It has been summer vacation here, and the art school (Centro de Arte José Cáceres O.) where I have been taking painting lessons had summer workshops for the kids with all sorts of various activities like painting, music, dance, exercise, etc.

When I went to painting class on Thursday morning, lots of preparations were in progress for the exhibition.

Paintings were stacked everywhere

Stacks of easels were waiting in the back yard

The student assistants were labeling and hanging paintings

they were also framing and mounting paintings

Friday was the last day of the summer session so that was exhibition day. I thought I would just pop in for a moment, but we had such a good time that we stayed for a while. There was a lot of student work on display, as well as snacks, drinks, playtime, and a piñata for the kids.

The event was very well attended

The school’s owner poses with one of the students

The artist and professor poses with a couple parents and a student

The piñata is prepared

A little girl takes a swing at the piñata

This little boy tackled it with much enthusiam

The kids took turns, first a boy, then a girl, starting with the smaller ones and working up to the bigger ones

It wasn’t long before candy starting falling out of the piñata

Before you look at the work below, keep in mind that these are young kids. I know some are as young as four, and I think there are very few older than eight or ten.

Here are some of the students, and I think most of the youngest of them aren’t even in this photo.

I have seen the kids at class. I have seen them working, sometimes with as much paint on themselves as on the painting. I have seen the work in progress, and the gentle guidance and instructions of the professor, and encouragement to come back from the playground when they have burned off some excess energy. But, to see the final results beautifully displayed, even I was very impressed! I was happy to also get a couple photos of the artists posing with their work.

Thank you Maestro Víctor Aguirre Chirú for all the good work you have done with all your students.

People who don’t know much about Panama may be surprised to find out how much good stuff there is going on here!