Artsbridge hosts annual Arts Encounter Day
A pottery workshop at the Parkersburg Art Center was part of the Artsbridge Arts Encounter program Tuesday in downtown Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)
Various pieces of student artwork were on display for middle school students from Wood and Washington counties to view at the Parkersburg Art Center on Tuesday during the Artsbridge Arts Encounter program. (Photo Provided)
The Actors Guild of Parkersburg presented a workshop on choreography Tuesday to middle school students from Wood and Washington counties as part of the Artsbridge Arts Encounter program. (Photo Provided)
Middle school students from Wood and Washington counties learned about costuming and wigs at the Actors Guild of Parkersburg on Tuesday during the annual Artsbridge Arts Encounter program in downtown Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)
A pottery workshop at the Parkersburg Art Center was part of the Artsbridge Arts Encounter program Tuesday in downtown Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)
Various pieces of student artwork were on display for middle school students from Wood and Washington counties to view at the Parkersburg Art Center on Tuesday during the Artsbridge Arts Encounter program. (Photo Provided)
The Actors Guild of Parkersburg presented a workshop on choreography Tuesday to middle school students from Wood and Washington counties as part of the Artsbridge Arts Encounter program. (Photo Provided)
Middle school students from Wood and Washington counties learned about costuming and wigs at the Actors Guild of Parkersburg on Tuesday during the annual Artsbridge Arts Encounter program in downtown Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)
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PARKERSBURG -- Artsbridge's annual Arts Encounter Day welcomed Mid-Ohio Valley students to downtown Parkersburg this week for hands-on art experiences.
A total of 120 middle school students from Washington and Wood counties visited the Artsbridge offices, Actors Guild of Parkersburg, Parkersburg Art Center and the Wood County Society headquarters on April 25 for workshops on pottery, drawing, acting, choreography, costumes and wigs.
Previously done on two separate days, the event this year was combined into one day for both counties which allowed for the group to be split into two, by county, and experience all four venues at different times throughout the day.
Artsbridge Executive Director Lyndsay Dennis said the goal is to introduce students to the area's artistic and cultural offerings and actively engage them in the arts in a relaxed atmosphere.
"I think it's important for the students to get to experience art in a way that feels comfortable to them, and I hope it inspires them to keep coming back for more," she said.
"One particular moment stood out to me when a group of students finished a long choreography sequence at the Actors Guild, and one of them exclaimed, 'Hey, guys, we're dancers!' Their excitement and appreciation for the talent and hard work that goes into the arts were heartwarming." said Artsbridge Board Member Bert Webb.
Funding for Arts Encounter Day was provided by Artsbridge, with support from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts; the Ohio Arts Council; the Bernard McDonough Foundation; and the Fenton Foundation.