Young Audiences of Louisiana Expands Free Baby Artsplay Program

Young Audiences of Louisiana (YALA) in partnership with The Helis Foundation announced plans to expand their successful early learning program, Baby Artsplay!™, to eight cultural institutions across the city of New Orleans. Beginning this Spring, Baby Artsplay!TM will be offered as a series of six free 30-minute workshops held weekly to engage young children ages 12-24 months and their caregivers in research-based performing arts experiences that support their cognitive, physical, and social development.  The Louisiana Wolf Trap Baby Artsplay!™ teaching method taps into children’s innate desire for active, multi-sensory learning through purposeful singing, dancing, and movement.

Free Baby Artsplay!TM workshops presented by The Helis Foundation will be offered at the following institutions. Registration is now open at yabap.eventbrite.com:
●      New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117: Saturdays, March 4 - April 8, 10 am - 10:30 am
●      Hermann-Grima House, 820 St. Louis St., New Orleans, LA 70112: Saturdays, April 15 - May 20, 11 am - 11:30 am
●      The George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center, 1225 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116:  Saturdays, March 4 - April 8, 2 pm - 2:30 pm
 
Additional free six-week sessions will be held in the Spring and Summer at The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Longue Vue House and Gardens, Newcomb Art Museum, as well as at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), where Baby Artsplay!™ workshops have been conducted for the last two years.
 
“The support of The Helis Foundation allows Young Audiences to reach a new, broader audience of next generation art-lovers, while helping all New Orleans families feel welcome in our great cultural institutions,” said Rickie Nutik, YALA’s Executive Director. “Through the arts we can engage children and their caregivers in multisensory, easy to replicate, and unintimidating experiences that help children reach developmental milestones.”
 
Baby Artsplay!™ provides engaging activities designed to instruct parents, caregivers, and early childhood teachers in how to use the arts at home, school, and daycare to promote early learning. Our 30-minute workshops allow children to explore, observe and investigate their world and the museum through song, dance and movement experiences.
 
Baby Artsplay!™ workshops explore six key themes in early childhood development:
●      Workshop 1 - My 5 Senses (sensory)
●      Workshop 2 - Baby Says...(language)
●      Workshop 3 - My Body (body parts)
●      Workshop 4 - Let's Move! (movement)
●      Workshop 5 - Up, Down, and All Around (spatial awareness)
●      Workshop 6 - Get Your Motor Running (motor skills)
 
“This program is a great way to get families into galleries and encourage kids to grow up appreciating art,” said Todd Shaffer, YALA teaching artist since 1999, and Baby Arts Play!TM  facilitator. “Many of the parents who come to Baby Artsplay!TM tell me that they never thought they would feel comfortable bringing their toddler to an art museum!” Elise Solomon, Youth and Family Programs Manager at NOMA agrees, “YALA’s teaching artists have expertly crafted classes that give families and children an opportunity to experience our galleries a new way.”
 
To learn more about Young Audiences Baby Artsplay!TM presented by The Helis Foundation, visit: ya4la.org/baby-arts-play.php, and to register yabap.eventbrite.com. Questions about the program and registration can be directed to Jenny James, Director of Education and Programs, Young Audiences of Louisiana, (504) 329-8503, [email protected].


About Young Audiences
Young Audiences of Louisiana was founded in 1962 with the mission to inspire, empower, and unite children and communities through education, arts, and culture. Over the last 55 years the organization has grown from presenting school performances of chamber music to our current position as the state’s largest provider of arts-integrated and afterschool programs. To learn more about our mission, please visit our website at www.ya4la.org.
 
About WolfTrap
Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts is a recognized leader in early childhood arts-integrated learning and instruction. Wolf Trap Institute is scaled nationally, with 17 affiliated organizations and numerous partners in 30 states that deliver arts-integrated education experiences to 60,000 teachers, parents/caregivers, and students annually.
 
About The Helis Foundation
The Helis Foundation is a Louisiana private foundation, established and funded by the William Helis Family. The Art Funds of The Helis Foundation advance access to the arts for the community through contributions that sustain operations for, provide free admission to, acquire works of art, and underwrite major exhibitions and projects of institutions within the Greater New Orleans area.