500 fourth-graders to learn about Butler

The children will learn about art and the treasures the Butler has to offer.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — The Butler Institute of American Art has been awarded a $16,250 grant to launch a community visual arts program for city fourth graders.

The money comes from JP Morgan Chase, which wants more Youngstown children to experience the rich cultural resources offered by the Butler, said Theodore F. Walter, president of the firm’s Youngstown market.

The money will be used this school year to bring some 500 fourth graders from seven city schools to the Butler on Wick Avenue.

Butler staff and 20 volunteer guides will conduct the year-long program which includes two field trips to the Butler for each of the seven schools involved as well as an in-school program conducted in 20 classrooms.

The in-school portion will introduce the children to the Butler collection and the visual arts and the children will learn art vocabulary and explore the elements of design before visiting the institute.

The program, titled, “Good Neighbors: Youngstown City Schools and the Butler Institute of American Art,” will end with a final project — the production of an art journal/notebook based on the children’s personal reaction to the experience.

The children will be supplied with notebooks and art supplies and some of the funds will pay for a laptop computer and projector for use with presentations.

The program is designed to complement the fourth grade curriculum.

It will conclude in May with a final Butler visit during which the children will become tour guides for a day, leading fellow pupils, family and friends through the collection galleries.