Artists reach troubled kids via creativity

[31 October 2004 - Grand Rapids Press] Last May, when Marty Arnold asked local artists to conduct classes for residents of St. John's Home in Grand Rapids, she didn't expect the response she got. Arnold, a development associate at this residential treatment center for abused and neglected kids, knew there would be some interest, but the level of enthusiasm surprised her. By the end of summer, 11 artists in St. John's Home's Visiting Artists Program had led regular 90-minute sessions with 30 children ages 7-17, often donating the supplies as well as their time to the cause. More