For parents with special needs children, an art class from the Williamsburg Center for Contemporary Art is bringing a different way to expand their horizons.
“It’s more about the art experiences than the art products,” said Karen Schwartz, coordinator for the Buddy Art program. “The product is less important than the process.”
Schwartz has ran the Buddy Art program since it started in 2008, and after more than a decade of working with the children and volunteers, she said she has seen the amazing ways art can bring people together.
The Buddy Art program is a bi-annual class at the James City County Recreation Center that pairs volunteers with children with disabilities or special needs ages 6 and older to do a number of art-centered activities. This includes more than just children — Schwartz said she has had people participate well into their 30s.
The idea first came to Schwartz after her husband started the Buddy Ball program, a baseball league for children with disabilities, and she realized just how little activities there were for these students in the area.
So Schwartz applied for a grant with WCAC and started the program with the help of students in William & Mary’s Sharpe Community Scholar Program, which offers support for students looking to connect with the community.
Since then, Schwartz said the class has become extremely popular, not just with the participants, but also with the students who volunteer.
Schwartz said working with a “buddy” in the program helps the kids participate and feel more comfortable in social situations. In the past, she said she has seen students come in who were too shy to speak and then by the end of a session they are more confident and social with their buddy.
“Sometimes we have more buddies than kids,” she said. “And that works out fine because for a lot of the kids, the socialization with their buddy is what’s important. It’s probably just as important as the artwork.”
Schwartz said since the first year, many students from the college have come out to help, whether it be for community service or just because they want to help.
She added she hasn’t had any students participate for class credit and only a few over the years have done so for community service hours. Most of the students participate because it relates to their field of study in childhood development or education and gives them real-life experience.
Part of what makes the program successful, Schwartz said, is because the students aren’t forced or “corralled” into doing an organized activity. Typically, she said the supplies are provided and there are no rules, besides safety precautions.
Sometimes the students will do finger painting or collages, and when the weather is nice they will go outside and draw with chalk on the sidewalk.
The money for the program comes from donations and grants through WCAC over the years, but Schwartz said they are always looking to provide more resources and opportunities for the students.
Classes for the fall will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at the James City County Rec Center.
For more information visit WCAC online.
