The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA) hosted their annual Valentine’s Day community-wide children’s crafting and art event called “Art to Your Heart’s Content: Valentine Free Family Workshop.” The event held on Saturday, Feb. 8 began with over 25 Longwood student volunteers helping the LCVA employees get prepared. At 10 a.m., the doors opened up for the community to enjoy crafts, food and fun in the large lower level area of the building that was decorated in a Valentine’s Day theme.
Longwood junior and volunteer Joseph Siverd said, “The decorations were phenomenal. It was so refreshing to see people put so much effort and care into their work. The event was a huge success. It was really great to have such a good, unique event to bring out all the local children and show them a good time.”
With no age limit and the event running until noon, visitors were able to receive 2 hours’ worth of crafting fun from the LCVA event. Each station has crafts designed for different skill and age levels, and love songs were played all throughout the event. Sophomore Longwood student and volunteer Kassie Fralick said, “This ‘Art to Your Heart’s Content’ workshop was definitely successful as I was constantly seeing new faces at my craft station and the time just flew by! It’s really cool working with local kids from Farmville and also sometimes even seeing your professors there!” With a total count of 354 people that showed up for the workshop, this was another successful annual event for the LCVA. At the event, visitors who were mainly local children and their family members could craft Valentine’s Day cards, make goodie bags and flowers, participate in story time and paint their faces. Participants could also take pictures at the photo booth that was Alice in Wonderland themed. Throughout the LCVA, young children smiled as they proudly showed parents, employees and volunteers their new crafts. Sophomore Longwood student and volunteer Emma Foley said, “All the kids were so cute! They were really excited to be there and loved all the different stations!” The LCVA offers many other events and ways the Longwood students and the community can get involved and volunteer. The gallery is open Mon. to Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is open to all, free of charge. It also offers many other annual community- wide workshops that are similar to ‘Art to Your Heart’s Content,’ like ‘Dia de los Muertos: Mexico’s
Celebration of Life’ in October, and ‘Winter Wonderland’ during the winter. All LCVA workshops are free because of sponsors, and are designed to celebrate seasons and bring families and the community together. Fralick said, “I love going and volunteering at the different workshops the LCVA puts on, they are always so organized and well-put together!”
Longwood students, as pictured, volunteered with the LCVA to help out with the Valentine’s Day event that invited children of all ages to come celebrate and make crafts.
