Some talented preschoolers had the opportunity to show off their creativity at the Slyvan Adams YM-YWHA in Montreal on Sunday.
Close to 200 pieces of art were on display, created by artists aged 18 months to five years old attending the CPE du Centre Communautaire Juif daycare.
Each piece was professionally mounted and was accompanied by information about the artist, as well as techniques and materials used, and what inspired the work.
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According to Alegre Mizrahi, the daycare’s director, the idea was emphasize the process, rather than the final product.
“When you see spots of paint, you don’t say ‘it’s fantastic,'” she said. “But when you see the process, the involvement of the child, that’s when you value the work they did.”
Sunday’s event, however, was about much more than creating and appreciating art — it was about fostering creativity.
“We believe strongly that creativity is something that all human beings have, but don’t develop” said Mizrahi.
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She stressed the importance of early childhood education and said it was the daycare’s role to tap into that creativity and help develop it.
“We believe that creativity is like a muscle: you have to develop it when they are young,” she said.
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But for Mizrahi, creativity isn’t just the domain of the arts, but an import life skill.
“In life, we have to face different situations and we need to be creative to solve them,” she said.
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