Art Club is currently accepting craft supplies, as well as DVD donations, for kids who are victims of domestic abuse. The drive is being held with the hope of spreading creativity and art by opening up a positive outlet for the children. The Domestic Violence Prevention Center reached out to the club to help garner supplies to stock the center’s room for kids.

The club’s community project was introduced by an associate from the Battered Women’s Shelter, who asked Art Club sponsor Shea Phillips to help donate to the children’s room at the shelter.

“We’re in the process of donating art for the [Texarkana] Friendship Center and knew that another project would be successful as well,” Phillips said. “I know Art Club actively takes into consideration the passion to help others by the use of creativity in art.”

Each member of the club knows the importance of allowing a child to release any negative emotions by using the creative arts.

“At the DVPC, there are no art supplies allowing them to express their feelings in a positive way or give their children a way to pass the time,” said Kayla Walthall, Art Club vice president. “We want to give those residing at the DVPC an outlet to escape their past and start new, and give their children that outlet as well.”

At the beginning of October, Art Club participated in the creation of paintings for the Friendship Center downtown. However, the gesture extended to bringing supplies to other areas of the homeless shelter.

“We have already created paintings for the DVPC’s walls, but we felt like we couldn’t stop there,” Walthall said. “We wanted to do something that could actually benefit not only the adults residing there, but their children as well.“

Children in their situation are often left with many ways to entertain themselves. The introduction of an atmosphere filled with coloring in books and enjoying movies is a pleasure that every child deserves to treasure.

“Being domestically abused is traumatic,” Walthall said. “But art is often seen as a way to express yourself when you’re going through rough times. It’s therapeutic.”

This week, members of Art Club will be accepting donations in the cafeteria. To be further informed about the Battered Women’s Shelter downtown, refer to their FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/dvptxk/