SHADE — Since April, the colorful, eye-catching Crafty Art Bus, owned and operated by Daisy Carlson of Athens, has been making stops throughout Athens County. The bus is loaded with arts-and-crafts related activities and comes with a commitment: to create a positive environment for children to explore art, music, and reading, which in turn, does wonders for child self-esteem and emotional wellness, she said.
Carlson purchased the Crafty Art Bus — a full-size, retired Thomas school bus — in April from Alexander Local Schools and its auction of several buses on eBay. Her family painted the blue bus while local artist Kevin Morgan scripted the words, “the Art, Music, & Book Bus!” along with the word “Crafty” in big, yellow letters. He also created three delightful bunny rabbits in overalls — one carrying paint and a palette; another strumming a guitar; and the third carrying a few books while reading one as he walks.
The Crafty Art Bus was off and running by mid-spring, her very first stop being Sunday Creek Daycare in Glouster. Since then, recent stops have included the Starbrick Music Festival in Nelsonville and the Near Eastside Neighborhood Athens (NENA) Porchfest music event. Carlson posts her schedule on Facebook, found under “Crafty Art Bus,” and on the website, Craftyartbus.org .
“I love doing music festivals” she said. “I want to travel with Crafty Art Bus all the way out to California, one day, and get a base of followers.”
On July 3, Carlson made a stop at the Shade Community Center, with children making crafts like colorful keychains, butterflies painted on canvas, bracelets and even fairy lanterns that light up brightly. On July 14, one of her most important stops will happen at the Athens Public Library.
By word of mouth and through social media, Carlson said donations have come in, mostly arts-and-crafts supplies along with books. She is also trying to raise $1,500 in monetary donations for new flooring for the bus, which has had most of its seats removed. That was necessary to make room for tables on each side, replete with enough beads, paints, buttons, key rings, paper and pipe cleaners to make any crafter aficionado happy.
Carlson has established the Crafty Art Bus as a nonprofit, offering that community support will give area children more opportunities to express themselves. What the bus offers children is free and open to all.
“For two months, it was like Christmas,” she said. “People were dropping off art supplies all over my front porch. It was a major community effort to get things going.”
For donation purposes she also created a GoFundMe page on Facebook.
Carlson, who is originally from Cincinnati, also owns a cleaning business, Keep It Clean. She graduated from Ohio University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Family Studies. She has three sons: Otto, 3, Owen, 12, and Oliver, 10 — who was born just a few months before her OU graduation. Having children made her realize the importance of art, music and reading to all children — along with a sense of accomplishment when each painting is etched, craft item made or book is read, resulting in therapeutic aspects that occur naturally as children grow.
“Dreaming and believing in yourself is the first step in self-growth, at all ages,” Carlson said, reading from a card that contains the Crafty Art Bus mission statement. “Through ‘Crafty,’ I want to instill positive ways kids can express themselves. Come take a ride with me as we adventure through Ohio in a school bus filled with dreamers and believers!”
Children who visit aboard Crafty Art Bus and depart receive an art box full of crafts, with “little affirmations” of positivity, she said — in the form of art box instructions along with themes like “I am loved” and “Don’t worry be Happy!”
As she got ready to depart Shade, she was asked about an entire table full of art boxes. They were going to a family that cares for a number of foster children, Carlson said. She added that the colorful popcorn maker machine is functional and well stocked “because you can’t create if you’re hungry.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0