Artists and art instructors in the arts and health care fields will be sharing their best practices through workshops and networking on Thursday and Friday.
The Creations Art Program of The Resource Center is hosting an Art Life Conference. The conference is designed to bring together art educators and professionals working with people with disabilities and high pressure situations to network and attend workshops. An art exhibition and auction will be open to the public on Friday. The conference will be held at the Lillian V. Ney Renaissance Center.
Therapeutic art education uses innovative ideas and tools to rehabilitate and to free the artist within.
Keynote speaker, Lucy Andrus, will open the conference on Thursday. Andrus is a professor of art education and art therapy at Buffalo State College. Leading workshops for the rest of Thursday will be visual artist Debra Eck, art facilitator Valeriae Walawender, Arc community relations director Lynne A. Sessions and hand drumming instructor, T.R. McKotch.
Thursday's seminars will end with a field event featuring dinner and visits to various art organizations in Jamestown.
Among Friday's workshop leaders are painter Thomas Annear, yoga instructor Tess Kerzner, puppet and mask maker Renee Pye and photographer, Mark Kirsch. A live art auction and exhibit will close the conference on Friday evening.
"Strike A Pose" art exhibit will begin at 4 p.m. A live art auction will start at 6 p.m. The exhibit and auction are free and open to the public.
Registration for each day is $50. Lillian V. Ney Renaissance Center is located at 119-121 W. Third St. in Jamestown.
Art Life Conference is made possible by The Resource Center's Creations Art Program with support from Downtown Jamestown Development Corporation and Arts Council For Chautauqua County.
For the full schedule and registration information, visit: www.artlifecon.com.