The Role and Potential of the Atelier

"The term 'atelier' harks back romantically to the studios of bohemian artists, and in pedagogical thinking in Reggio it has been revisited and reinterpreted to become synonymous with places where project work - progettare - is associated with things taking shape through action; places where brains, hands, sensibilities, rationalitiy, emotion, and imagination all work together in close cooperation."

Art and Creativity in Reggio Emilia: Exploring the Role and Potential of Ateliers in Early Childhood Education is the new book  by Vea Vecchi, and it is on my summer reading list.  Continuing on yesterday's note about Montessori, I do not work at a Reggio-inspired school, or a Montessori school, or a Waldorf school, but I am inspired by the work of thoughtful educators.  That said, we do not have an "atelier", but rather, an art studio.  I think that the idea of the atelier in Reggio Emilia is described beautifully above, and there will be ideas in the book for anyone who fosters creativity in children.