner of Anne Thomas Gallery in Princeton and was one of the co-founders of the Prairie Arts Council.

In order to ensure that all children will have the needed art materials provided for them, their parents are asked to register their children in the programs by July 29. To register, contact Deb Young at (815) 875-9124.

This free art learning experience is provided by the Sun Foundation, the Prairie Arts Council and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.