Introducing Ourselves...

Artxercise & Art XO Studio Art Workshop is an arts enrichment program founded by individuals with unique ideas under the premise that doing good is feeling good. In each of us are colorful glimmers of light that when combined and shared with others creates a rainbow. Our organization is built on the ideas of individuals who believe arts coupled with physical exercise sharpen the mind as well as the body.

Developed by artists, educators, and entrepreneurs that strive to enhance our future our belief is that in unison we will create a program that will grow the success of our community at large.

Utilizing the principles of fine art and multiple mediums we intend to introduce and explore the concept that art is in all. Further, we recognize that the process of creative art is physical and that aspect is something to consider when formulating lesson plans. Creativity manifests in each one of us and art can be observed in the world around us. Identifiable characteristics are seen in both living and inanimate objects, by understanding the basic art element such as color, shape, texture, combined with sensation, art can create distinguishable feelings.

When considering the imaginations of children today, writer Rachel Rettner (2011) notes that divergent thinking can be effected negatively by stricter school guidelines mandated by states. Further, in adulthood creativity tends to decline as we label things as good or bad, and in essence we are socialized into a heard mentality (Rettner, 2011). One of our goals is to enable freedom of thought and expression in a structured setting that gives our students the sense that different is good and very much welcome!

Incorporating concepts from art therapy is an important consideration for our business. In an article regarding the benefits of art therapy, Clara Keane (2017) writes about how creative modalities enable children (and maybe even adults) to reconcile the chaos of the world as well as their internal selves. We can see that harnessing our innate creativity can be a guide toward a deeper sense of peace and self-awareness. Our program is designed to work for all children, including those with, and without challenges. Children may be in perfect physical and mental health or may have delays, trauma or physical limitations. Based on a review of 204 studies, artistic expression was reported to statistically have what could be called a “significant positive impact” in a variety of cognitive areas (McDonald, A., Drey, N. S. 2018). Everyone can enjoy and benefit from participating in Artxercise & Art XO Studio!

References:

Keane, C. (2017). An Expert on School-Based Art Therapy Explains how Art Therapy Helps Children Make Sense of the Insensible - American Art Therapy Association. (2017). Retrieved on March 5, 2019, from https://arttherapy.org/art-therapy-helps-children-make-sense-of-the-insensible/

McDonald, A., Drey, N. S. (2018) Primary-school-based art therapy: a review of controlled studies. International Journal of Art Therapy, 23(1), 33-44. doi: 10.1080/17454832.2017.1338741

Rettner, R. (2011). Are Today's Youth Less Creative & Imaginative?. Live Science. Retrieved on March 11, 2019, from https://www.livescience.com/15535-children-creative.html