PAL?ARTS?showcases talent

Walking through the Police Athletic League’s (PAL) Queens Centers, the PAL ARTS program comes alive through the painted self-portraits, photographs of dance performances and Haiku poems that line the walls and showcase the creative talents of the young people who attend PAL’s After School Program. PAL ARTS is one of three signature programs that children in 1st through 8th grades rotate through during the After School Programs at PAL’s Edward Byrne Center in South Jamaica, P.S. 214 in Flushing and PAL’s Far Rockaway Beacon, Ocean Bay Center and Redfern Center in Arverne-Far Rockaway. PAL ARTS is designed to increase self-expression in children and enhance their self-awareness of cultural activities throughout New York City.
“PAL ARTS provides a creative outlet for the children in our After School Programs and the chance to explore the wide selection of artistic genres available in New York City,” said PAL’s Executive Director Felix A. Urrutia Jr. “With schools cutting back on their arts programming, we aim to fill that gap by providing as many creative outlets for our young people as possible.
PAL ARTS programming weaves together different types of art and academic lessons into a curriculum that involves hands-on activities including poetry reading, journal writing, art and music history and research. Every PAL Center offers weekly visual arts and dance classes, along with specialized classes such as filmmaking, graphic design and music depending on the center.
PAL ARTS programming also offers the young artists and performers the opportunity to display their talents through PAL contests, exhibits and performances. In addition to creating their own artistic masterpieces, PAL ARTS introduces children to a wide variety of cultural traditions and activities with visits to museums, playhouses and musical venues. Through collaborations with professional artists, the young people receive once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet and learn about the artists’ fields.
For more information on PAL ARTS opportunities offered in PAL’s After School Programs, visit www.palnyc.org or contact the local PAL Center.