Art Strong
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT A Queens youth organization is
JUNE 2 0 2 0 I BOROMAG.COM 25
offering ways for children to
play, create and learn inside
their homes this summer.
Art Strong, a community-based
art organization in Long Island
City, is selling At Home Art Kits
to engage children ages 4 and up in fun
activities.
After canceling their summer Art in
the Park program due to COVID-19,
Ashley Cavadas and Hannah Lokken,
owners of Art Strong, decided to bring
art and imagination into the homes of
their students.
“Some parents are not as comfortable
with artmaking at home, so
we wanted to create a kit that just
kind of empowered families to have
those experiences at home if they
couldn’t have them anywhere else,”
Lokken said.
The art kits promote activities such
as abstract paintings on canvas, 3-D
dioramas with model magic characters,
wacky cardboard self portraits, hanging
fabric paintings, and plaster plant
sculptures. They come with materials,
an apron, a sketchbook, pre-recorded
videos, step-by-step printed instructions
and bonus prompts.
The main kit (the At Home Art Kit) costs
$99 and can be purchased on the Art
Strong website.
The website is also peddling the following
items for younger children:
Embroidery Kit ($25), colored yarn
and string, a needle, burlap, paint,
brush and more; Rainbow Sensory
Bin ($35), multi-colored rice, a plastic
funnel, pompoms, paper cups, a
scooper, plastic eggs, popsicle sticks,
foam beads, cleaners and more; Rainbow
Peg Dolls ($12), 2.5-inch figurines
hand-painted in red, orange, yellow,
green, blue and purple; and Rainbow
Play Doh Set ($22), which contains fourounce
plastic jars with screw-top lids
in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and
purple.
According to Lokken, they are planning
to release more art kits throughout
the summer and will be launching free
virtual online classes in July.
ArtStrong is rebounding from its own
COVID-related setback. Cavadas and
Lokken were about to sign a lease for
a community art center in Long Island
City when the pandemic forced them to
change their short-term plans.
“All of our plans are being pushed
back for about a year and nothing
is quite set in stone yet — in terms
of when construction will finish and
when we would be able to get settled
and open up,” Lokken said.
Lokken and Cavadas were looking
forward to offering enrichment
classes and camp options, while
also organizing parties and special
events. However, those plans are
currently on hold.
As of now, Lokken said, they’re just
“rolling with the punches.”
“We’re just continuously revising
our plans for late summer and fall
based on restrictions and guidelines.
We hope to have in-person classes
again as soon as we can do that safely,”
Lokken said.
CORONAVIRUS
WE’RE
WHATEVER
NEXT.
Long Island City
organization brings art and
imagination to kids at home
WHATEVER
NEXT.
/BOROMAG.COM
