By Angela Gonzalez, Peggy Parker, Nancy Burns, and Mary Conable


Arts Council Programs come to Wyoming County Libraries

Arts Council for Wyoming County Executive Director Jackie Hoyt and Community Coordinator Mike Maiellano have been providing Artistic programs at libraries around Wyoming County.

On November 24th 2008 Jackie and Mike presented make art a part of your day at Perry Public Library. Patrons were invited to participate in some impromptu mural creation. A couple of dozen people joined in the fun.

On Monday, April 13, 2009, Mike visited the Stevens Memorial Community Library to help students design a banner to illustrate what the future might be. The response was a very artistic rendition of a future society with streamlined flying cars, greenhouse buildings with beautiful domes and solar fans for ventilation and beautiful silvery clothing that contained piping for heating and cooling.
The ideas were streaming out as Mike lead a discussion of future landscapes urging the students to plan the environment then think about how the specific parts fit in. Some high schoolers were so interested they stayed the whole two hours while quizzing Mike on art schools and his major.

Kids got a taste of Half-Blood Hill from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan at Warsaw Public Library on April 14th. Mike Maiellano led the arts and crafts session by helping participants create masks modeled on Ancient Greek Theater Masks. The students also had a chance to hear stories from Greek Mythology, run a race while being distracted by “golden apples,” try a labyrinth and a maze, and even do a little combat training (with foam swords).

Thank you to the Arts Council for a very stimulating, educational and exciting arts program.