Making Great Things Happen:
Fourth KiDs Grant Strengthens Relationship With At-Risk Children
By Karen Ackerman Witter, Springfield, Ill., Alumnae Chapter and Associate Director, Illinois State Museum
The Springfield, Ill., alumnae chapter continues to make great things happen at the Illinois State Museum, thanks to its fourth consecutive KiDs grant from the Kappa Delta Foundation. This year, the grant made it possible for 30 children from the Boys and Girls Club to come to the museum where they worked with renowned local artist Charles Houska to create a colorful mural that will be on long-term display in the museum lobby. A sign next to the mural credits the Kappa Delta Foundation.
Charlie Houska’s “Houskaballoo” engages children in art and encourages them to think about creating on a larger scale. Charlie draws a large coloring-book type mural on canvas and involves the children in painting using bright colors. The mural was specially designed for the Illinois State Museum and includes a mastodon, ear of corn, Native American spear point, along with Charlie’s fanciful iconic characters. Because of the artist’s local popularity there was significant media interest in this event. There was a story on the nightly television news and photographs in the local newspaper, which credited Kappa Delta’s sponsorship.
In addition to creating the mural, the children had the opportunity to explore the entire museum and participate in other hands-on activities related to art, natural history and anthropology. Members of the Springfield alumnae chapter helped as volunteers with the event. The children had a fantastic time and enjoyed working with a “real” artist. Several asked for his autograph as a keepsake.
Children from the Boys and Girls Club have had many fun and educational experiences at the Illinois State Museum over the past four years, thanks to successive KiDs grants to the Springfield AC. Two KiDs grants supported an overnight camp-in at the museum, which were so successful that a local business, Thumbs-Up Designs, agreed to fund the camp-in for two consecutive years. With these private matching dollars in place to continue what the KiDs grants started, the Springfield group received a grant last year for a performance by motivational singer/performer Victor Pacini and this year for the Houskaballoo art project.
Although the last two camp-ins were no longer funded by KiDs Grants, Springfield alumnae served as volunteers during the events and plan to continue this support in the future. The KiDs grants have indeed made great things happen in Springfield and forged a partnership among the Illinois State Museum, Boys and Girls Club, and Springfield Kappa Deltas that is having a positive impact on at-risk children.
On hand to assist the budding artists are, from left, Springfield AC members Karen Ackerman Witter, associate director of the museum, and Gwen Wallgren Lewis.
Artist Charlie Houska shows children from the Springfield, Ill., Boys and Girls Club how to begin filling in the shapes he had drawn on canvas for a large-scale mural.
There’s plenty of room for everyone to make their mark on a mural designed by artist Charlie Houska for the Illinois State Museum.
The coloring-book concept used for the mural makes it easy for even the youngest artist to create something grand.
The finished project, a mural that will be on long-term display at the Illinois State Museum, is a vivid reminder of the relationship developed among the museum, the Boys and Girls Club and the Springfield alumnae chapter.