HOLIDAY FUND: Boys and Girls Club helps unleash kids' creativity, skills HOLIDAY FUND: Boys and Girls Club helps unleash kids' creativity, skills (December 03, 2003)

By Marjorie Mader

Almanac Staff Writer

The arts flourish and kids thrive at the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula's four branches in Menlo Park, East Palo Alto and Redwood City.

About 400 kids daily, ages 6 through 18, come to the clubhouses after school to unwind, explore and stretch their creativity through the club's Visual and Performing Arts Program, now three years old.

They may illustrate a poem, listen to Miles Davis music and try to identify the instruments being played, or explore whatever interests them during Open Studio. This unstructured time is designed to introduce students to the arts.

Others take structured classes in painting, drawing, creative writing, bookmaking, photography, music, drama and dance at the clubhouses. Some learn printmaking at the Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University.

Teens take part in the East Palo Alto Mural Project, with the goal of painting vibrant murals at each of the schools in the Ravenswood City School District. Before picking up paintbrushes, the young people do research to learn about the community and its ethnic history to develop a theme for each mural. The teens are paid by the club for their work.

"All members are exposed to the arts," says Rachel McIntire, the energetic art director, who has a background in art education and design. They meet visiting guest artists, go to art events and visit art-based businesses.

"We believe the arts stand alone for what they provide kids in terms of self-expression and being more tolerant and understanding of other cultures," says Ms. McIntire.

Illustrating the importance of art in young people's lives, she draws on a quote from Elliot Eisner, professor of education and art at Stanford University: "The arts traffic in subtleties ... They teach children the art, not only of looking, but also of seeing, not only listening, but also hearing."

A gift from Sukey and Irv Grousbeck of Portola Valley provided funds to start the visual and performing arts program. "They wanted to see a vibrant arts program for children on the east side of Bayshore," says Les DeWitt, a board member of the club since 1990 and now its development director.

The club was able to hire artist Vanessa Fleming to develop the program, and she asked Ms. McIntire to work with her. They developed the curriculum-based arts program, now offered at the club's McNeil Family Clubhouse, 401 Pierce Road, Menlo Park; Mervin G. Morris Clubhouse, 1108 Hilton St., Redwood City; Moldaw-Zaffaroni Clubhouse, 2031 Pulgas Ave., East Palo Alto; and Center for a New Generation, James Flood Magnet School, 320 Sheridan Drive, Menlo Park.

Founded in 1958 as a safe place for kids after school and during the summer with a focus on recreation, the Boys and Girls Club has evolved into a youth development organization, serving the many needs of children.

The key programs are: academics, visual and performing arts, physical education, science and technology, and social education. Jacqueline Glaster is the executive director.
INFORMATION

For more information, call 322-8065 or check www.bgcp.org.

Showcasing the arts

The Boys and Girls Club celebrates its young artists on Wednesday, December 17, in "Reflections 2003," featuring work from the fall session, entitled "Finding Beauty." The event is at the Veterans Memorial Center, 1455 Madison Ave., Redwood City. It begins with a reception from 5:30 to 6 p.m.; the program is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Photography, painting, jewelry and book art will be on display, and there will be music and theater performances, including the Center for a New Generation Band. Friends and community members are invited.

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