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Community Corner

JAM: A Creation Station for Kids in SoNo

"Junior Arts and Music" has painting, puppetry, story-telling, karaoke, drumming, melody-making, creative movement and fashion/graphic design. You can bring your kids and join in, too.

Does your child like to rock out? Or get knee-deep in paint? If so, the new junior arts and music studio, also known as "," is the place to be. The JAM studio is housed in a bright, airy loft space at 140 Water St., in the heart of SoNo. The vibe here is relaxed and cool where kids are encouraged to have fun with hands-on arts and crafts and melody making.

JAM's creative director and co-founder, Dre Towey, is proud to see her dream come true in this art studio for kids and families.

"We consider JAM an oasis in this crazy, overly-programmed world," Towey said. "Our primary goal is to simply have fun, color outside the lines and encourage students to turn an oops! into a wow!"

A Rowayton resident and mother, Towey is also an award-winning singer/songwriter who has a handful of CDs under her belt. The idea of JAM came to fruition when Towey and fellow artist/designer Chris Tinnesz decided to pair their creative talents and open a studio where kids and families could come explore and play with music and art.

JAM's staff is comprised of trained artists, musicians & teachers who have a natural and genuine love of children and the arts.

"There is such a great need for this type of art/music studio in the area," Towey said. "I would like to see it grow and get more people creating art and music." Some of Towey's future goals include integrating the JAM programs into local after-school curriculums. She also mused about driving the old VW bus "Jam Van" around local
neighborhoods, much like an ice-cream truck does, to offer an open art and music forum to all kids.

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"I picture the van's doors opening up with music, paints and easels spilling out and accessible to all children," she said.

JAM's classes are available to children and adults of all ages. JAM fun is offered in the form of painting, puppetry, story-telling, karaoke, drumming, melody-making, creative movement and fashion/graphic design. There are racks of paints, a large wall mural painting station, tables full of crafts, laptop stations for digital design, a
performing music stage, instruments and much more.

The inspiration at JAM is palpable and the visual experience could open up the artistic heart in any of us.

For more information go to: www.jamsono.com or call: (203) 642-3090. Memberships, birthday parties and camp programs are available.

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