Wildwood Academy of Music and the Arts
"The dream for Wildwood Academy of Music and the Arts, WAMA, is to be a place where young artists and creators can cultivate, not just a passion for their craft, but a curiosity for the world around them. Through interdisciplinary learning and the nurturing of wonder and understanding through the arts, we hope to forge a path towards a more empathetic future, where the arts is not just a place of entertainment, but a mode of interpersonal growth for generations."
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- Dustin Yoder (Director of Wildwood Academy of Music and the Arts) 2024
Our Vision
Our Purpose
To enrich the arts and the growth of the youth in West Little Rock and beyond.
Core Values
From a dream,
to something more...
"I like to dream. It is reaching out for the intangible and setting lofty goals that help you reach those milestones in your life that are 'bigger than you' and creating a sense of deep satisfaction."
- Ann Chotard, (Wildwood Park for the Art's Founder) Quote from Arkansas Business, 1998
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To dream is at the core of Wildwood Academy of Music and the Arts. Life is full of challenges and questions, most times the answers aren't so clear. To have a solution to one situation is nice, but to strengthen a mindset of growth and hope is to bare the will to sail through any storm life brings.
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An art beyond the aesthetics...
Multigenerational growth and understanding...
We seek to provide an environment where our students are not just students, but grow into mentors and individuals for those younger than them to look up to. The world is ever changing, so having a community that can relate to your times, your struggles, your hopes and your life speaks to something bigger than yourself alone. This is the keystone to a more empathetic world. Understanding that you're not just experiencing but contribute to the story of another. Over time, these students will look up to those individuals that will in time be themselves; those individuals students look toward as they navigate their own stories. Over time, our kids may foster kids of their own and will have that intangible experience of helping someone become who they are to be. Be they parents, teachers, or role-models.
A growth beyond ourselves...
Interdisciplinary Studies...
Growth in the arts, or any field for that matter, isn't one dimensional. When you learn Physics, you use math, the sciences, reading, writing, even discoveries and perspectives from other fields. In a place of work, multiple departments work together to see a goal or vision through, so why confine the arts and learning to such limits that don't reflect the real world around them? Cross-modal learning is necessary for raising our youth into people that can be leaders in their times. Seeing how everything is connected and their interests and aspirations blend into others presents the opportunity for them to develop themselves into something uniquely them.
Learning beyond a subject...
The Natural State of Art...
Together, the arts and nature go hand in hand. Here at Wildwood Park for the Arts, we want to maintain the natural beauty of the park. Having a safe haven away from the noise of the city, a place not just to escape, but to heal, breathe, and reset your mind. Art is found throughout the ripples of the lake, the crisp autumn wind rustling the leaves. To feel and observe the fundamental blocks of life with the eyes of curiosity, and the wonder of an artist, can bring new insights, rejuvenate the mind, and calm the soul.
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Nurture beyond our nature...