The Conroe Service League is a charitable organization that helps several worthy organizations in Montgomery County, Texas, including Meals on Wheels, Journey Home, and Lone Star Honor Flight Veteran's. The Arts Council of this organization offers multiple artistic enrichment programs to each of the eight Title 1 schools in the area. These programs include performances, field trips, improved art projects, stipends for the purchase of art supplies, and much more. The Arts Council is looking to “adopt” more schools with the help of sponsors.
In addition to helping schools, the Arts Council also serves older people (superadults) and people with special circumstances throughout the year. On July 15th, they will be hosting a free summer art workshop at The Woodlands Mall for 5th and 6th grade students. This workshop will be taught by TWAC master artist Jen Lucas and her best high school art students. Students will receive classes at Microsoft and then head to the mall's temporary art studio.
Registration is required in advance on their website as space is limited. At the end of the workshop, students will be able to take home a work of art and contribute to a collaborative work that will be hung in the Spotlight on the Arts gallery in The Woodlands Mall. The Spotlight on the Arts gallery also features a great collaborative piece created at the Festival in April by Festival attendees and produced by The Woodlands Art League and Cassidy Joined for Hope. This piece highlights the crucial topic of adolescent suicide prevention.
The gallery will reopen later this summer and in September they will offer 7th and 8th grade students “Fast Draw” to train for the Rodeo drawing contest. The Arts Council also supports local artists and arts organizations and defends their common needs and interests. They are currently in full support of The City of Woodlands's consideration of a cultural arts center which would provide a necessary physical center for the arts in their community. This cultural arts center has always been part of their community's master plan and according to recent surveys, residents are in full support of it.
The Cultural Arts Center would contain medium and small performance and rehearsal spaces, as well as, potentially, a nonprofit gallery, exhibition and teaching spaces, digital multimedia art spaces and programs, and a healing arts space. It wouldn't compete with Cynthia Woods' Mitchell Pavilion which hosts big shows. Assuming that the Woodlands Township board approves phase 2, a feasibility study will be conducted which will address location, capital costs, operating expenses, potential users and partners. This feasibility study will most likely be available in early fall.
For more than 40 years, Art Encounter has offered outreach programs for groups with limited resources that provide an enriching exploration of artistic creation, promote visual literacy and critical thinking, and foster an appreciation for the creative process.
