ORONO – Art can open the doors to children’s understanding of themselves and the world around them, and the University of Maine is opening its doors again to community children who would like to study with UMaine art education majors.

The university’s art department is accepting applications for the spring semester’s after school ArtWorks Program, a hands-on learning experience that encourages children to explore art through a variety of media, according to Constant Albertson, assistant professor of art and supervisor of the program. The theme of this year’s classes is “metamorphosis,” or transition.

The program, ongoing for more than 15 years, is for students in grades one through six, and is offered from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Fridays, March 26-April 23, at Carnegie Hall on the UMaine campus. UMaine art majors, supervised by Albertson, teach the classes.

The five-week program is a unique opportunity for parents and children in the communities surrounding the university to take advantage of the talent and training of college art education majors who plan to be art teachers after they graduate.

“Art is a way of learning about the world that is very important,” said Albertson.

As we are exposed to a world of visual impressions through advertising, politics and other media, Albertson said, art helps us understand how information is presented, knowledge acquired and why things are designed in the way they are.

Art also is a way for people to express themselves and to learn how to learn through a hands-on approach, she said.

While the students get art training from junior and senior year college students, the art education majors get a valuable opportunity to work with children, from curriculum design to teaching in a classroom environment.

The university, Albertson said, often is an exciting place for children to be. “It’s a very powerful experience for kids to come to the university and see themselves in a university setting.”

The classes are taught by teams of two or three college art majors per class, organized by student grade levels and limited to 22 students per class. Advance registration is required. While classes will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, the art department will keep a waiting list, in the event a preregistered student withdraws, Albertson said.

A $25 fee covers the cost of art supplies. The application deadline is March 18, although applications will be accepted after that date, if space allows.

For more information, call the UMaine art department at 581-3245.