There's just nothing like immersing yourself in the arts. But unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to reap the benefits of art making. The Lux Center For The Arts is hoping to fix that problem as they take the art out of the studio and onto the streets.

Jo Ann Emerson is the Executive Director at the Lux Center, "Art Van de Lux is going to take our award winning art classes out to at-risk youth, out to kids that can't come to the art center and out to senior citizens so they can experience the benefits of making art."

Emerson says the mobile art making cargo an will be the first of it's kind in the state of Nebraska, "The van will actually be a van that is outfitted with a potter's wheel and rolling slabs and miniature printing presses and miniature looms so that the people that we take our classes to can participate in the same high level art classes that they would if they came to Lux Center For The Arts."

Emerson sees Nikole Andersen as are perfect example of a person that could benefit from Art Van de Lux. This talented 9-year-old suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, "Art is very important because it helps with my hands and all my different joints, I think it's so much fun and it really gets everything working in my body."

Nikole's mom Brandy says that since Nikole started creating at Lux three years ago her self confidence has continued to blossom, "I have seen Nikole's self-esteem just boost, I've seen here rise from just laying around in bed not being able to do anything to bringing home all of these projects that she's done and having them on display here and wearing to school the scarves that she makes, it's really done a lot for her self-esteem."

Emerson says the Lux Center has been planning, dreaming and scheming about this program for over a year now, "We've talked to 50 youth or serving agencies in the city so far and they are all very enthusiastic about this program for their clients and each of those 50 agencies serves approximately 100 clients. That's 5,000 people right there that will benefit from Art Van de Lux.

If you'd like support the Lux Center's efforts... Call 466-8692 or go to
www.artvandelux.org or our website at www.luxcenter.org