Saturday, June 22, 2013

Discover Arts For All Omaha

By Lana Bray


Arts For All Omaha, or AFA, is a non-profit organization. Their main goal is to educate individuals and families in the various categories of art. Emphasis is put on making this available to everyone. They offer a wide variety of classes such as music, visual, performing, and communication arts. This program is open to all ages.

Founded in 2006, weekly classes began offered as semester segments. These are open year round and thousands of students attend each year. Locations vary and facilities are donated by local community organizations. The different placement of learning centers offer convenient travel and accessibility for those participating.

Many classes require a fee. These fees help cover the cost of supplies and expenses. However, financial help is offered to those who qualify. Scholarships and discounts are available. A sliding scale is used for low income families and individuals. All classes are kept affordable. Some are free of charge. No one is turned down for not being able to pay.

Curriculum is planned in advance paying close attention to age related topics. Activities range from young children to adults. Some of these are designed for parents and children to work together in a setting. Other programs are age specific or geared toward individuals. There are also classes that require a certain skill level to enroll. Requirements and information on courses is made available prior to registering for classes.

Different levels of activities make these programs accessible to both beginner and advanced. Preschoolers to adults can take advantage of several different varieties of instruction. Dance, sculpture and painting are examples of some classes. A person can also learn guitar, drums or piano within the music category. Photography is offered as well as comic book illustration and various forms of writing. All lessons contain different levels based on the individuals experience or learning ability.

After school programs are at three area schools, Castelar Elementary, Western Hills Magnet and Crestridge International Magnet Center. Ballet, photography, drama, and pottery are just a few things offered. These are structured activities with adult supervision. Free early childhood music and art programs are held at Open Door Mission/Lydia House. There is no charge for these. Everyone is welcome.

During summer months, special courses and camps can be had. There is a variety of things to choose from. These are held in separate locations throughout the area. They can range from one to six weeks in length. The camps are geared for students and learning while playing. Classes are for all ages covering several areas of interest. A schedule is posted on their website. You can also obtain this by calling the office. Registration must be made prior to the start of an activity.

Arts For All Omaha is constantly expanding and discovering new opportunities in the community. New workshops for local groups and organizations are being developed to expand AFA. They work closely with public schools, Omaha Homeschool Learning Center and Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. Looking for new locations, they plan on branching out to accommodate more families and individuals. Their ultimate goal is to bring appreciation and education of the arts to everyone.




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