Tickwanya Jones has yet to graduate from grade school, but she’s already an active member of Central Virginia’s arts community. By the time she was three, her mother, Twanya Jones, saw that Tickwanya had an adventurous and creative spirit. “She would draw all day long if we let her,” recalls Twanya, “and she sings and acts in a drama group at our family’s church.”
Tikwanya’s grandmother, Alfreda Caston, is a Central Virginia employee of Bank of America, who learned about ArtsFund when she noticed Tikwanya’s picture on an ArtsFund campaign banner. This coincidence gave ArtsFund access to Tickwanya’s story.
Tickwanya always had passion for art– what she needed was opportunity. Driving along Main Street, her mom saw a poster for the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s Summer Artventure program, affordable art classes taught by professional artists for kids who might otherwise just stay home all summer. She signed her daughter up immediately.
Since then, doors have kept opening for Tickwanya Jones. Whether Tickwanya is working with clay, paint or pastels, or singing, dancing or playing a role on a stage, she knows she has found a home in the arts. Thanks to her family’s encouragement -- and the opportunities available to her through organizations like the Visual Arts Center of Richmond -- Tickwanya is excelling in art, excelling in school and is among the most promising artists in her age group. Her work has been exhibited in area shopping malls and public buildings across the city.
Though she hasn’t chosen the field of art she will pursue in the future, one thing is for certain: Tickwanya Jones is bound for creative adventure. |
