Dear Friends,

Though I have only held the position of SAC's Director of Education since March, I have learned quickly that people in our community are thirsty for creative experiences. Be it in our galleries downtown, or our studios in Sharon, the students we reach (those enrolled in classes and those who visit informally) are enthusiastic, supportive, curious, and eager to see our reach extend deeper into the community.

My responsibilities always connect me to people who have wonderful stories to tell: something exciting they saw in the galleries; a way that a class or workshop challenged them to see art differently - it is these moments that fuel everything we do as a staff, every decision we make, each new initiative we take on. In this fall brochure, you will notice many new opportunities to learn with us. Each new faculty member and new course has a well-listened-to suggestion behind it to which we have thoughtfully designed and implemented a gracious response.

We are re-defining what arts learning can be, adding new classes and bringing back areas of study either absent from our recent offerings, or being revived through new courses (art theory, fiber, metal, wood). We have heeded the many requests for increased access to classes in the evening hours, and answered the call to add more beginner-level B opportunities to our schedule. It is our hope that these changes and ones that are still to come will expand our audience.

James Grashow, guest artist for the recent cardboard Aquarium of the Imagination, spoke often during his time with us about his teaching experiences with children and adults. "Go into a kindergarten classroom and ask the kids 'Who here is an artist?' and each one will raise his or her hand," he explained. "No such thing would happen in a room full of high school students or adults. Something happens somewhere in our youth; we stop thinking of ourselves as artistic, we stop realizing our creative potential!" he explained. While Sharon Arts cannot pretend to offer a "cure" for this condition, we hope that the new opportunities you will read about in this booklet will help you find the artist locked up inside (the happy child with the big crayon!).

My door and phone line are always open to new ideas, opportunities where art intersects with other subjects, where history and theory meet, where education and entertainment find common ground, where you can once again raise your hand and identify yourself as an artist!

Melanie McDonald
Dir. Of Education
melanie@sharonarts.org