Earlier this month, I interviewed a few students in the Penn Treaty after-school clay animation class. I was curious to know how the students perceive their art as expressive communication, a connection to their friends and the world beyond their middle school.
Below is an abridged transcript of our interview.
Keisha: 8th grade, 14 years old
Do you think you can make friends while making art?
{Giggles} Yes, because this is an activity and people like activities. My friends are here with me today, I think they’re having a good time. We’ll come back another time. Making friends is a good thing because you can be stressed by being lonely. Art can bring out your inner emotions, and it’s fun to make friends. It’s fun to make friends because they can hear you laugh.
Anelle: 8th grade, 14 years old
How will art help you in the real world?
{Takes the microphone} Art can open up your eyes. Things you never knew before are so amazing, or different, you can discover new things.
What types of things would you like to discover with art, traveling or maybe foreign languages?
I’d love to travel. My plan when I get older is to travel to several different countries, and I would love to meet different kinds of people, and learn about different cultures. That would be cool.
How else do you think art can help you in the real world?
I think it can help you, because you can also find different hobbies throughout art. Discovering and trying new things through art, you can actually find something you like.