Teens’ mural to be unveiled at Girls Inc. on Tuesday

ALBANY — A grant awarded with the intention of sparking creativity in Albany-area youths is expected to be introduced to the public by Girls Inc. on Tuesday, officials with the Albany Museum of Art said.

Earlier this year, the Georgia Council for the Arts, through appropriations from the General Assembly, awarded the museum a $4,000 Vibrant Communities grant. Funds matched by Albany businessman and museum trustee Jim Womack allowed the grant to fund afterschool art programs for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany and Girls Inc.

On Tuesday, the Girls Inc. group will have the opportunity to celebrate the completion of a mural it created utilizing grant funds and show off their artistic achievement to the public. The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce will also hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the masterpiece at the organization’s 701 Park Place facility.

“Still recovering from storm damage to their facility, the AMA is dedicated to continuing their outreach programs, ensuring area children receive the important benefits of the arts. The AMA is grateful for funding such as that from the Georgia Council for the arts matched by Jim Womack,” museum officials said.

The Girls Inc. art class met the second and third Friday of every month, collaborating with muralists Cameron Malphrus and Christina Letlow to plan and execute a mural project. Through multiple brainstorming sessions, the girls and the artists created a vision that represented the spirit of Girls Inc. and transferred that vision to a mural to beautify their facility.

Officials said the funding also provided opportunities for the the Boys & and Girls Club afterschool art program, which met every Wednesday at the Lipsey Pate Unit. Each week, visiting artists taught the children about a range of topics, and artist Bond Anderson taught the children how to make their own musical instruments out of materials such as rubber tubing, PVC pipe and wood.

Students also played games, including “Match the Masterpiece,” and discussed paintings such as the famous “Starry Night,” by Vincent Van Gogh, with the intention of serving to help children develop their critical thinking skills.

“The AMA hopes this mentality will travel with the students back to their classrooms at school. Time and again, studies have proven arts education is vital to children,” officials with the museum said.

The Americans for the Arts organization said that data from The College Board shows that, in 2015, students who took four years of art and music classes while in high school scored an average of 92 points higher on their SATs than students who took half a year or less.

In addition, arts education in schools increases test scores, lowers dropout rates, helps close the achievement gap and improves academic skills essential for reading and language development, officials said.

For more information about how to contribute to the Albany Museum of Art, visit www.albanymuseum.com or call (229) 439-8400.