A Story of... A Passion for Art

DPIE art teacher, Julie Coching, grew up in the city of Saratoga, California always having an appreciation and love for the Arts.  While growing up she enrolled in many different art classes, took 13 years of piano and always enjoyed being a part of the school choir. But she always considered her sister to be the true artist in the family.  When she went away to college, her art efforts were more focused on technical drawing which had more to do with form and structure and much less to do with expression and creativity.

It was not until Ms Coching started her own business in Livermore and Dublin, Café Art, that she rediscovered her passion for the creative arts. “At Café Art, I worked with kids and adults alike and it was always so much fun to see how happy people are when they are being creative,” said Ms Coching.  “It was then that I realized teaching art was so much fun and I wanted to help students district-wide learn the joy of self-expression and develop their ability to express themselves in a different way. That’s when I decided that offering classes through DPIE would give me the opportunity to reach out and share that joy with students throughout Dublin. ”

Art Makes the World A Better Place

Q. Over the last three years, you have offered many different art courses in the After School Program and the popularity and enrollments in those courses continues to grow. Many of your classes fill each session and more than a few students enroll in your classes over and over again.  Why do you believe your classes grow each year?

"I think art makes the world a better place. With all the stresses kids have to deal with in their school day and life these days, being in an art class provides a fun and positive after school activity that kids can share with their friends while also allowing them to enjoy themselves and relax. I hear from many parents that 'Art Day' is their child’s favorite day of the week and that makes my heart happy.

My greatest satisfaction is seeing the kids work through the creative process and produce  artwork that is unique and different. I love watching how the kid’s minds work as they create their project and make it their own."

Art Classes are a Place Where Kids Can Think Out of the Box

Q. Researchers tell us that students who participate in art see improvement in fine motor skills, creative thinking as well as improved understanding of different shapes and a deeper appreciation of spatial relationships. Why do you think these skills improve when students are involved with art and do you see this in your own classes?

"There are so many benefits to taking art that it’s hard to just pick out a few. What’s fun for me is when the kids in my classes are just having fun and enjoying themselves, they don’t even really know they are developing these particular skills. Creating art definitely requires the use of fine motor skills, from basic drawing, coloring, cutting, shaping and molding.  The kids are constantly improving and adding more details to their work. Some kids are very creative while others have to be encouraged to think out of the box.

In our 10-week program we make it a safe place for kids to experiment,  it’s fun to see how kids begin to feel free to create and over time I can see how they are willing to try new ideas and approaches.  Because art is made up of all different shapes and proportions kids do begin to understand special relationships better and you can usually see it in their work, but what I enjoy most is seeing how kids begin to use their imagination to expand on assignments and bring them to life. What they are really learning is the creative process and that’s invaluable to them."

Art Helps Build Imagination and Creativity

Q. When students leave your program, what do you want them to have experienced and to come away with?

"I want my students to know that art class is a safe place where they can relax, experiment, express themselves and be creative without being judged or criticized.  I’m hoping they develop a love of art and can begin to see themselves as artist and can take that creativity with them as they development into young adults. Art can be a lifelong skill that I hope all my students can take with them into their adult lives and use it to create happiness for themselves. My desire is that art will make their world a better place.”

Sounds like Ms Coching’s art classes bring a lot of joy to the lives of her students and that her students learn a lot more than just art in her program. Maybe it’s time to give the gift of creativity to your children. Ms. Coching is offering three different art classes this fall, so why not give on of them a try.  Click here for her class details.