THE ART PROJECT:
Coming Soon!
Clover Smile
Garden Therapy
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
School Under Duress
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
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
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The ART Project: The Beginning
"I can't cut with scissors." Cameron said dryly with a hint of attitude. "You can't use scissors?" I said really just thinking aloud. I believed Cameron was trying, once again, to escape the assignment that I had asked for him to complete. "Nahh, I'm not good with those." I gave Cameron the scissors and said "Practice". What I thought was just an obstinate fifth grader looking for an excuse turned into a different discovery. I quickly realized it was a school wide phenomenon; from kindergarten to eighth grade, students were unable to use scissors. I was disturbed and appalled. The push-out of Art and the emphasis on Reading and Math had created a school full of children with the inability to perform a basic pre-school task. I also noticed students lacked vision, imagination and creativity and they struggled deeply with problem solving skills and anger management.
I had a visceral need to share with my students the love of art, the power of vision, and the ability to imagine and create change. This began the ART project. Four days a week for two hours I had an open art studio. The studio was really just a big classroom filled with markers, paper, paint, glitter, and a medley of other art supplies. I opened the doors and encouraged my students to explore, play, discover and create! They loved the project!
May 2010:
It was hot, stuffy and late but the room still buzzed with excitement. The young people were reluctantly cleaning up the array of art supplies that were spread across the school tables. I was tired and drained. The extra two hours tagged onto the school day was getting the best of me. "Art makes me happy, and I like candy!" Aria ran to me and said. I laughed, exhaled and smiled. This is not in vain, I thought to myself. Art can create change and we must make space for ART!
I had a visceral need to share with my students the love of art, the power of vision, and the ability to imagine and create change. This began the ART project. Four days a week for two hours I had an open art studio. The studio was really just a big classroom filled with markers, paper, paint, glitter, and a medley of other art supplies. I opened the doors and encouraged my students to explore, play, discover and create! They loved the project!
May 2010:
It was hot, stuffy and late but the room still buzzed with excitement. The young people were reluctantly cleaning up the array of art supplies that were spread across the school tables. I was tired and drained. The extra two hours tagged onto the school day was getting the best of me. "Art makes me happy, and I like candy!" Aria ran to me and said. I laughed, exhaled and smiled. This is not in vain, I thought to myself. Art can create change and we must make space for ART!
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