For Immediate Release: CMON, UAC, and Valerie’s House Collaborative Student Art Exhibit

GOLISANO CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF NAPLES COLLABORATES WITH

UNITED ARTS COLLIER AND VALERIE’S HOUSE FOR ART INSTALLATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NAPLES, FL (August 22, 2024) – Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples (CMON) announces its partnership with Valerie’s House and United Arts Collier (UAC) for an art installation featuring works of created by children in prekindergarten through high school who have experienced loss. The purpose of this project is to give these children a platform to express the hard feelings they deal with and to send a message that there is hope for the future and reason to be optimistic.

During eight painting sessions at CMON, taught by artist Tiani Rosado, Valerie’s House students were asked to explore their feelings regarding the loss they experienced using prompts like “what is a warm memory you have with your person?”, “what are some sad feelings you felt and / or are still feeling now that your person is no longer with you?”, and “what is something that gives you hope for the future?”

Beyond the prompts, children had creative freedom, they could choose to paint a scene showing a moment that stuck out to them or use colors and shapes for a more abstract effect. Each piece is personal to their individual experience yet was created while sitting next to other children who have experienced the loss of a family member.

According to Rosado, “(The) children seemed to find joy in the brushstrokes and blending of the paints. They used it as a form of journaling. I gave tips and tricks on how to best use the acrylic paints and brushes.” Rosado goes on to explain that while each student painted on a 12×16” canvas, she used a ribbon and tied each piece together to create long banners that represent the unity that Valerie’s House has reinforced by bringing these children together and giving them a safe space to share their stories. 

Valerie’s House is so grateful for our community partnerships to provide for our children to express their grief through visual and symbolic means.” said Amy Strom at Valerie’s House. “Art and creativity play a vital role in the healing process after the loss of a loved one. This joint project offered a unique way for children who attend Valerie’s House a safe way to share their stories, feelings, and make emotional connections with others.”

This exhibition about grief, healing, and hope opened at CMON on August 15, 2024 and will run for a limited time. Admission to the museum is required.

About Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples
The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples is a brain-building powerhouse and Southwest Florida’s first museum devoted for children and families to learn through play. With hands-on exhibit galleries, the accessible museum invites visitors of all ages to journey through the swamps of the Everglades, weave through a maze, climb a two-story banyan tree, or experiment with the water play station. Children can become a weather forecaster, a farmer, a chef, a fisherman, an artist, an architect, or a veterinarian; explore the cold of an igloo, the whoosh of the wind, the sound of the sea, and the effects of gravity. Throughout the day special activities encourage our guests to get involved, try something new and be energized. CMON offers a variety of interactive exhibits providing kids with education, play, learning, science, technology, engineering, inventions, space exploration, art, math, storybooks, creation, building, sensory, and child development.

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For more information about Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, or to make a contribution, visit www.cmon.org or call 239-260-1604.