A local art program will give young artists the professional treatment at its annual fundraiser Saturday.
Cutwell 4 Kids' fourth annual fundraising gala, "The Birth of an Artist," hopes to draw cultural consumers to view -- and possibly purchase -- featured works from area youths.
The gala, which will be held at Emergent Arts from 7-10 p.m. Saturday, will feature artwork by around 15 youths, most of whom attend Cutwell 4 Kids' art programs, said Anthony Tidwell, who pioneered the program in Hot Springs.
Tidwell said the event is all about giving young talents an avenue to succeed in their work.
"When I find out that that child is an artist, and I have any way I can help, I want to be able to provide those services to that child if the parent can't," he said.
The concept behind "The Birth of an Artist" goes hand-in-hand with the broader mission of Cutwell 4 Kids, born out of Tidwell's desire to provide the means for youths to succeed in visual arts. In a news release, Tidwell, who was raised in Atlanta during the child murders of 1979-1981, said he was put in art classes as a way to cope with the trauma he experienced during that time.
Though his mother couldn't afford to put him in the classes on a long-term basis, the positive impact of the work he produced stuck with him.
"I felt the compassion in my mom and in other parents that would love to help their child with other extracurricular activities or whatever their child is interested in, but they didn't have the resources to do it," he said. "I wanted to get rid of that hurdle that's stopping them."
Tidwell said Cutwell 4 Kids, located at 341 Central Ave., hosts Saturday art classes for the youths from the end of the school year in May until "The Birth of an Artist" in August. He said this year's art classes have been met with some challenges -- the storms that swept through Hot Springs on July 14 knocked in the facility's roof, and the program's "First Saturdays" event hosted at the Maurice Bath House on the first Saturday during the summer was canceled in August due to the building's lack of air conditioning.
Due to these complications, Tidwell has been hosting his classes at Emergent Arts.
"I kept on going, no matter what," he said.
Tidwell said most of the featured art at "The Birth of an Artist" comes from youths 12 years old and younger who have consistently attended Cutwell 4 Kids' Saturday art classes, and a few who are older than 12. He said some of the youths whose art will be featured Saturday evening have attended the program's classes for all four years the gala has been held.
Tidwell said the students' work has improved over the years as a result of attending the classes.
"It's the best art we've had," he said. "I've seen their growth from four years ago. It's amazing."
Along with the art, "The Birth of an Artist," which has an entry fee of $20, will also feature a live jazz performance by the RockTown Jazz Squad, beverages and hors d'oeuvres. Tidwell said 80 percent of the money spent on the art will go back to the artist, with the remaining 20 percent going to Cutwell 4 Kids.
"They need to know ways and resources of how they can actually make an income, and they can actually create something and sell it," he said.
Tidwell said he hopes "The Birth of an Artist" is an uplifting experience for his students.
"To sell something that they actually made, it just does something to them," he said. "It empowers them."
Local on 08/11/2017