August 17, 2011 The Abington Journal

Fostering creativity
By Don McGlynn dmcglynn@theabingtonjournal.com
Reporter / Photographer 

In the early 1990s, local artist Barry Singer was approached by a member of the community to teach an art class, which he agreed to do temporarily. This September, Singer’s temporary teaching job will enter its 19th year.

 “There seemed to be a need,” Singer said of the classes, which will begin at The First Presbyterian Church in Clarks Summit Sept. 6 and at the Fleetville Community Center Sept. 7, for children ages 8 and up. Singer described himself as a commercial artist by trade, working in advertising and print, but a visual artist at heart. A roster artist with The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a member of the Nature Printing Society, and a founder of The Art Room, he’s earned attention locally and nationally for his Gyotaku work, the Japanese art of fish printing. His background in art, combined with the teaching experience he had obtained while teaching classes privately and at Marywood University, made him the perfect candidate to lead these classes, which began in the Fleetville Community Center.

After his first year, Singer found the classes were so large that he needed to add a class its second year, one for 8- to 11-year-olds, and one for ages 12 and up, to accommodate everyone. He said he always wanted to add another class in his hometown of Clarks Summit, but at the time, he was unable to do so. “I was raised in Clarks Summit, I went through kindergarten and 12th grade here, I met my wife here, and I always hoped I could start a little branch here, but I had a full-time job at the time and it never happened,” said Singer. The artist was able to make his dream come true after retiring four years ago, and he began teaching a third class at the Bottega, formerly on Depot Street. After The Bottega closed, owner Dori Waters managed to secure Singer a space at The First Presbyterian Church in Clarks Summit, and this year he’s back again. The class covers drawing skills and will focus on proportions, values, composition, light and shadow. Pencil, charcoal, ink and pastels will be used to create line, space and texture. Singer will also teach basic and advanced techniques in watercolors and acrylic painting. “It’s a drawing and painting class, with an emphasis on creativity,” said Singer. “We do landscapes, portraits, still life, wildlife and subject matter of the child’s interest.” “I don’t say, ‘We’re all going to do a puppy this week,’ never. It’s you do what you want to do, these are my suggestions. So, I show them technique, and then we’ll apply it to what they like.” This method has proved beneficial for Singer and helped him instill a lifelong love of art in many of his students. “I have many students that I’m proud of who have made careers of art,” said Singer. “I have a professional glass blower, I have an architect who works right here at Highland Associates, Chris Police. I have many art students who are art majors in college.” “I’m real proud of a lot of the students that I’ve had, they seem to, after a few years, say to themselves, ‘maybe this is something I can do, maybe I could make a career out of this.’” Not all Singer’s students go on to careers in art, and that’s not the intent of the classes, as Singer stresses they are designed for students of all experience levels. “You’ll get kids who haven’t had much experience at all, and you find out they have a lot of natural ability, and you get kids who don’t have a tremendous amount of drawing ability, but they have ideas and they enjoy it, so that’s good too, it all works,” said Singer. The course runs from September to May, and understanding that children that age may have other interests outside of art, students are allowed to take time away from the class if they choose. “Students who have conflicts with sports and things, what they’ll do is they’ll take a month off and come back, or two months off and come back, it’s not an issue.” In May, Singer holds a judged art show, featuring the students’ best work for the public.