Bring creative arts home

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Creative art programs are being cut in schools to save money, and kids are being sucked into digital worlds designed by someone else for their recreation. What happened to crayons and colored pencils, clay, finger paints, and yarn? How does the artistic process help young minds to develop and how can we bring it back into our homes?  My guest this week on Family First is Helen Webber, a celebrated artist whose artistic works have graced huge public buildings as well as homes, always with fanciful, uplifting images, in diverse materials and a variety of themes.  Webber seeks to “inspire the creative spirit in our personal and public environments, and especially in our souls.” Webber believes that art can touch the spirit of many more people than those whose art experiences are limited to the halls and walls of museums and galleries. She is passionate about the rights of children to explore their imagination. Listen in for creative ideas for making your home an inspiring place to hang out.

Listen in Friday March 16, 4 PM ET or 1 PM PT, 2 PM NT, or 3 PM CT or any time on archive, to hear Helen Webber. Go to: http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/60346/the-value-of-creative-arts-in-the-home.

Helen Webber has created art for over one hundred public sites across the US and abroad. Best known for her fabric collage tapestries, she has also worked in metal, clay, wood, and stained glass, creating pieces from three to seventy-four feet. Her dramatic art adorns medical facilities, cruise ships, corporate and community centers, universities, and religious environments, as well as homes. Webber has written and illustrated children’s books, as well as designed book and record covers. Working with major US manufacturers, she has created an array of products for the home, as well as designs for children’s creative crafts. Webber has a Masters degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and has taught at colleges and lectured across the country. The book Catch a Dreamer was the inspiration for the film of the same name, which she wrote and directed. The film examines the rights of children today through the use of tapestry images, photography, art, poetry, and music..

Hear Helen Webber's insights Friday live or any time on MP3, etc. later. Go to: http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/60346/the-value-of-creative-arts-in-the-home.    

Randy's Take Home Tips: Parents need to be creative too. Paint WITH your child. Build sand castles. Make decorative arts for bedroom walls. Go to a crafts exhibition and make bowls of clay. Create a little book together! You are modeling creativity, having fun, learning something, and being together sharing, all at the same time.