Each year, we continue to see cuts to publicly funded arts programs across our community. ArtScope (an A&E grantee) is making an effort to bridge this gap through its year-round art camps. Last week, A&E visited the arts education organization in Tower Grove Park to get an inside look at their Muralicious Summer Camp.

Today’s mural-related activity was focused on writing a play and creating its scenery. As I meandered from group to group, the campers excitedly contributed ideas for their play – space pyramids and jungle adventures were just a few. After about 20 minutes of brainstorming, the campers completed their plays and got to the real fun – scene painting and prop making.

What stood out most about this program was the freedom with which the campers were able to openly express their ideas, no matter how outside-of-the-box they were. Equally as impressive was the way that the teaching artists gave their students free reign over the project, never once discouraging them or telling them that their idea wasn’t possible.

Jen Bradford, executive director of ArtScope, expressed the importance of this freedom of expression in the arts and the personal responsibility she feels in fostering it.

“The arts are important to me because I know what it’s like as a kid to be unable to sit still and contain myself until it came time for art class, and that definitely guided a lot of the choices I made. As arts funding is cut in schools, it’s more important than ever that we are that resource. “

Through their work at ArtScope, Bradford and her team of teaching artists truly are providing an outlet for young ones to express themselves and, more importantly, better the community.

For more information on ArtScope, visit artscopestl.org