Buffalo Rising Online

Sep 16th 2006, 9:14am By Christa Glennie Seychew

For the 47th year in a row, Locust Street Neighborhood Art is about to begin its courses. Class fees are donation-based, and the program requires no pre-registration. Students need only to appear on the first day of class, armed with their name, address and phone number.

In 1959, Molly Bethel's kitchen played host to what the neighborhood children called i"painting parties". Eventually, the popularity of these events required Ms. Bethel to move her parties to a local parish hall. Soon demand grew to the point where an assistant was hired, and the program began to include clay sculpture. By the 70s, Locust Street Art had moved into an even larger space, allowing them to incorporate a pre-school painting class. The early 80s led to more growth, and the introduction of photography.

Today, Molly Bethel's program is still running strong. Courses in painting, drawing, creative writing, photography and clay will begin in early October. All of the subjects are taught by professionals. Classes are open to all, resulting in a diverse group of aspiring artists, aged 4 to seniors. For those that wish to pursue art professionally, Locust Street also helps its artists to build their portfolios, assists with contract negotiations and works with pupils to find grants. Many students have gone on to prestigious art schools, and a number of them have moved on to careers in the professional art world.

Despite deep budget cuts, Locust Street remains committed to providing budding Buffalo artists with free instruction. The grant writer is now working only 4 hours a week; the administrative staff of one has been cut to only one day per week. This hasnit affected the quality of the program or the number of classes they offer, but has made it more difficult to find the funding that they really need.

The mission of the program is to enrich the fabric of the community by providing instruction to anyone that is interested- particularly those that otherwise could not afford it. Locust Street Art is partially funded by donations. However, as Lenore Bethel explained to me, classes are free, and there is no suggestion as to the donation amount. "We don't claim to know what is affordable for our students." she said.

Please pay attention to the dates below. Registration takes place on the first day of class.

CLASS SCHEDULE 2006-2007 Painting & Drawing (ages 6 n 14) Tuesday: 3 n 5:30 pm starting Oct. 3, 2006 Wednesday: 3 - 5:30 pm starting Oct. 4, 2006 Saturday: 1 n 2:30 pm starting Oct. 7, 2006 Preschool Painting (ages 3 1/2 n 5) Wednesday: 3 n 4 pm starting Oct. 4, 2006 CLAY (ages 8 n Adult) Tuesday: 3 n 5:30 pm starting Oct. 3, 2006 Thursday: 3 n 5:30 pm starting Oct. 5, 2006 Creative Writing (ages 8 n 13) Saturday: 3 n 4:30 pm starting Oct. 7, 2006 Teen/Adult Painting & Drawing Saturday: 12 Noon n 5 pm continuing Oct. 7, 2006 Photography (High School n Adult) Thursday: 2 n 7 pm starting Oct. 5, 2006 Teen/Adult Open Studios- Ongoing (This is offered only to students in Painting, Drawing, Clay, & Advanced Photography classes) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 12 Noon n 6 pm Saturday: 12 Noon n 5 pm

***This Schedule Runs Through May 2007

Locust Street Neighborhood Art is located in the Fruit Belt at 138 Locust Street, between Carlton and Virginia. Any questions can be directed to 852-4562.