LA GRANDE — Art Center East will present the Discover After School Educational Exhibit with a free reception Friday, April 1, 6-8 p.m. at the art center, 1006 Penn Ave. A wild-harvested Douglas-fir tea will be available for visitors to sample.
Discover After School is a free ACE afterschool program for middle schoolers that was inspired by the Qapqápnim Wéele/Grande Ronde Community Science Project. The exhibit runs April 1-30.
The Discover After School Educational Exhibit features youth art projects and photographs from DAS classes, youth art projects and educational posters from Grande Ronde Model Watershed, interactive items from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and infographic posters from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
According to a press release, Discover After School was developed for local middle schoolers to engage them in watershed monitoring outdoors by using art, storytelling, journaling and nature investigations in an informal and inclusive after-school space. Participants investigate neighborhood green spaces utilizing a variety of geographical skills and then choose art projects, journaling prompts, and photography opportunities to explore geography topics in their own ways.
The Discover After School Program is funded by a Gray Family Foundation geography grant and is a collaboration with ACE and La Grande Parks and Recreation. Naknuwithlama Tiichamna (Caretakers of the Land) is also a supporter of the DAS Program.
The Spring 2022 Discover After School session begins April 21. Registration is now open. Sign up online at artcentereast.org/calendar/discover-after-school-age-middle-schoolers or in person at ACE.
Find out more about this exhibit and other events at artcentereast.org. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Exhibits can also be viewed online at artcentereast.org thanks to a partnership with John J. Howard Real Estate. Art Center East galleries are open to the public and admission is free.