Parents of children in Oklahoma City, Putnam City and Western Heights public schools are invited to attend Smart Start Central Oklahoma’s READY! For Kindergarten classes in February.

Mitzi Hancuff, Executive Director of the Fine Arts Institute, agrees that ‘it takes a village.' FAI programs and partnerships continue to grow as more people in the greater metro area are served.

The other day I was at the ice skating rink dropping off my daughter for her figure skating lesson and I saw a young girl—about 8-years old—come off the ice in tears.

“I can’t do it!” she cried to her mother, who was watching closely from the sidelines, holding an infant.  “I’ve tried and tried and I keep falling!”

Local artist Ray Magill shared an adventure with his wife Lynda that began more than 30 years ago, when Lynda was simply a friend of a friend. While attending the Dallas Art Institute, Ray was injured in an industrial accident involving a 2,300 lb. crate of glass. His recovery was difficult and Lynda stepped in to help him recuperate. “It’s kind of fitting that she was my nursemaid coming into the relationship, while I was hers going out.” Ray reflects.

Initially, it may seem counter-intuitive, but children need to fail occasionally. Not just for failure’s sake, but for the lessons failure teaches each of us. After all, how much do you really learn from doing something right the first time? I have learned my best and most important lessons from the times when I have failed miserably. It made me want to understand what happened and how to do it better. It also made me a more hardy individual.

You’ve heard it before: music, allegedly, has charms to soothe the savage breast. Maybe you don’t believe your teen quite qualifies as a “savage,” or that the noise blaring out of his iPod necessarily qualifies as “music,” but the experts agree: the arts can help to tame a wild child.

Research shows that art participation positively impacts the growth of our children. In fact, children who regularly participate in arts activities are more likely to hold school leadership positions, volunteer in the community and have consistent school attendance.

However, with school budgets stretched to capacity, many schools must forfeit arts education to cut costs. As a parent of two school-age children, I know I must help fill this arts education gap. But, as a parent, I also know that trying something new can be hard work…especially if you don’t know where to start.

Below I’ve listed a few ways you and your family can begin to explore and experience art in Central Oklahoma. I hope you will enjoy getting to know our cultural community, and reap the overwhelming benefits that the arts bring to our children and our city.