Students of Bucks’ Early
Learning Center (ELC) cut
the ribbon recently on their
newly created art exhibit in
the Bucks library, a showcase
of artwork created solely
by the children.
Ranging from age 2 to 5,
the children were engaged
in three separate projects –
photography, iPad art, and
printmaking – and had been
working on them since Jan.
The project was made possible
by a $16,450 grant
given from the PNC
Foundation. Started by
PNC’s “Grow Up Great”
program, it “will allow ELC
to expand creative arts and
science programs over the
next two years,” according
to a Bucks newsletter.
For the photography project,
the children were given
a point-and-shoot digital
camera and free reign to
roam around campus and,
by themselves, take the
photographs – under adult
supervision, but not influence.
Jonathan Gay, a 2009
Bucks graduate who spearheaded
the project, said, “I
stress the ‘by themselves’
part because the photographs
these kids took look
professional. I want to make
sure everyone knows that
there was no help from me.”
Gay graduated from
Bucks with an associate’s
degree in early childhood
education. He is also featured
on page 64 of the
Bucks course catalogue for
2010-2012.
Gay use to work at the
ELC preschool while he
attended Bucks and still
makes frequent visits to
work one-on-one with the
kids.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony,
Gay greeted his
young artists with a congratulatory
speech.
“You guys did so well,”
Gay said. “And you did it
all by yourself. Some people
thought these were done
by college students.
That’s how good they
are.”
The photographs now
sit in three large glass
cases near the library
entrance.
“The library loves to
participate in this, and of
course, we love having
the kids in the library,”
said Library Director,
Linda McCann. The
exhibit will remain standing
for the next week for
anyone, from students, to
parents, to faculty, to
enjoy.
The iPad art project was
a brainchild of Gay’s. “I
wanted to do a project
using the iPad, but the big
challenge I faced was
finding the right program,”
he said. A
spokesperson from the company
that designed the
application Gay used said
that the project broke age
restrictions more than she
had ever seen with their
application.
The printmaking project
was also a huge success.
Hanging up in the corridor
leading into the cafeteria
from the book store are over
two dozen colorful prints.
“It was really great to see
how shocked the kids were
when I showed them that a
print could be reapplied
again and again,” Gay said.
“It was as if the project took
on a magical sense when I
showed them that.”
The ELC at Bucks is a daycare
center licensed by the
Pennsylvania Department
of Public Welfare and is
accredited by the National
Association for the
Education of Young
Children. The Newtown
location also earned a fourstar
rating, the highest possible,
from the Keystone
STARS childcare quality initiative
of the Pennsylvania
Department of Public
Welfare.
The children’s iPad art can
be seen online at
www.artoftheipad.tumblr.c
om.