Arkansas Studio Project Unveils Works by Springdale Students

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Studio Project will celebrate its fifth year of arts-oriented literacy outreach in Northwest Arkansas with the unveiling of creative and academic work of students from four Springdale schools. The work will be displayed 6-8 p.m. Friday, May 9, at the Jones Center for Families, 922 E. Emma Ave., in Springdale.

“We believe the arts and literacy go hand-in-hand,” said Hung Pham, project director. “Both are means of communication and meaning-making. The spring unveiling gives students an audience for their creativity and hard work.”

University of Arkansas students collaborate with visiting artists to introduce younger students to the arts and then to connect the arts to reading and writing activities in history, language arts and earth sciences. The Arkansas Arts Council supports the artist visits, and many of the university students will enter the Master of Arts in Teaching program.

The Arkansas Studio Project provides after-school and during-school mentoring for students at J. O. Kelly Middle School, George Junior High School, Southwest Junior High School and Springdale High School. It is a joint venture of the Brown Chair in English Literacy and the Center for Children and Youth at the University of Arkansas and the Springdale Schools.

“The Arkansas Studio Project is a wonderful example of a successful collaboration between the university and the local community that benefits all involved,” Pham said. 

The Center for Children and Youth is designed to address issues of intellectual growth, social development, literacy, the arts, and techniques for addressing generational or regional poverty issues. This will be accomplished through teacher professional development, pre-service education, research, as well as curriculum development and dissemination. The center is housed in the College of Education and Health Professions.

The Brown Chair in English and Literacy is supported by the Brown Foundation and the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to increase literacy in Arkansas, such as community-based tutoring, professional development workshops for teachers, summer workshops and reading programs. The chair is housed in the department of English in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

The public is invited to the event.  For more information, contact Hung Pham at literacy@uark.edu or 479-575-2036.