FLORENCE - Children of all ages as well as their families will be welcomed at the Florence Mall next Saturday, treated to a day of performances and arts activities by more than 30 area artists and performers during the second annual Young Children's Arts Showcase.

"The idea of the event is to let families know what is out there available for their children to take part in," said Sharon King, marketing director for Children, Inc., one of the event's sponsors. "It's really a simple premise. This is the second year we have sponsored the event, and judging from last year, this is going to be huge."

Last year King was able to attract 28 groups to set up booths, and this year there will be at least 35. Since the first art showcase was so successful, she had no problem with people wanting to come back this year. In fact, King said, some new people called her because they wanted to be in on this event.

"We got good feedback," King related. "Everyone has a table with a hands-on activity for the children, and last year the booths were busy all day. We have things like face painting, and balloon sculpture, and one table has planned to have an opera karaoke, which promises to be a real hoot!"

In addition, mall merchants have donated prizes that will be raffled off between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Costumed characters will interact with the children, and both parents and children can watch performances by the Otto M. Budig Academy of Cincinnati Ballet, or the Kincaid Regional Theater.

Scott Brown, author of the Mr. Whap-O-Pottamus stories, will entertain with renditions of the popular children's narratives, and Studio Dee Dance and Aerobics will demonstrate how to have fun with exercise. David Kisor, a well known Cincinnati composer, teacher and performer, will emcee the daylong event.

"If I had to come up with a three-word comment for the Arts Showcase, it would be fun, fun, fun," said Kisor, who after emceeing the event last year, joined the Children Inc. staff full-time in January as a music specialist. "Children, Inc. embodies what I personally stand for. We believe in children, we believe in families, we believe in ourselves."

"One of the main things we do in all our programs is build exposure to the arts," said Tom Lottman, deputy executive director for Children, Inc. "There was a study done in Louisville that showed a 247 percent increase in math scores for children who had taken a course in piano keyboard. Another study done at the University of California showed a 46 percent increase in the spatial ability of 3- to 4-year-olds after piano lessons."

He pointed to songs that are taught in classes in Children, Inc. that build a sense of initiative and confidence, and are repeated enough that the children learn self-control, and as a result, try things they hesitated to do earlier.

Helping Parents

"The research shows exposure to the arts directly stimulates the brain in math and science," said Lottman. "We want children to be exposed from an early age to maximize the benefits of the arts."

The Arts Showcase on October 1 will help to show parents the programs in which they can encourage children to participate, including painting and drawing, dancing, drama or music. Artwork will be on display from Arnett Elementary School, John G. Carlisle School, Highland Heights Elementary, Prince of Peace School, and the Duveneck Center. Literature from the Cincinnati Shakespeare Theater, Art Reach, Cincinnati Symphony, and the Cincinnati Arts Association will be available.

"It is going to be a wonderful day," said King. "Parents and children can enjoy the entertainment, and parents can ask questions about what is available for their children. And nobody knows their children better than parents do, so they can pick out what their children would enjoy most."

A complete list of participating artists and their performance times is available online at childreninc.org, or by calling (859) 431-2075.

Other event sponsors include the Florence Mall, the Northern Kentucky Community Early Childhood Councils, WB64-TV, and Huntington Bank.