By Julie Slama | [email protected]

Jenny Carter brought her children, fourth-grader Ahlia, second-grader Teslin and kindergartner Eli to East Midvale Elementary’s Family Art Night to spend the evening dabbling in art.

“We created origami bookmarks and we painted with watercolors,” Carter said. “Ahlia painted a sunset, Teslin painted the night sky and Eli made his own creation — and enjoyed using all the colors.”

Carter said she would fully support the event if it went annual.

“It was fun to support the school, see their artwork and spend an evening together trying different forms of art,” she said.

Sponsored by Playworks, with the support of United Way of Salt Lake and staffed by volunteers from Hillcrest High’s Latino in Action club, it was the school’s first Family Art Night.

“We wanted to hold a community education night where families could come, relax, relieve stress and connect with their kids through art and with other families in the community,” East Midvale Playworks Coach Haley McIntosh said. “We offered several different activity stations so at the end of the night, the families could take home their artwork to display.”

Other activities including building with yarn, creating a wooden cart stick frame and painting a section of a kids’ art canvas. 

East Midvale Beverley Taylor Sorenson art specialist Melonie Stauffer also contributed, adding some supplies she had remaining from previous classroom projects.

“Kids love art,” she said. “So much of their day is structured in regular classes, that they welcome art as an outlet and the chance to be creative.”

Many of the students’ artwork was on display so families could go on a gallery stroll to see their masterpieces. Many of the art included learning techniques such as color, line and texture.

Other students, for example, explored the concept of shape while creating thankful hand trees and scarecrows using circles, triangles and rectangles. Or they used the technique of space to learn about positive and negative space squares or 3D perspectives while making wallpaper landscapes and seascapes. 

Stauffer said the artwork tied into their grade-level curriculum such as the fourth grade learning about land forms and fifth grade learning about Colonial history, so they tried their hand at weaving.

After the Rosenberg family strolled along the art walk, they made butterfly rings, creating with yarn, folding origami paper and settled into experimenting with watercolors.

“We love art and the arts are important for all people, no matter the age,” parent Andrew Rosenberg said. “Without art, there is no inspiration for life.”

As the family painted together, Rosenberg said they regularly go to museums and do crafts; his daughters dance and perform in vocal arts; his wife draws; and he plays musical instruments.

“My parents heavily influenced my childhood with the arts and that is what I appreciate and want to bring to my children,” he said. “This night is a chance for us to be together and have fun enjoying it together.”