ART! Empowerment Factory Children’s Art Show

Photo: 54” x 42” multimedia (acrylic paint with recycled aluminum flowers) collaboration with the students from the Trash to Treasures program

The next exhibit at the Pawtucket City Hall Art Gallery will be The Empowerment Factory Children’s Art Show. The exhibit opening is set for 4-6pm on Thursday January 12th, 2023. The show will remain open through March 2023 on view during City Hall hours. Admission is free.

Over 70 pieces of artwork from TEF’s Creative Squad Programs, “Nature Drawing” and “Reading Adventures: Trash to Treasure” will be on display. The show was funded through the City of Pawtucket Arts Panel Grant with support from the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Art and Culture.

In addition to the children’s art exhibit, there will be original pieces by Gail Ahlers local artist and founder of The Empowerment Factory. Ahlers’ work will be for sale with 50% of the proceeds going to fund programs for Rhode Island’s underserved youth.

A RI-based nonprofit, The Empowerment Factory has designed and delivered enrichment programs to the children of Pawtucket, Central Falls, Providence, and across Rhode Island since 2014, impacting more than 6,000 underserved youth and their families. TEF’s vision is for every child to feel that they can make a difference in the world around them. Their Creative Squad programs are in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Education, local school departments and government offices, and other local youth organizations.

Creative Squad programs “Nature Drawing” and “Reading Adventures: Trash to Treasure” offer opportunities for children in grades 2-5 to raise awareness about the planet while fostering children’s fine motor skill development, self-confidence, and civic pride through art, literacy, and environmental science. “Reading Adventures: Trash to Treasure” gathers students in-person to read and write stories, engage in discussions, and collaborate on fun, hands-on art projects with environmental themes including the importance of recycling, reusing, and repurposing materials.

During the 7-week, synchronous online “Nature Drawing” program, students explore facts about endangered animals and species of greatest conservation need and learn how to draw a different animal every week in a fun and easy-to-follow step-by-step process.

Pawtucket children can register now for free winter Nature Drawing programs at  www.EmpowermentFactory.org/Pawtucket-Programs. These one-hour online classes meet once per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. All program supplies are provided and delivered to students’ homes.

To learn more about how Rhode Island students can benefit from The Empowerment Factory, or to make a contribution or explore volunteer opportunities, go to www.EmpowermentFactory.org/

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