Art books for Prescott School Library

PRESCOTT-Thanks to a grant to Carnegie Picture Lab from the Walla Walla Chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), students at Prescott School have a new collection of art books in their library.

Carnegie Picture Lab, a Walla Walla 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has been supporting art education in Prescott School through its innovative and comprehensive Rural Art Initiative. The initiative has included a robust artist-in-residence program, take-home art kits, field trips, and art lessons for elementary students. With the AAUW grant funding, Picture Lab purchased 60 children's art books on significant artists, past and present, representing various artistic genres and mediums. More than half the books are on women artists.

According to Picture Lab Executive Director Susan Greene, "the Rural Art Initiative creates a rich tapestry of engagement opportunities for students in the Prescott School District. Because of the AAUW's generous support, the library dimension of the initiative expands our programmatic reach beyond the classroom and potentially directly into children's homes." In her book Through the Eyes of a Child, author Donna Norton stresses "the role that literature plays in nurturing and expanding the imagination". Children's literature promotes the development of children's internal imaginations; art-making provides the opportunity for concrete expression of their creative imagination.