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Children's Art In The Park

Courtesy of City of New Port Richey

THIS ARTWORK from Deer Park Elementary School hangs on clotheslines at last year’s Children’s Art Festival, at Sims Park in downtown New Port Richey. More than 30 Pasco County schools will participate in the annual holiday event.

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By Jessica  Bair | The Suncoast News

Published: December 3, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Area children have been getting their hands dirty with paints, glue and other sticky art supplies.

That's O.K., however, because they have been gearing up for the annual Children's Art Festival sponsored by the City of New Port Richey and coordinated by the city's Cultural Affairs Committee.

The youth-oriented art-in-the-park event will be held today, Saturday, in Sims Park.

The art festival is being held in conjunction with the city Parks and Recreation Department's "Holiday Joy" event, during which Santa will arrive by boat via the Pithlachascotee River, at noon.

The hours for the art festival and "Holiday Joy" are 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

As part of today's activities, several choral groups from Pasco County schools will perform in the band shell in the waterfront park.

Festive holiday music will create an aural background for viewing the work of more than 1,000 pieces of art representing nearly 30 Pasco public schools, charter schools, plus home-schooled youngsters throughout the county, says Councilwoman Marilyn deChant.

Participants range from kindergarten to high school seniors.

Joy Reynolds, Paul R. Smith Middle School art teacher, is the School District's volunteer coordinator for the event and has been organizing the show for the past seven years.

"This show is one of those feel-good events of the season," says Councilwoman deChant of the annual event. "Kids love to express themselves through art and bright colors."

"Children can do amazing things with good art teachers showing them how to think 'outside the box' as they learn to express their perspective of the world through design and various art media," she says.

Prizes will be presented, including the Mayor's Award for elementary, middle and high school top-place finishers and the Cultural Affairs Committee selections made by the advisory board's members.

Those pieces will later be placed on display at City Hall.

For more information on the event, contact New Port Richey City Hall at 727-853-1016.

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