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Celebrating the Arts, Culture and People
of Pasadena, San Marino, South Pasadena,
Altadena & La Cañada Flintridge
Surrounding Art owner Daniel Chang stands with Monart Method creator
Mona Brookes in between classes
David and Melissa Samuels with Jasmine, Benjamin, and Jonathon and their children's classmates Roselle and Max all show off their artistic creations
Carola and her sister Carmen proudly show off their drawings after the class
On Saturday, August 10 the Surrounding Art custom framing studio and art gallery hosted free art classes taught by Mona Brookes, founder of the Monart School of the Arts franchise chain and author of the best-selling book Drawing With Children (which has sold over 700,000 copies).
The classes were held throughout the day and attracted student artists of many ages. Ms. Brookes’ method attracted national attention after her publication of her book and subsequent appearances on NBC’s Today Show. She later followed the first book with "Drawing for Older Children and Teens," a text used by 60,000 high school art teachers and university art educators.
The Monart Method has its roots in a 1979 California Arts Council funded research grant that led Ms. Brookes to create an instructional drawing program which has been used to teach hundreds of thousands of school children.
Convinced that drawing is in fact a "teachable" subject and that a structured "method" could be established in much the same way as has been done for music, dance, and writing, Ms. Brookes created the Monart Method.
Ultimately – and partly in response to the tightening of public school budgets – Ms. Brookes founded a network of independent licensed and franchised schools which has grown to 50 studio location in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Her appearance at Surrounding Art was designed to stimulate interest in the possibility of establishing a Monart art school in Pasadena. Educators and interested parties should refer to www.monart.com .
Surrounding Art custom framing studio and art gallery is located at 412 South Lake Avenue, Pasadena (626) 405-0765. Online at: www.surroundingart.com
