Preston Community Arts Center faces challenges, continues its mission
KINGWOOD — COVID-19 has made it a little tougher, but the Preston Community Arts Center continues to promote the arts through children’s classes and sales of local artists’ works.
Raquel DeLoach is treasurer of the arts center and chairs the children’s art education program.
Since May she has taught a children’s home-school art program.
“I do what I do to honor my grandmother. My family has roots here,” DeLoach said, referring to her grandmother, Ida Eye. “My grandmother was born and raised here, and she’s buried here.”
The home-school program meets each Wednesday and had grown to fill two classes, pre-COVID-19.
“Right now we’ve been studying the masters. So we’ve been studying Monet, van Gogh and Picasso.”
She prepares a lesson about the artists’ lives and works, and then the children recreate some of the artists’ works. For example, students did a self-portrait, just as van Gogh did.
Along the way they learn collage and other techniques as well.
“Just to watch them grow has been enriching. They have gotten really good at their painting. I try to display some of the children’s work in the window, so when people drive by they can actually see what we’re doing,” DeLoach said.
For the holidays they are doing make-and-take-home ornaments.
The home-school class started with seven students and grew to 42, but as the number of coronavirus cases rose, enrollment declined to about 15. But DeLoach expects that to rebound.
The fee for the art classes is $7 per family, to cover the cost of supplies.
While the home-school art classes are just for home-schooled students, on the last Tuesday of each month there is a free kids art club open to all children ages 4 to high school and their families.
“We are following COVID procedures,” DeLoach noted.
Families are asked to sit together, social distancing and masks are required, and she cleans between classes.
Pre-registration is requested for the art classes so DeLoach can have enough supplies. Registration can be through the Preston Community Arts Center Facebook page or by calling DeLoach at 304-216-1389.
In January, DeLoach hopes to start a children’s theater program.
“So they’ll actually be painting their backdrops and making their costumes and then, depending on where we are with COVID, we’ll either perform for our parents or we’ll do a virtual performance,” she said.
The arts center also accepts donations.
“Because our biggest fundraiser is concerts, and we can’t have concerts right now,” DeLoach noted.
The center is also selling $1 and $5 snowflakes as a fundraiser to buy art supplies. While stopping by to buy a snowflake, be sure to check out the work of local artisans on display.
“We have just revamped the entire shop part of our gallery. We have gotten all new artists, all new vendors, everything is more affordable. There’s nothing here that is over $50,” DeLoach said.
The gallery is open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Saturday for shopping. The Preston Community Arts Center is at 123 S. Price St., Kingwood.
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