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MANKATO — A new initiative at Mankato Area Public Schools is aiming to expand access to the arts in the community.

The district’s Enrichment and Leisure Services Program has received a $35,000 grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to help launch what’s called “Get Hands-On with Art and Rhythm.”

The initiative will offer opportunities for preschool children, school-age youth, seniors aged 55+ and adults with disabilities.

Community Education Director Audra Nissen Boyer said the district’s goal is to offer classes facilitated by local experts in visual arts, dance, music, creative writing and more.

“With the funds that we have received, we are endeavoring to really bring awareness within the arts community,” said Boyer.

“We know there are many artists in our community, practitioners, arts supporters who have talents that our student populations could benefit from. By students I mean youth through adults.”

The district is currently opening its search for class instructors.

Boyer said they welcome anyone to reach out to the district about their class ideas and availability, and the program will provide stipends of $100 to artists teaching the classes.

Classes will run over two sections of time; the first will be through the spring and summer and the second will be over the fall and winter.

The actual length of each class will differ — they could be between one to three sessions — and the district plans to work with artists’ schedules.

Boyer said the district also hopes to insert the classes and activities into existing programming in the district, such as in their middle school afterschool program.

She said people are encouraged to keep an eye on mankatocer.com to find out when classes start, and interested artists can submit their ideas at http://tinyurl.com/2mn44df3

“We want to raise awareness amongst the multitude of people out there who are artisans amongst all the different facets. People who experience the arts have enormous benefits from that, and we want to expose more people to more types of art,” she said.

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