Update: The Open Art Studio continued for a year 2010-2011. The students enjoyed the experience and lots of art was created!
Fast Forward to 2012: Some things have changed and some things have remained the same. Our school now has a part time art teacher. The art teacher comes to our school two days a week and teaches art classes for students in K-8. The afterschool program that offered art and dance has now transformed itself into a two hour tutoring program. The urgent need to increase test scores has pushed many schools such as ours to offer students afterschool tutoring in hopes that that will help them pass the multitude of tests that they are required to take.
The constant buzz and steady concern of parents, teachers and students is "Will our underutilized school be closed/ shut down by Chicago Public Schools next year." Mayor Emmanuel and our new CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett has targeted 100 schools that they claim are underutilized and underachieving to be closed. In our Bronzeville location there are more than 20 schools on the list. Teachers are scared, students are concerned and anxious and parents are confused. Fear and uncertainty line the halls as CEO's and Network's walk through our floors; brows furrowed with judgmental airs. Teachers are begging and rallying and parents are voicing their allegiance to their chosen schools while the big bad wolf or the great white hope known as the charter school (depending on your opinion) lingers close by waiting to pounce.
Nothing constant is change but change can cause such fear and discomfort. I need a therapeutic place, a safe place to create art around a shared intention and release tension. Art has always been my safe place and so it became clear that this Open Art Studio Project should resurface to promote self-care, awareness, community activism and provide positive emotional release. We will make art with an intention. The end result of this project will be a public display of our artwork as an exhibit.
http://www.ctunet.com/blog/reader-the-chicago-manual-of-school-closings
