Judy Leventhal is a locally renown artist who is also a pioneer in the field of art therapy. As Founder of Adventures in Creativity, LA, she uses art as a method for healing both herself and others, Ms. Leventhal has created ground-breaking techniques with at-risk children and adults. In her classes and workshops Judy demonstrates skillful sensitivity that brings out the creativity hidden deep inside her students.

Mask Making Adventures in Creativity

In Mask Making Adventures in Creativity, students create sculptural masks that reflect various mask making traditions around the world from diverse cultures; address California Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts; express artistic connections to their own cultural and geographic histories; utilize journal techniques for dialogue, descriptive writing, critical thinking and self reflection; and participate in a culminating event open to the school community. Outcomes include growing skills in mutual trust and collaboration; increases in classroom participation; motivation for achievement; confidence and competence in oral and written communication; and greater multi-cultural understanding.

Each aspect of the program is carefully orchestrated and involves collaboration between the artist and the classroom teacher. Young people learn to work within a classroom art studio system where there are ground rules, guidelines, and limits. Step by step students are guided into their own creative process. As they work with clay, images emerge from inside that are surprising and heartfelt. Each mask tells a story, a blend of past experiences, current events and future aspirations. In classroom dialogues, students share their innate curiosity, wonder, and desire for self expression through the variety of media. Students develop systematic vocabulary, and prepare descriptive written and oral presentations, using concrete sensory detail to support unified impressions of people, places, events and experiences. Learn more»