On February 9th, MV Grandparents were invited to attend a virtual coffee with Matt Neylon, Director of Visual & Performing Arts. Mr. Neylon presented the Mount Vernon Studios integrated arts strategy to them. This is what a few of them had to say:
Carol Eady, Nanna to Milo (4th) and Kai (K), who joined the virtual coffee from South Africa:
“I found the presentation very interesting…Matt seems like a super teacher…I was blown away by the school’s studios and equipment!”
What did you learn about the MV integrated arts strategy that you didn’t know before?
I have not had any exposure to the MV integrated arts strategy. So, what I heard Matt talk about during the grandparents coffee was in a way ‘new’ for me. I was very impressed with the broad spectrum of creative education and thinking that is offered.
How important would you say it is that your grandchildren are involved in art and that their school has an active art program that they can be involved in?
For me creative thinking and being involved in the arts is vitally important to any child’s education. When my daughter started to share some of the arts program with me, I was thrilled that my grandsons would be exposed to the MV integrated arts strategy.
How important is art to you?
Art and art making has been a major part of my life. It will forever be important to me.
Do you have any advice you’d like to give to arts programs?
I am ‘old school’ in my thinking about art education – I believe that in terms of fine art, certain disciplines such as ‘basic drawing’ remain a very strong vehicle to teach observation and ways of seeing. My advice is to keep drawing as a high priority in the visual art program.
Cyndy Stanford, Mimi to Abby (7th) and Lily (9th), who joined the virtual coffee from Hilton Head, South Carolina:
What did you learn about the MV integrated arts strategy that you didn’t know before?
We didn’t realize how much effort goes into making the MV Arts program benefit in some way the well-being and academic growth of every child at MV, not just those who can sing or dance or play an instrument. “Integrated” seems to be the key word, and it clearly is a worthy goal.
How important would you say it is that your grandchildren are involved in art and that their school has an active art program that they can be involved in?
Very important! We have watched how their confidence and self-realization have grown and made them so happy to be in the MV arts programs.
How important is art to you?
I assume this means all of the creative arts. When we grew up, students were considered to be talented or not, and I don’t recall much effort in our schools to help students find a niche that worked so they could actually be a part of the schools ‘arts’ program even if they were in the ‘not talented’ category. MV seems to work toward helping every child feel they are part of the whole program.
Do you have any advice you’d like to give to arts programs?
Please keep on working as hard as you do! It’s impressive.