INTRODUCTION
The Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists was established in 2002 to support art education in the province and Artists for Kids into perpetuity through the creation of a permanent endowment fund. This fund is managed by the Vancouver Foundation, Canada's largest and one of North America's oldest community foundations.WHY ART EDUCATION?
Education in the arts encompasses much more than fostering creativity, self-expression, and communications. Did you know...?- It's been shown that early exposure to visual art, music, dance or drama promotes cognitive activity in the brain.
- Education in the arts helps children learn more effectively and understand other subjects much more clearly - from math and science, to language arts and geography.
- Art nurtures inventiveness as it engages children in a process that aids in the development of self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation.
- Participating in art activities helps children to gain the tools necessary for understanding human experience, adapting to and respecting others' ways of working and thinking, developing creative problem-solving skills, and communicating thoughts and ideas in a variety of ways.