CLINTON, NY – The Kirkland Art Center invites young people over the age of 9 to participate in a free afterschool program combining movement activities with thoughtful artistic self-expression. Through this program, Creative Expression for Young People: Move and Make, young people have fun while connecting with peers. Each Tuesday afternoon, from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m., local yoga instructor Georgia Fisher offers a blend of energizing and calming yoga-based movement exercises that help participants de-stress from the school day. Following the 45-minute exercise session, students move to the art studio to engage in another 45-minute session of creative activity under the guidance of Grace Mahanna, an Oriskany High School art teacher. Through the creative arts, young people have an opportunity explore their creative sensibilities and express themselves.
“True wellness embodies both our physical and mental health,” stated Kirkland Art Center executive director Anita Welych. “A psychiatric nurse on our board suggested creating a program to help center kids by combining yoga with art, and we thought it fit our mission perfectly.”
There is no cost to this program, which began in fall 2025 and is ongoing. Parents can sign their students up at https://www.kacny.org/classes#kidsclasses or drop in, though attendance is currently limited to the first 15 students. Participants may choose to participate for as many sessions as they are able.
Generous support from the Wadas Foundation and the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties has made this innovative program possible.
If there are any questions about this program, contact Anita Welych at director@kacny.org
Children engage with each other in the Creative Expression for Young People: Move and Make class with instructor Georgia Fisher.
