It is always fun to see children and families whom I have worked with in the past. Over the weekend, I went to the Art Studio’s annual spring show to see the work of Helen Werngren. Helen had contacted me when she was pregnant with her twins, to advise her on how to raise her children to be bilingual. It turned out to be a fun connection as I got to know the family, watch their kids grow physically and in their command of two languages, English and Swedish. We were even the subject of an article on “The New Well Rounded Child,” in Westport Magazine in when the twins were about 2 years old.
Yesterday, I saw Helen and her husband Dave and their lovely family. They told me that the kids are so adept at speaking Swedish that when they visit Sweden, no one thinks they reside in the United States and the kids actually prefer to speak Swedish over English! I use this family to illustrate how wonderful it is to raise bilingual kids if you have the opportunity and the will to do it.
The backdrop of our visit was the beautiful studio that serves as creative space for 6 local artists–Birthe Ehrling Bennett, Nell Waters Bermegger, Angela DiNapoli, Katherine Evans, Veronica Hofstetter and Helen Werngren. They are all talented and work in different mediums but 
there is a connection with the fresh, and joyful use of color throughout the exhibit. I was excited to hear that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their art is being donated to MACH/Neighborhood Studios, a nonprofit school of the arts in Bridgeport, founded in 1977 to enhance the lives of children and adults, particularly students with special needs, the economically disadvantaged and those artistically gifted.
My readers know how much I love art and write about the connection between art and language. Just last week I blogged about enhancing the reading of a book by encouraging your child to illustrate the story after reading. I am glad that these gifted artists are contributing to the artistic education of those less fortunate.
If you missed the show, call 203-918-6800 for an appointment to get that special picture and meet the creative women behind the art.
The Art Studio, 170B Post Road East,
Westport, CT
