The Pantoni family of Worthington embarks on an art challenge in Dublin’s Kiwanis Riverway Park. Photo courtesy of Kristin Pantoni.
Do you doodle? Do you post on social media using creative words and images? Do you sing along to music on your playlist? Everyone can be artsy, and Dublin Arts Council encourages creativity in many ways.
Studies prior to the pandemic showed that increased stress contributed to both physical and mental illnesses in the United States, and that technology was leaving people feeling disconnected and distracted.
With today’s additional stress of lifestyle disruptions and screen fatigue, Dublin Arts Council’s mission to cultivate creativity and foster lifelong learning through the arts has never been more relevant.
Dublin is full of curiosity seekers. Just ask anyone who’s found a piece of hidden artwork in a Dublin park or has listened to messages from the artists in Dublin’s public art cellphone tour. Dublin Arts Council provides a plethora of free community arts opportunities for all ages, thoughtfully created to provide individualized self-guided experiences, whether in person or virtually, on demand and at your own pace.
Who are these artsy neighbors?
You’ll find them taking classes at Dublin Arts Council or the Dublin Community Recreation Center (DCRC), exploring neighborhoods on bicycle or on foot, checking out new restaurants, visiting the library, and volunteering to help others. In other words, we find abundant creativity in each of us, and in our community as a whole.
Supporting Younger Learners
Hayden Todaro of Dublin expresses joy when discovering hidden artwork in Dublin’s Ferris-Wright Park. Photo courtesy of Melinda Todaro.
Dublin Arts Council has a longstanding relationship with Dublin City Schools, encouraging in- and out-of-classroom exploration. Exhibition-related field trips and arts challenges relate to social and environmental issues students face every day, making the arts a relevant part of life.
Arts experiences provide a way to interpret and express thoughts, solve problems, inspire joy and build confidence.
Dublin Arts Council’s arts education team is working with Dublin City Schools as revisions are made to the district’s visual arts curriculum and is facilitating a Community Time Capsule project this spring to encourage students to creatively process their response to the past year.
ARTcamps at Dublin Arts Council traditionally offer arts exploration for students age 6 to 14, providing opportunities to throw clay on a wheel, draw, paint or work with mixed media. In-person restrictions continue to shape plans for hybrid arts education models, including virtual offerings to support the transformational power of creative expression for young artists.
Inspiring Creativity for All Ages
Bev Goldie of Dublin works with Suminagashi at Dublin Arts Council.
Art can be an equalizer, helping people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, abilities, and languages engage in meaningful shared activities. As part of Dublin Arts Council’s Art & Wellness initiative, a series of artmaking and discovery experiences have brought individuals together to explore movement, such as yoga, tai chi and dance, plus visual arts creation such as printmaking and Suminagashi, a Japanese marbling technique.
In an effort to sustain a creative community in which an array of art forms and artistic projects can flourish, Dublin Arts Council’s board has authorized Community Arts Grants to support the efforts of Dublin Area Art League and Evolution Theatre Company this year.
Dublin Area Art League supports and encourages its artist members through interaction with fellow artists, educational workshops, demonstrations, lectures and exhibitions. Its spring member show opens April 15 at the DCRC in Coffman Park, 5600 Post Rd.
Evolution Theatre Company is central Ohio’s only professional LGBTQ+ theater company, providing a supportive, encouraging environment for advancing the understanding of gender issues and fostering the expression of creative performance arts by and about the LGBTQ+ community.
Evolution Theatre Company will present its season in The Abbey Theater of Dublin, inside the DCRC, opening May 13.
ARTboxes contain free grab-and-go art activities and supplies for all ages and skill levels.
Out and About
Have you discovered a Dublin Arts Council ARTbox? ARTboxes look like little libraries and include free grab-and-go materials for all ages and experience levels. Creative prompts and materials rotate seasonally and include projects such as learning to create origami or making a pressed flower bookmark.
You can find ARTboxes outside DCRC, in Scioto Park, at Dublin Arts Council, at Kaltenbach Park and in the Frog Park in Historic Dublin.
Remote Access in Real Time
With limited capacity for in-person arts experiences, Dublin Arts Council has worked diligently over the past year to provide easily accessible, virtual inspiration and education. Website viewers can find listings of various online opportunities, plus play and artmaking ideas on the site’s Be Creative page. Artist talks and virtual visits can be found on the site’s visual arts series pages, and online maps, audio and video material support myriad permanent and temporary public art projects.
Being artsy is a way of life for those who live, work, visit, play and learn in Dublin, and inspiration is available on demand 24/7/365. Details can be found at www.dublinarts.org.
Art for Personal and Community Well-being
Participation in creative activity:
- Reduces stress and boredom
- Alleviates loneliness, depression and other mental health concerns
- Builds resilience and social functioning
- Creates sense of community and belonging
- Allows for play, creative expression and identity formation
- Increases memory and cognitive function
- Improves communication and behavioral skills
Janet Cooper is director of engagement, Dublin Arts Council. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
