ENCINITAS, CA — (November 6, 2009) — Lux Art Institute, San Diego’s first LEED-certified interactive art destination, announced today that it will launch a new “residency” program in 2010 designed for children.

Led by Lux’s highly trained education staff, Kids-in-Residence will be an in-depth, after-school art program offered five times a year to young artists ages eight to 12. Each multi-week session will correspond to the Lux Artist-in-Residence schedule, which for the remainder of the 2009/2010 Season, features abstract painter Iva Gueorguieva, sculptor Robert Lobe and Berlin-based artist Sati Zech whose works encompass elements of painting, sculpture and drawing.

The curriculum will allow kids to get up-close and personal with these professional artists by studying their work, engaging in conversation, experimenting with similar techniques and materials and following the artists’ progress in the studio from start to finish.

“After the success of our Summer Art Camps, parents expressed tremendous interest in after-school art classes for their children through Lux,” said Lux Director of Education Kara Leen. “Kids-in-Residence is another great way we can provide kids with a creative outlet and high-quality arts instruction that isn’t always available in the school day.”

Kids-in-Residence Schedule:

Iva Gueorguieva
January 21 to February 25 on Thursdays, 3 to 5 p.m.
Description: Students will discover the challenges and possibilities of abstract art while making a series of paintings that express emotions and ideas rather than replicate real world objects. Students will meet with resident artist Iva Gueorguieva each week and watch as she creates a large, expressionistic painting. Art fundamentals of color and line will be discussed, as well as the significance and history of abstraction in Western art.
Cost for six-week session: $200 non-members; $175 members

Robert Lobe
April 1 to May 6 on Thursdays, 3 to 5 p.m.
Description: Students will work with metals, papier-mâché and natural materials to create sculptures inspired by nature. Each week, students will meet with artist Robert Lobe and watch him transform large sheets of metal into sculptures of trees, boulders and branches.
Cost for six-week session: $200 non-members; $175 members

Sati Zech
June 10 to July 1 on Thursdays, 3 to 5 p.m.
Description: Students will experiment with new surfaces and materials while making mixed-media wall hangings inspired by the vibrant canvases of Lux artist-in-residence Sati Zech. Weekly meetings with Zech will expose participants to the artist’s unique process which involves tearing, sewing and painting on layers of cloth.
Cost for four-week session: $130 non-members; $115 members

Space is limited to 12 children per session, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information or to reserve your spot for a particular session, call 760-436-6611 or e-mail education@luxartinstitute.org at least three weeks prior to the desired session’s start date.

Kids-in-Residence will expand on Lux’s already established and critically acclaimed education programs: the school-based outreach program, the Valise Project; the Luxcursion program, which invites students to tour the artist’s studio and complete a related art project on site; and Summer Art Camp, which offers a means of artistic expression to youngsters on summer vacation.

About Lux Art Institute

Lux Art Institute, located in Encinitas, Calif., is redefining the museum experience with the region’s only artist-in-residence program that invites artists to live and work on site, while producing a commissioned work of art – start to finish. This one-of-a-kind institution invites visitors to not only “see art,” but also to “see art happen.”

Throughout each year, Lux invites several significant regional, national and international artists to participate in its residency. Visitors from across the country are able to participate in exclusive liaison-led tours, providing intimate access to the artist-in-residence, the artist’s exhibition and the museum’s permanent collection of indoor and outdoor art. Lux also offers a wide range of innovative programming for all ages.

The recipient of the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s top design award, the Grand Orchid, and the first art museum in California awarded LEED certification for new construction, Lux is located alongside one of Southern California’s few remaining coastal wetlands. The five-acre site also overlooks the San Elijo Lagoon and is surrounded by a wildlife preserve that stretches to the Pacific Ocean.

Through its Phase II Capital Campaign, Lux plans to add 25,000 square feet of galleries and classrooms. Once completed, the new building will also feature a hilltop plaza and a series of gardens climbing between the galleries and the Artist Pavilion.

Lux Art Institute is located at 1550 South El Camino Real in Encinitas, Calif. Hours are Thursday and Friday, 1 to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and cost is $10 for two visits. For more information about donations, memberships, volunteer opportunities and more, visit http://www.luxartinstitute.org or call 760-436-6611.