Peoria Times
November 11, 2021
YOUTH 23
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WHAM offers art classes for teens at library BY LAURA LATZKO
Peoria Times Contributing Writer
The What’s Happening Art Movement is allowing young artists to channel their inner Picasso through classes at Sunrise Mountain Library. WHAM will offer a recycled rain stick activity on Monday, Nov. 15, and a tie-dye class on Monday, Dec. 20, as part of the Downtown Teen Art Night. The free classes are offered for up to 20 teenagers as part of a grant from the Peoria Arts Commission. The classes recently moved to Sunrise Mountain Library from the Peoria Main Library, which is under renovation. Heather Young, WHAM’s gift shop coordinator, has taught the library classes for the last three years. A muralist, acrylic painter and jeweler who also has an interior design background, Young recycles items for her projects. “I really enjoy turning trash into treasure,” Young said. The recycled rain sticks will be made from tubes given to her by a friend, who does drapery and fabric. Young has her own method for making the rain sticks, which can be used as instruments or for relaxation. “I pound nails into them into a spiral all the way around. And then you add rice on the inside and cap the ends, and you get a similar sound to the rain stick,” Young said. Young is going to start the sticks for the teens and then allow them to add the rice and decorations. “I’m going to show them a technique of decoupaging tissue paper on it to add texture, and then we will paint it with acrylic paint and have fun with it,” Young said. Young hopes the project will inspire teens to create art on their own.
During What’s Happening Art Movement art classes, teens can take part in art projects such as tie-dyeing. (Photos courtesy of Heather Young)
“It’s something they can do at home. It’s just teaching them to look at things differently,” Young said. For the December class, the teens will tie-dye T-shirts and make necklaces from fabric. Classes change monthly. In the past, WHAM has offered acrylic dirty pour, Picasso portrait and paper
lantern classes. Often with the classes, Young finds crafts that teens can finish in one session. For the acrylic pour, for example, she SEE WHAM PAGE 24
During one art class put on by the What’s Happening Art Movement, teens created mandalas.
