Several young artists, who attended a summer program at the Yonkers Police Athletic League, PAL, recently had their works featured at the Yonkers Riverfront Library. The program is run by PAL Director of Youth Services Melvina Lathan, who explained that this summer students embarked on a six week summer learning program-camp at the PAL. “What we did this summer was to introduce children to things that were unusual, but also things that they could find and experience here in Yonkers.”
Among the Yonkers experiences that the children enjoyed were visits to Beczak Environmental Center, the Hudson River Museum’s planetarium, hiking at the Lenoir Preserve, a visit to the Tall Ships at the Yonkers Pier, Kayaking at the JFK Marina, and Zumba, Yoga and Hip Hop dancing.
Lathan also explained that the PAL hired an art instructor this summer for the program, “to help introduce them to the arts, and to have each child familiarize and experience themselves with classic artists and works. Then we turned them lose and let them be creative and make their own work of art, based on what they learned.”
The Yonkers Riverfront Library gave their lobby-gallery to the students to feature their works on August 14. “We went the day before and hung the show and got all of the parents to come and see their child’s work. The children were thrilled once they realized that this is the first time their artwork would be displayed in an exhibit and that their pieces were so good that they could be displayed,” said Lathan.
Visit yonkers-pal.org for more information.
