Volunteer carries art into pupils' experiences

One Tuesday a month, Jennifer Bartley takes a couple of hours from her duties as an obstetrician and gynecologist to enrich the lives of third-graders through the Junior League of Augusta's Arts Reading program.

"Today, we're going to talk about still lifes," Dr. Bartley said March 10 at Roy Rollins Elementary School as an introduction to the Laurence Anholt book Camille and the Sunflowers, about artist Vincent Van Gogh.

The Arts Reading program has been around for about six years and is a collaboration of the Junior League, the Morris Museum of Art, the Greater Augusta Arts Council and the Richmond County Board of Education.

A Junior League volunteer reads an art-related story, then leads the pupils in an art project.

Camille and the Sunflowers focuses on Van Gogh's love of still lifes, particularly his paintings of sunflowers. Dr. Bartley provided a poster of one of Van Gogh's sunflower paintings to illustrate what a still life is.

After reading the story, Dr. Bartley challenged the children to draw and color their own still lifes using crayons.

Third-grade teacher Angela Rhea said Dr. Bartley's visits are a highlight of the children's month.

"They can't wait until she comes," said Ms. Rhea.

Each month features a different project.

Third-grader Jiron Griffin said he likes the Arts Reading program.

"It's fun and real creative," he said. "You can do anything."

Jiron said his favorite book was Ish, by Peter Reynolds, one of the first books Dr. Bartley read to the class. Ish is about a boy who enjoys drawing, but his brother makes fun of him. The moral is to follow your dreams and not to allow anyone to take them away.

Dr. Bartley said she has enjoyed being part of the program and has seen a difference in some children since the school year began.

"It gives them self-confidence," she said. "At the beginning of the year, some would say, 'I don't know what to draw.' "

She said that they hesitated to tap into that inner artist but that they understand no one will judge their art and arent' as hesitant anymore.

The 6-year-old Arts Reading program has been at Rollins for five, said Ms. Rhea. The program is also at Meadowbrook Elementary School this year.

It has been presented at other Richmond County elementary schools in the past, and officials hope to expand it, according to Erreca White, a Junior League spokeswoman.

Reach Charmain Brackett at charmain.brackett@augustachronicle.com.