Winter 2011 Schedule

UPDATE: View the schedule online at http://gaah.org/after-school

The Winter 2011 Schedule is now available at the Cook Arts Center!

All students currently enrolled in a music class will continue with their class, but other students will have the opportunity to register for other art offerings.

In the visual arts, we are going to continue to offer a variety of pottery courses for all ages, as well as drawing for kids, and digital art. However, new this session are classes in 3D mixed media sculpture and card making.

In performance arts, younger dancers can still attend ballet, but we are also offering a creative movement course for the youngest budding dancers, ages 2-4. For our adult dancers, we are offering a Latin dance course that will cover salsa, merengue, and bachata.

Also for adults this session, we are offering a piano class for 16+, after a high demand from many of the parents and other adult visitors to our center.

All classes run from January 10-March 31. Registration forms & complete calendars are available at the front desk of the Cook Arts Center.

Winter Schedule Available Now!

Click Here!

ARCH Comes to the Cook Arts Center

On November 23, 50 students from Kentwood Public School's ARCH after-school program visited the Cook Arts Center. The 1st-5th grade students each participated in 2 of 3 different sessions.

Upstairs in the art studio, Lori Slager had the students expressing their emotions with relief water color paintings.

Meanwile, in the dance studio, Kelly Malinowski led them through a brief hip-hop routine to Lupe Fiasco's "Superstar".

Down in the music room, Nadia Andrus led two groups of budding actors through various theater games, including "Props", where the students had to think of alternate uses for the prop that was given to them.

The ARCH students left at 6pm on Monday with smiles on their faces, laughing and talking.

Thanks to Kentwood Public Schools for letting us bring art to your students!

To see more photos from this event, visit our Flickr Page!

"I am You and You are Me"

On November 11, 2010, the Cook Library Center hosted its monthly Career Day. This month, board member José Rosario was kind enough to stop in and share his story of growing up in New York's Spanish Harlem and his success in education and business.


"I am you and you are me" These were the words José used as he he looked over the room packed with students. Most of the students looked back at him slightly confused, and he smiled as he explained how he had grown up in the Spanish Harlem of New York City, with a single mother and limited resources for education. "What do you think I did to overcome that?"

"Got rich!" "Became a lawyer!" shouted a few students.

José shook his head, "No, I mean when I was your age."

The room was silent for a moment, then he explained. "I did 2 things: I listened to my parent, my mom, and I tried hard in school."

José went on to explain how important education had been in his success as a lawyer and human resource manager for Spartan Stores. He encouraged the kids in the room to continue trying at school and to do their best since reading and learning would help them more than anything else with their future.

Thank you, José, for helping the Grandville Avenue area kids see how important learning is for their future!