Celebration of Youth Art Month continues to grow at Kiddly Winks
Date: 3/16/2009
By Courtney Llewellyn
Reminder Assistant Editor
LONGMEADOW -- Joy Leavitt, co-owner of Kiddly Winks, believes that Youth Art Month is important because it not only acknowledges the talent and skills that children have, it acknowledges the children themselves.
For the twelfth year, Kiddly Winks is supporting young artists from Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Springfield, Enfield, Conn., and Somers, Conn., by displaying their artwork in the store.
"It's a clothesline art show, and we have miles and miles of clothesline," Leavitt told Reminder Publications.
As of March 12, Kiddly Winks had received more than 500 submissions from preschool and elementary school students, stretching from Center School in Longmeadow to Soule Road School in Wilbraham to Trinity Nursery School in Springfield.
"It's such a celebration of childhood," Leavitt said.
She and her husband Michael, the other co-owner of the store, started celebrating Youth Art Month because "very few children really get to show off their artwork. This gives them a forum to show off."
"This is a fabulous compilation of what children can do," Leavitt commented. "Their talent is amazing. When you see how teachers have inspired kids to do things, to take it to the next level...Parents are amazed."
She added that the staff at Kiddly Winks are just as excited about Youth Art Month as the children that submit art. She also invited the public to stop in and view the childrens' artwork.
And, in order to foster creativity in children, the store is offering 20 percent off all art products during the month of March.
Youth Art Month is an annual observance each March to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs. Youth Art Month was created in 1961 by ACMI, a non-profit association of art and craft materials manufacturers.
Kiddly Winks is located at 801 Williams St. For more information, visit
www.kiddlywinks.com.
