Imagine what it was like to be a young Monet or Van Gogh. What were they thinking when they drew their irises, bridges and sunflowers? How did each of these artists see the world? This year, young Irvington artists will get a chance to think about the local Nyack artist Edward Hopper. What were his lonely nighttime diners thinking?

These are some of the questions Hope Davis explores with Irvington School District parent volunteers during her 90-minute Eyes on ART training session. Eyes on ART is an appreciation program designed for students in grades K-5, organized by Davis and supported by the Irvington PTSA and Rivertown Arts Council.

Davis uses a rubric referred to as “the elements of art.” Color, line, shape, light, texture, space, and composition are introduced in an open discussion format. Davis explained using these tools of analysis helps the student gain greater understanding of art. Older students explore larger themes of art movements, such as Impressionism or Expressionism.

According to Davis, the key is the response of the student to the art. This student response is supported by the two trained parent volunteers who work with each class of students.

Eyes on ART is presented twice during the school year. The next session, in mid-March, focuses on Hopper. An art professional with 30 years of experience, Davis originated her program in the Rye school district in the mid-1980s. Over the years, Davis explained she has refined her program so that parents can more easily grasp the important elements of art appreciation and communicate them to children of different ages.

The child does the work, or as Davis emphasizes-- fun -- using three posters of each artist. Davis prepares a written report of the artist, including an extensive biographical background, bibliography, and suggested take-home activities. It is the parents’ job to present the material in a way the children enjoy.

Irvington PSTA co-chair Debbie Weintraub said the parents love it as much as the students. “It’s made me want to visit a museum!”

After three years of volunteering for this program and making many new friends, Tori Weisel will continue another year as a volunteer.

“ I am continually amazed at the children’s ability to compare and contrast artists from year to year. As children are exposed to the multi-disciplinary ways of seeing, their higher-order thinking is broadened in a very natural manner,” Weisel said. “Not only do they recall the artwork, but they remember the historical lessons as well. Their confidence about art becomes strikingly evident in both non-verbal and verbal learners.”

Davis, who holds a B.A. and M.A. in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts, N.Y.U., asserted that refining the ability to see what the artist sees, approximately, and then acquire the vocabulary to express that vision, is what makes Eyes on ART unique.

“The children instantly become engaged with the work when they know the artist as a friend or neighbor. Having the material presented by a familiar adult adds to the comfort level of the children,” Davis said.

Past artists have included Van Gogh, Monet, Fredrick Church, Thomas Cole, and John Singer Sargent, among others.

Surrounded by the work of local artists at the Black Cat Café, over coffee, it became clear how committed Davis is about spreading the message to all students, including middle school and high school. She made suggestions to expand the program: local artists talk to the older students instead of parents; discussions are modified for more academic rigor.

In addition, Davis shared a perspective on how Eyes on ART provides a foundation for the skills needed by soon-to-be job seekers and fully developed citizens. The program, she believes, helps students make the important link between an immediate reaction to something new and the ability to analyze, comprehend, and synthesize one’s thinking into a larger framework of understanding.

Eyes on ARTS is just one of many programs supported by the Rivertowns Arts Council, a non-profit organization that offers arts education and events in the four river towns: Dobbs Ferry, Hastings, Ardsley and Irvington.

For more information on Hopper, visit www.hopperhouse.org. For information on Rivertown Arts, visit www.riverarts.org. School districts interested in learning more about the program can contact Hope Davis at h7da...@aol.com.