BAYarts offers 2 chances to join a parade

BAYarts students' creativity was on display at last year's Parade the Circle in Cleveland.

A couple of local parades will benefit from the inclusion of Bay Village's very own BAYarts students and families. Two BAYarts workshops this spring will focus on creating artistic entries in Cleveland's Parade the Circle and Avon's Duck Tape Parade.

Programming director Erin Stack is thrilled to be able to offer these parade experiences to students and families alike. "I believe we not only have a great facilitating team, but we also have the interest from BAYarts families. I think it's pretty cool that we can get kids out of the classroom and on the streets to showcase their creations in a fun and engaging way."

This year, Cleveland's Parade the Circle will be dealing with the theme of the Cleveland Museum of Art's centennial anniversary. New education assistant Susie Underwood will be heading up this group of students. "I'm also very excited about the collaborative nature of this project, since workshops are so often focused on an individual product. I want children, teens and adults to feel comfortable joining in on the fun. I want participants to know that this will be a very different experience from the usual workshop and that they will be a part of an exciting and unique event in this community."

Of Underwood, Stack says, "Susie is new to BAYarts this year. Not only was she hired to become an assistant in our Education Department, she is also brilliant at assembling art masterpieces out of anything she finds! I've seen her work with the kids and I'm excited to see what she will create with her group on a large scale."

Returning champion Melissa Moon will be managing the Avon Heritage Duck Tape Parade. "Melissa is a veteran instructor at BAYarts and became a master of duct tape through the many workshops she has instructed over the years," says Stack. "One thing she is particularly good at is using the duct tape to create two-dimensional paintings and she has grand plans for using this process in this years entry." With duct tape having exploded onto the art scene as a huge trend across the USA, these students will benefit from living right in/near the "Duck Tape Capital of the World."

As the parades take place on two different days, students can participate in both workshops for $110 each. For more information, click on the Classes tab at bayarts.net or call 440-871-6543 and ask to be put through to Erin Stack, who will answer any questions you have as you decide which parade might be best for you or your child/teen.