Tesserae to Invest

Pepsi... Refresh Hunting Park!

2010-05-01T11:49:00.001-04:00

Upcoming Trip

2010-01-05T22:34:00.001-05:00

This Thursday (January 7th), I leave for my next big trip. I will be in Thailand from 1.7-1.18, Vietnam 1.18-1.23, and Kenya from 1.23-2.3. I am preparing for 2 art projects. In Thailand, I'll be working with a friend of mine and a group of women prisoners creating "HOPE" Journals for the women to do some writing about their hopes for the future of their lives and their families. We will also be taking this activity to a village my friend has previously worked in and incorporate a small mural depicting symbols of hope that the women of the village will install in their community. My time in Kenya will be spend with NURU INTERNATIONAL which was started by my brother, Jake Harriman. I will be working with their education coordinator on the ground there. The project will be a three wall mural for a remodeled pre-school room. I will work with 13-15 year old teens in Kenya who will leave their "legacy" for the younger children as we work together to design the mural. The theme (so far) is that each student in the pre-school is a member of 3 communities: family, country, and the global community. We want the mural to communicate that through education, each child can play an active role in the global community.
We'll see how it goes! You all know these things can really turn out different than we expect. My murals in Guatemala proved that to be true...
Flexibility, right?
I won't be posting while I'm away but hope to update upon my return.

Ayuda Youth Art Show - Fall 2009

2010-01-03T13:06:00.004-05:00

Order Your 2010 Ayuda Arts Calendars Today!

2009-12-03T13:19:00.008-05:00

Looking for a special gift this season? Ayuda's 2010 Ayuda Community Arts Calendar gives you the opportunity to give a gift with double the impact. Your loved ones will receive our beautiful calendar with images of artwork, events, and photography from Ayuda's Community Art Program AND Ayuda will receive a gift: 60% of each sale will support the arts at Ayuda. Check out more images from the calendar below!

TO ORDER: Each calendar is $25.00

Visit our website's donation page.
Designate your donation as "Arts Calendar - # Ordered"

If you are not in the area and would like us to ship your calendar to you, please include an additional $3 for shipping for your order. We will be happy to ship your calendar to you at the address entered with your donation or email me at mharriman@ayudacc.org if you would like us to ship your calendars to a different address.

Thanks so much for your order!

Peace to you and your families over the holidays!

Michaelanne Harriman
Community Arts Director
Ayuda Community Center

Message from Guatemalan Gang Members

2009-09-04T00:31:00.003-04:00

Pastor Joel VanDyke whom I worked with in Guatemala just sent me this link to download a sermon which he gave called The Hagars of the Garbage Dumps. If you are interested in a bigger context for the mural that we did in Zacapa, and about why the story of Hagar resonated with the women there, listen to this sermon. Listen for the message from the gang members to the Church which Joel translated. And listen to the beautiful song at the end composed of Hagar's reflections about who God is...

Thanks for sharing, Joel.

El Dios Que Me Ve (The God Who Sees Me)

2009-09-03T08:17:00.002-04:00

(This is a telling of the mural-making process in the prison in Zacapa, Guatemala. I wrote these reflections as an Aritist on Call for BuildaBridge International.)

“Where have you come from and where are you going?” This is the questions that the angel of the Lord asks Hagar, an Egyptian sex-slave, in Genesis 16. She had just fled her bondage in the home of Sarai and Abram to escape the abuse that she suffered there. One wonders, why did the angel of an all-knowing Lord ask the question? This encounter of “asking and telling” along the road moved Hagar to name God: the God who sees me. Hagar, a foreign slave, is the first human in the Old Testament who give the Lord a name. This moment of being seen is what the female gang-members imprisoned in Zacapa, Guatemala wanted to paint. Hagar’s story resonated with them; what is it like to be truly “seen”?

I have been living and working in North Philadelphia doing art projects in the community setting for the past three years. Having spent the first 17 years of my life on a farm in West Virginia, creating artwork with my neighbors in North Philadelphia is a cross-cultural experience for me. Doing creative projects in other countries is whole new level. When I decided to study Spanish in Guatemala, BuildaBridge put me in touch with several organizations with which to do community art projects while I was studying: Estrategia de Transformacion, El Barrio 4 Christ, and Escuela Integrada. I am grateful for the generosity of these organizations. They usherd me into the sacred space of the relationships that they have worked hard to foster through their work. I was able to paint two murals: one with female inmates in Zacapa and one with middle and high school-aged students in Antigua. These projects expanded my experience beyond the “student/tourist” presence to a place of relating to folks living in Guatemala as we created art together.

When I first met the 14 female gang members imprisoned in Zacapa that I was to paint a mural with, I met mothers, daughters, girlfriends, wives, and grandmothers who were being reunited with their families. Pastor Joel VanDyke and Prison Chaplain, Ignacio Sanchez had rented a school bus and gathered together the families of the 14 women. We rode the bus for three hours chatting with the families about how excited they were about the reunion. Two kids I talked with hadn’t seen their mom in over a year. These particular 14 women were taken from the women’s prison in Guatemala City and moved to Zacapa after they were responsible for the brutal murder of a woman from another gang who was mistakenly jailed with them. They were placed in an old dining room in the prison and were left to make their beds under the tables in one common space and deal with the heat, flies, and smell of sewage which seeped out behind the wall of their outdoor patio. It was in this space that we ate together, shared family photos, and began to ask one another, “Where are you coming from?”

Two weeks later, I returned to Zacapa with Ignacio and a ministry intern from the States, Nikole, to paint the mural in three days. I began by reinforcing my approach of community art projects: This is YOUR space. You participate in the design of a mural that goes on a wall that you see everyday. Thankfully, prison is not a permanent home for most inmates and this prompts the question of what legacy prisoners want to leave behind; what would they like other inmates to view, ponder, and respond to? These questions brought us to the story of Hagar. We began our design process with a private drawing activity where I asked the women to draw that which they perceived as hidden from the Lord either by intention on their part or aspects of their lives that are filled with pain because they may seemingly remain unseen by anyone who cares. I reminded them that the angel of the Lord invites the activity of telling. This was a moving time where some women wrote letters to God, drew pictures of loved ones that were murdered, or filled the page with words related to their life experiences. Gathering together again, we got busy designing what Hagar’s encounter on the road would have looked like in our Guatemalan landscape. After some quick sketching and mixing colors, we began to paint.

One interesting confrontation came about when one woman in her 50’s, “Caty” (not her real name), advised me to remember to add tears to Hagar’s face. The other women gathered around the rendering responded strongly that no, that was not right. Hagar was encountering the Lord; there are no tears. Caty pointed out that the angel told Hagar to go back to her slavery with the couple set to birth the nation of God’s chosen people who had and possibly would continue to abuse her. She said that the presence of the Lord doesn’t take away all pain here in this life; this life is hard. She spoke from many rough years of experience. We resorted to a majority rules decision of no tears. The majority of the women held the sentiment that they didn’t want to look at a crying woman everyday. And we moved forward.

Within this group of female gang members, “Dulce” (not her real name) is the leader. Throughout the mural process, the other women would visually check-in with her before they moved forward on anything that I had directed them to do on the wall. Dulce spent a little time on the wall but was more interested in her girls getting a chance to paint. At the beginning of this second day, Dulce showed me a drawing that she had done on a piece of sheet about 2’ x 2’ and asked me if I had time, would I copy her drawing on the other wall so that they could have something to paint after I left. Time? I was pretty much convinced that finishing one mural in three days was an impossibility let alone have some extra time for drawing! However, I didn’t want to get on the wrong side of the fence with this woman. As Dulce does, the other 13 follow. Taking a bit of a risk, I pointed out that she had drawn it beautifully once small on the sheet; she only needed to draw it bigger. She was strongly opposed to the idea that she could do the drawing; she was no artist! I pushed a bit and demonstrated with my broken Spanish how to use a tape measure to scale up a small drawing using points of reference. Then I went back to work, worried that I had pushed too far. Time passed; me and 13 other women worked steadily on the mural while I watched Dulce out of the corner of my eye. She mostly stared at the drawing with her face scrunched. Finally, she went to the wall with the tape and pencil. 20 minutes later, she came and asked how to mix colors. We mixed side-by-side, creating now TWO murals in three days. As colleagues, we worked steadily, consulting each other on color choice and shade/highlight details. Slowly, a few of the women began to assist Dulce in her mural. Our excitement increased as the murals took shape and began to impress the artists themselves with the beauty flowing from their own hands.

Nikole, the ministry intern, was designated the documentarian of the project and shot some lovely pictures of our collaboration. Upon completion, Dulce requested a photo shoot of her with her finished mural as well as a group shot with the Hagar mural. And many, many photos were taken with Chickys, the dog that lives with them in prison who is featured riverside in the mural.

As I have returned to Philadelphia to jump back into community arts here in my neighborhood of Hunting Park, I’m thankful for Nikole’s photos. I remind myself of our last group discussion which we had when I left the prison. I told them that I hoped they would spend time each day looking at our telling of Hagar’s encounter. She knew that she had been seen by the Lord. I with my friends in Zacapa will continue to consider tellings that we may have to offer each day to our God, to each other, even tellings that we may need to speak to ourselves.

The Miracle of 3 Days in Zacapa, Guatemala

2009-07-27T23:10:00.007-04:00

It's hard to believe, but the mural in Zacapa actually happened. And not only just happened; it was a really unique and rich time for all of us who participated. The process of painting this particular mural was pretty powerful.

I'll be posting thoughts and reflections in pieces. For tonight, I want to thank the three organizations that provided for this opportunity for creative collaboration. El Barrio 4 Christ is the ministry of Ignacio Sanchez and 4 other Prison Chaplains who work in Guatemala City and Zacapa. Ignacio visits the women incarcerated in Zacapa twice a month. He's an amazing guy with an amazing story about how God can change a life. He's committed to these women among all of the other prisoners he visits: to love them, to advocate for their health and living conditions, and to share with them about God's passion for them. Secondly, Estrategia de Transformacion where Joel Van Dyke is the Director. The ministry seeks to equip the church in Latin America through strategic cohorts from 5 countries to serve high-risk youth and their families in very hard places. EDT works with El Barrio 4 Christ and many other ministries to train leaders and support ministries through networking and sharing of resources. Joel does a fantastic job and is a great networker. Both he and Ignacio love the arts and see art as a powerful communication tool which can travel to places other methods fall short. That's where the third organization, BuildaBridge International, comes in. (See previous post.)

Times are tough for ministries, and these three ministries are serving in very tough places. They believe in the value of each individual person on this planet and stand committed to seeing people live an abundant life through spiritual transformation. I've learned a lot working with them on this project: about my own ministry and calling to work in Hunting Park in North Philly, about loving people, about hope of transformation in God alone. Some really rich moments, and I'm grateful. More later...

Preparations...

2009-07-20T22:34:00.002-04:00

Today was a big day. I received photos of the preparations that are being made for the mural in Zacapa. Amazing what a coat of paint can do. I'll be traveling to Guatemala City Thursday night and then on to Zacapa early on Friday morning. I'll be going with one of the interns that is working in G. City for the summer as well as someone who will do translation for us all. I really appreciate your prayers for these three days. Also, today, I spent some time with an employee of Escuela Integrada shopping for materials for the mural which we should start painting tomorrow. Great way to practice my Spanish as he didn't speak much English and most of the folks in the shops don't. ALSO today, I passed my Grado A exam in my Spanish school! On to B which I'll barely begin in my remaining 8 days of class. My teacher was almost as excited as I was. It may not seem like a big deal... but it's so great to feel like I'm learning a little something. To celebrate, my teacher and I talked for the remaining hour or so. I love to talk to her. Today we talked a lot about struggles. Life is hard. In her words: "No hay nada color de rosa." We talked about how it's so easy to forget that God will carry our loads in His hands. We begin to carry them and we get so tired. But when we remember, we can leave our struggles in God's hands and we'll have contentment in our hearts. We were talking about songs that we like that remind us about what is true. She sang this song to me that her daughter sings from their church "oh Jesus, mi mejor amigo. oh Jesus, mi fiel..." It was a special day.

HOT Date!

2009-07-19T23:49:00.003-04:00

A date w/ Pacaya

2009-07-16T00:41:00.001-04:00

easy tiger...
Originally uploaded by misk77

Antigua is nestled "comfortably" in the midst of three volcanoes. Of course, I wanted to climb them. Then I found out that one is pretty active (Fuego pictured here w/ the smoke coming out of it; the one w/ the visible top is the tallest one Acatenango which is just over 13K!) and they're all over 12K. I've never climbed that high... so I'm sticking w/ the shorter volcano, Pacaya, an hour or so away that

Dios es...

2009-07-16T00:20:00.004-04:00

fedelidad o fiel, justico o justo, maravilloso, omnipotente, poder, libertad, integro, magestivoso, mi papa celestial, mi mejor doctor, el dueno de todo, caridad, tolerancia, gratitiude, bondad, fortaleza, micericordioso, comprencivo, amable, consejero, bueno, poderoso (todo), pureza, paz, sabidoria, fe, amigo (mejor), alegria, salvador, salvacion, saliduria, verdad, camino, paciente, amoroso, compania, consuelo, milagroso, perdon, esperanza, fuerza, poderoso, unico, refugio, vida, hermoso, consejero, generoso, temura, umildad, ensenanza, amistad, tranquilidad, tenura, comprensible, honestidad, amor o amoroso, grande, leal, tolerante, libertad, todo, integro, intelegente, divino, bueno, lavida, onestido, rey de reyes, majestuoso, infinito, lindo, guapo, noble, pasion, entretimiento (or entindimiento), mi roca, sureza, sufiente, real, genial, avia, creador

SESENTA PALABRAS!

2009-07-14T22:10:00.002-04:00

(wall for future mural)

Escuela Integrada: Yesterday, I conducted my first activity for the kids in Spanish. It was really hilarious. The kids got a real kick out of trying to figure out what the heck I was trying to say, laughing and then repeating back how I should have said it. I learned a bunch of new vocabulary from them! Well, miraculously, with the help of my teacher, I was able to get some ideas across and it went really well! These kids are really quick. Today was the 8^th graders. I’ll do this intro activity with 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th, and then do the 2^nd activity with each grade later this week. This mural is still being designed, but here’s the basic idea: One of the themes that the teachers in the school wanted the mural to address was the value of each person; how God values each and every person. I’ve got the reIMAGE theme bouncing around in my head for our work at Ayuda next year, so this project will display how we are all created in the image of God and can reflect the Lord to each other. We are each individually essential for this reflection b/c we each have a very unique “face” of the Lord to reflect to others.

Activity #1: The students complete the statement “God is ______.” Then the students are paired up and complete the sentence “My partner is ______.” They fill in the blank with qualities they appreciate about their partner, ways that they may help them, things they admire… We then gather all of the words describing the Lord on one side of the board and the words describing our friends on the other side. As you may expect, there are many similar words. We take time to circle them and comment on how we all have an opportunity to reflect the qualities of the Lord to each other. We discuss Genesis 1:27 and 2 Corinthians 3: 18 and talk about how the more we gaze at the Lord, He will make us more and more like Him. You know... all in Spanish! HA!

As I was walking home, I felt like it was my birthday and I’d received the coolest gift from these kids. When I got home, I looked through the papers of the 17 students in the 8^th grade and counted 60 different words to describe the Lord! Many words were repeated among the students, and each time I came across a new word, I was struck, “yes, the Lord is also this…” It was a gift to see the Lord through their eyes and I was reminded how vast, how true, how beautiful, how big, how faithful…

Activity #2: Each student will choose two words, one describing the Lord and one describing their partner, and create symbols for each word. Next week, we will make stencils with their symbols and they will create the mural. Or... something like that! I’ll keep you posted!

wall at zacapa

2009-07-14T12:12:00.002-04:00

"Yo soy lo que soy; no mas."

2009-07-13T21:59:00.006-04:00

(candles at Santa Domingo candle workshop)

Day 1 of Week #3: Update on Zacapa.

My trip to the prison in Zacapa last Thursday was an intense day. My friend and I arrived in Guatemala City late Wednesday evening and left at 5AM to meet up with J and the bus. I realized then that this was going to be a very important trip. The families of the women incarcerated in Zacapa do not generally have the money to make the 3 hours bus trip for visits from G. City. J and the prison chaplain had gathered all of the families of the women and provided a school bus for them to be able to visit their loved ones. Many children were among the group; two said they hadn’t seen their mom in 1 & ½ years. Also along for the journey was a group of folks from New Life Church in Philly! That was a cool surprise; though I didn’t know any of them before, we will be able to meet up when I return to the city. The trip was amazing… too many thoughts to record here. One thing I will say that the women there were VERY excited at the idea of getting together in a couple of weeks to paint a mural. I’ve been in a few prisons in the states, but I’ve never seen a prison like this one. Prisons are quite different in third-world. The rough physical space that is the home for these 15 women is a prime place for a redemptive mural. Wrestling with my worries about finishing a mural in three days, I’m also reminded that the most important thing is not the mural; it’s the relationships, interactions, and show of love that can occur when people are truly present with each other. (Thanks N.) The Lord has taught me this time and time again through my neighbors in Hunting Park. I will be spending three days there (July 24-26) working on the mural. Please pray for the Lord to be present with us as we dialogue and paint together.

I thought all day about how I’m so not the best person to do this mural! I can’t even really communicate with the ladies; my Spanish is so slow coming… it was pretty overwhelming and humbling simply to be in the space let alone try to talk about painting a mural together. But those walls are their home. And we will work together for 3 days to create something that will redeem this space to speak of home, hope, self-value and significance; all that the Lord will bring to our souls which we all so desperately need. When I communicated some of my apprehension about my language abilities to my Spanish teacher, she said to repeat to myself, “Yo soy lo que soy; no mas.” I am what I am; no more. Insufficiencies are the crux of life. (Thanks D.)

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” - Jesus (2 Cor. 12:9)

“God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are…” (1 Cor. 1:27-29)

A Quick Update

2009-07-06T23:04:00.003-04:00

Lake Atitlan
Originally uploaded by misk77

Saturday and Sunday I travelled with 3 other students from my Spanish School (CSA) to beautiful Lake Atitlan. We arrived on Saturday morning after a crazy drive through the mountains. I'm from West Virginia; I thought I knew what a "hair-pin curve" was... I've never seen anything like the mountain roads in Guatemala. Quite fun! We took a boat across the lake to see San Lucas, Santiago, and San Pedro then returned to Panajachel where our Hotel was. See the Lake Pix here. We saw a lot... I want to see as much as I possibly can while I'm here. This is my first time leaving the US and I'm astounded at how BIG the world is... how many people... how different our "normals" are... I'm learning more than just language here. The poverty here is much more severe than I have ever experienced. It's difficult to be a "tourist/student" here. I am very uncomfortable and not sure what to do with those emotions... not really ready to put it into words, so, onward.

Spanish: I've begun week two and I'm amazed that anyone actually can learn an entire new language... it's a crazy idea! There are just too many words to learn and too many tenses to imagine that may require new spellings and so on... Needless to say, I'm finding it difficult. However, I'm keeping in mind that my primary goal for learning Spanish is for conversation; I want to be able to talk to my neighbors and the parents of my kids who speak no English. I try (pitifully at times) to converse as much as possible with Guatemalans but what I'd heard about learning in Antigua is proving to be true: Muchas Gringos! With so many foreigners here, I hear and speak English quite often. Good for meeting fun people, bad for learning Spanish. I'll just keep pluggin away... The best thing is my teacher. As we do the lessons, we get off on many topics... families, politics, music, education, poverty, war, and today she talked to me about her family fleeing Guatemala in the 80's b/c of the vast oppression and murders of the government (all in Spanish, mind you. I understand much more than I could ever speak!) She is close to my age and we laugh alot... it's a wonder we get any Spanish done!

Work Projects: Things are not quite set in stone for the work projects, but I have really enjoyed spending time at Escuela Integrada and hope to paint a mural with the 7th, 8th, & 9th students. More to come one that... As for Zacapa, I will be traveling up to Zacapa on Thursday with the ministry from Guatemala City as they are taking up families of the women in prison there. I will get a chance to meet the women, see the space, and talk to them about a possible mural. More to come on that as well...

Family: As I speak to other students in Antigua, I realize that I have a very fortunate host family situation. The details are very comfortable: enough food (and it's delicious), warm-ish shower, comfortable room, inexpensive internet, and now a desk (I moved into one of the other rooms after a fellow student left b/c she had a desk). Beyond that, the people are very friendly and encouraging in my Spanish, especially the mom, Adita. The two older sons speak English very well, so again, there's an out to just default back on my English words if I get stuck. They're very hip and tell me where good places are for the night life. :) The youngest son Brian is 8 and again, we laugh alot. He's my favorite.

I'm happy. Last night (Sunday) the normal blues set in and I missed Philly and familiarity... to be expected. But I am just amazed that I'm here doing this! I feel that everyday I am at the mercy of the Guatemalan's that I am interacting with to feel generous to have patience with me and spend time trying to converse. The people here are kind. They have the most beautiful smiles. Every day I am pretty helpless; very humbling and remarkably beautiful to experience. I am asking the Lord everyday to help me to have open eyes and ears. There is so much to take in and I want to be as present as possible. So I'm going to get off this computer and do some homework. Adios!

Partnership with BuildaBridge International

2009-06-29T13:50:00.005-04:00

Just finished watching the afternoon rain and I'm packing up my bag for my first day of lessons. I wanted to share a little bit about my affiliation with BuildaBridge International. My time in Guatemala will be greatly enhanced by partnering with BI's Artists on Call. Here's a description of BI's program:

Artists on Call International

Artists on Call is the advanced volunteer program of BuildaBridge International comprised of arts therapy professionals, artists, and community service workers trained in emergency relief through artistic intervention.

The mission of AOC is to bring--through the arts--emotional healing, to provide a sense of normalcy and aesthetic nourishment (feeding the souls) of children who have experienced traumatic circumstances as a result of war and catastrophic events around the world.

I have collaborated with BuildaBridge in many ways over my last six years in Philadelphia. They have been very generous with me as I have stumbled through the trial and error of starting the Community Arts Program at Ayuda. They have engaging the transformative power of the arts all around the world since their beginnings in 1997. For the past two years, BI has made it possible for me to attend their 5-Day Institute training professionals who work in community arts. Dr Corbitt and Dr. Nix-Early have been kind enough to meet with me regularly and guide me through program/curriculum development, vision casting and goal setting, program assessment, and more. Read more about BuildaBridge here.

For my time in Guatemala, learning Spanish is my primary goal; however, I wanted to interact at a deeper level with the communities here and BuildaBridge has provide those opportunities. They have a variety of contacts here for me to do work in the arts. As it stands today, I will begin Wednesday teaching art in the mornings at Escuela Integrada associated with LACES (Latin American Christian Education Services). I will also have an opportunity to work with Joel Van Dyke's ministry in Guatemala City. We are planning to travel to a prison in Zacapa, Guatemala to paint a mural with the incarcerated women there. And who knows what else! I appreciate BuildaBridge giving me the opportunity to enrich my experience here in Guatemala.

Antigua, Guatemala: Day 1

2009-06-28T22:32:00.005-04:00

Domingo
Originally uploaded by misk77

(Of course, I won't be counting every day, but I'm making the most of the wifi that i've got for the moment.)

I've made it and I'm am so happy to be here. Antigua is better than everyone had described to me. So unique and beautiful. I walked all over the small city and soaked it in. Lots of new photos on Flickr so enjoy. My host family is very sweet and speak no English (only the son speaks a little) so I'd better get busy! Tomorrow, I meet w/ the head of the school where I was to teach art (swine flu has the schools closed until Wednesday, so we'll talk about what's ahead) and then my Spanish lessons start tomorrow at 2pm and will go till 6pm every day. After spending the day trying to communicate, I'm anxious to get some Spanish into my head!

I'm enjoying Henri Nouwen's book GRACIAS! a Latin American Journal which I started on the plane. As he describes his own leaving to journey in Latin America, he reflects on the love of those who "sent" him. He describes his friend lovingly coming to help him pack which made me think of my friend Lauren and how she kept me company my last night, ironing and helping me choose what to bring on my 8 week trip. Nouwen: "Whatever my experience in Latin America will bring to me, it will be part of a body formed in love and it will reverberate in all its members..." Wherever we are, we are all connected as the Body of Christ and what happens in our lives reverberates... I know that from having my friend Deb living and working in Thailand; what happens there in her life affects me in Philly. And that's just Deb... there's also you, and you, and you...

He writes about getting to know his neighbors in Peru: "The people speak about God and His Presence in ways I must slowly come to understand. It will take time, much time, but a willingness to learn is one thing I can bring here." Amen.

Street Performance

2009-06-28T22:19:00.004-04:00

too cool...

2009-06-25T11:17:00.001-04:00

too cool...
Originally uploaded by misk77

One more fun post from Flickr...
Maurice Andre's first trip to the Ocean

untitled.charcoal, conte.11x17.Julie Perez, age 11

2009-06-25T11:02:00.001-04:00

untitled.charcoal, conte.11x17.Julie Perez, age 11, originally uploaded by ayudacommunitycenter.

Just for fun; I love this drawing by Julie that she did last fall. It's a tiger mask and a portrait of her teacher and my friend, Claudie. Julie said she has trouble with lips so she gave Claudie a fan to hold.

KuKu, BuildaBridge Institute 09

2009-06-25T10:36:00.002-04:00

KuKu, BuildaBridge Institute 09
Originally uploaded by misk77

Photo courtesy of J. Nathan Corbitt's Picassa photos from the 2009 BuildaBridge Institute.

Untitled Photography, Jazmin Lopez, age 17

2009-06-25T10:03:00.002-04:00

Untitled Photography, Jazmin Lopez, age 17, originally uploaded by ayudacommunitycenter.

Testing out blogging from Flickr...

West Virginia Welcome

2009-06-24T23:47:00.011-04:00

Good meal with food from the garden...

Enjoying my parents for a few days...

Crops flourishing from so much rain...

Catching up with my old friend Heather; we've known each other since the 4th grade...

...and finally, a cool West Virginia evening with a spectacular sunset. It's nice to get out of the city every once in a while.

Like the Triplets...

2009-04-09T14:51:00.002-04:00

Maurice Andre has a similar obsession:
Matt, Sean, and Luke can understand you, bud.

Hangin' with Maurice Andre

2009-04-05T23:50:00.004-04:00

there's just something about a new baby...

Online Magazine Highlights Ayuda Arts

2009-02-04T10:47:00.003-05:00

Writer Sarah Fujimoto interviews our students and reflects on the perspectives of beauty and hope reflected in their work. Read the article here: www.wreckedfortheordinary.com

$25 Ayuda Community Arts Calendars

2009-01-05T13:37:00.002-05:00

Not only a handy, spiral-bound 2009 calendar, the Ayuda Community Arts Calendar will decorate your walls giving you a chance to share with others about the Arts Program. Send a $25 check or money order to Ayuda designating "arts calendar", include your mailing address and we'll ship one out to you! 60% of your payment will be used to support our program this spring: 5 new arts courses for youth, 5 adult art workshops, and a large community mosaic project! Thanks!

Mailing Address:
Ayuda Community Center
4400 N. Marshall St.
Philadelphia, PA 19140

Here are some images featured in this years calendar:

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Images Culture calendar ayuda community cent

Holiday Pictures on Flickr

2009-01-05T00:33:00.003-05:00

Back to Philadelphia after ALOT of traveling; happy to share some selected favorite shots of travels with the Harriman Bunch. View them here on FLICKR.

Happy 2009 everyone!

High expectations for Obama

2008-11-26T16:17:00.003-05:00

Today, I got to catch up with my old friend Nathalie. She was a student last year in the Youth Arts Program here at Ayuda. She's not able to take classes this year because she is responsible for taking care of her little brother and sister after school until her mom gets home from work. She is currently in 10th grade at CHAD (Charter High school for Architecture and Design). She's a great artist and I am glad to hear she's excelling there with all A's and one B. I just wanted to share this part of my conversation:
"The violence is getting really bad at school. All of the teachers say, 'This isn't CHAD anymore; it's chaos.' But you know, Obama said things are going to change so..."
Me: "Do you think Obama being the president will bring change to your school?"
Nathalie: "Well, that's what he said!"
Go for it Obama...

Here's Shawn talking about his drawings:

2008-10-29T15:35:00.004-04:00

Do the Next Thing

2008-10-14T08:17:00.002-04:00

Last week in the prison, my coworker was talking about how to get through the days when you are locked up. In addition to my work at Ayuda, I have been working 2 days a week w/ the Mural Arts Program in the Philadelphia Prisons. So far, I have worked with juvenile women and men; teenagers in jumpsuits. My coworker is very inspiring to me; she's a former inmate and has a lot to share with the juveniles about what it takes to get one's life straight when you get out of jail. One of the girls last week was pretty much freaking out about how she couldn't do it anymore... being in jail was killing her. My coworker was talking about how you can't look down the road when you're locked up; you can only do what is right in front of you whether that's a phone call, writing a letter, eating a meal, making a picture, watching tv... it's too paralyzing to think about what lies ahead and how you can't control what those things will be. I shared with the girls that my Mom had sent me a poem and it talks about doing the next thing. They all wanted me to bring in a copy for them.

Today, I go back to the prisons; I carry two things. One, a poem for the juvenile women and two, the funeral papers for one of the juvenile men who's friend got shot two weeks ago. The victim's father and grandmother go to my church. His murder hit our church pretty hard as he was only 15. Both the inmate and I were pretty shocked that we had this boy's death in common. I felt a strong sense of God's presence as he and I talked about his death. It was a unique opportunity for both of us to share something very intimate with a person that is very different. What does a white girl from West Virginia who loves to draw have in common w/ a black guy from West Philly who is locked up for murder? As we worked on drawing portraits of each other and talked about Robert's death, our connection was pretty strong. I'm thankful to God that we met so that I can bring in these pictures of his friend from the outside. The juvenile said, "Two of my boys have been shot since I've been locked up. I feel like I'm hiding from death in here." He's 17.

Here's the poem:

At an old English parsonage down by the sea,
There came in the twilight a message to me.
Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven
That, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven.
And all through the hours the quiet words ring,
Like a low inspiration, do the next thing.

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing.

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care.
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand,
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing.

Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering by thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance, be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons, do the next thing.

Author Unknown

Nuru Blog by Jake

2008-10-14T00:13:00.003-04:00

Anybody interested in reading my brother Jake's blog while he is in Kenya launching the first Nuru International project, check it out here: fighting Goliath.

Read about Nuru International.

AND my brother got struck by lightning.

"Giving it my best shot"

2008-09-27T14:11:00.007-04:00

Our first few weeks of the Youth Art Courses have been crazy as usual and a reminder to me why I love my work at Ayuda. I am really energized by having the kids around again and working with my great teachers to provide a fun creative space for our kids. I wanted to share a story from our first week...

Shawn is a one of our daily visitors here at Ayuda. He comes for lots of reasons: he's a faithful boyscout, he loves to hang out with Ryan, Ayuda's Director of Development, and shred things for him, and he loves to draw. He has been showing me his drawings for quite sometime. I encouraged him to join our Beginning Drawing class this fall. At first, Shawn was really enthused about joining the class. But as we got closer to the first day of class, he seemed to seem less and less interested in the class. I was unsure what the issue was for him as to why he was losing interest in joining. Finally, I asked him pointedly, "Shawn, today is the first class. Do you want to be in the class?" He looked at me with a deer-in-headlights look and said, "Yeah, I do, but my mom's got lots of bills so I don't think I will be able to do it." The enrollment fee for the youth art courses is $50 for 10 weeks (about 60% less than other art training available for our youth). I told him that I had some scholarships available for youth and that he may qualify. I told him that he could try out the first class to see if he liked it and I would go and talk with his mom. He still seemed very unsure, but he went downstairs to join the other 5 students and I walked across the street to chat with his mom.

Shawn's mom and I have met and talked some in the past. She knew that I do art stuff. I found that she knew about the class and about the $50 and she said there was no way. She was wearing scrubs and had just gotten home from work. As we sat there and talked for a while, 2 teenagers walked in and out of the house, one 18 and one 15. Joining us in our visit was a 2 year old cutie wearing his jammies. All of these kids were hers: 5 kids in all ranging from age 2-18. And it is just her providing for them. No wonder $50 for an art class seemed a little "luxurious" for one child when it seemed that every dollar she made at her job would be spent on food, rent, and clothes for the kids before she even brought home her paycheck. I sat there thinking about my own paychecks and how I just keep them all. All for me. How does she do it? Eventually, I assured her that I did have people who wanted to sponsor youth to take these art classes and that I could grant him a scholarship. She was still hesitant at first, but eventually, she relaxed and smiled; she said she knew that Shawn drew all the time and he really wanted to join. She agreed to fill out the paperwork. As I left the porch, she said, "Make sure you tell Shawn that I signed him up!"

Drawing class ended; kids trickled upstairs all trying to show my what they drew all at the same time. I pulled Shawn aside and said I had something to tell him. Again, that sick look! I said, "I just wanted you to know that your mom signed you up for the class." He literally erupted. His grin was huge; he yelled out; he started spinning in the chair! He kept saying, "She did? She did? Really? I can stay in the class?" It was really fun... and talking with his mom later in the week, she mentioned how happy he was to be in the class.

And that's just one. We have 19 other great kids, each with their own story, enrolled in the fall courses. One of the things that I go over with the kids in our classes in the beginning is the commitment that we all make to take artistic risks. I love to ask the kids what they think that means... "Doing something dangerous." "Drawing a gun." One of the photography students suggested that it meant "giving it my best shot." Yes. I ask all the kids to commit to doing that while they are in our program and I tell each of them that it is my commitment to them to take the risks involved, artistic and other, in shaping Ayuda's Community Arts Program. We're giving it our best shot.

Some thoughts from my latest Ayuda Arts Update

2008-09-19T08:33:00.004-04:00

Creative Work in the Midst of Violence
September has arrived again. We greet the fall excited about what this next year will hold for Ayuda's Community Arts Program. We continue to hold out our collaborative creative work as an important part of what Ayuda (meaning "help" in Spanish) is about. As we have prepared our themes for this year, we have decided to turn our intent gaze into the violence that surrounds us and abides within us. Violence is dangerous territory. Alone, violence has the ability to reduce our lives to a base level existence. Once there, there is one purpose: survival. Our days become two-dimensional where we hide to avoid the intrusion of the violence that exists outside us and we seek distraction to avoid wrestling with the violence we find in ourselves.

The 16th chapter of Ezekiel describes God finding an unwanted child exposed to its environment striving for survival. "No one looked on you with pity or had compassion... rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised. Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, as you lay there in your blood I said to you, 'LIVE!'" This allegory continues to describe how God bathes, clothes, adorns, and feeds the child with the finest of foods. This is our God who encounters one discarded and restores worth and beauty.

Ayuda's mission statement speaks of revealing Jesus' restoration: restoring our souls to that Community which created it; restoring the humanity of one person relating to another; restoring voice to our inner search for identity and worth. Ayuda's persistence in doing creative work restores beauty to our community, which lies in danger of operating only from the pale necessity of survival.

"The dichotomy between beauty and necessity has always been a false tension. Yet as a distraction, it has been extremely effective at crippling our power to bring full-bodied, earth-rending change. In our line of work, the task of stoking our vision and constantly imagining possibilities is absolutely essential." - Dee Dee Risher, former editor at The Other Side.

We believe that creative work resists the heaviness of violence and brings about an imaginative engagement with possibilities beyond survival. At Ayuda, we feel brokenness. Our work is to daily choose restoration through that which is beautiful. And we invite you along.

A Complicated Birthday Celebration

2008-09-13T17:17:00.012-04:00

I turned 31 on September 8th this year. My housemate Susan wanted to gather some folks for dinner on Sunday the 7th to celebrate and chill in the backyard enjoying the break in the heat. On Saturday night, Susan was home (I was out) and she heard this shooting from our living room. She gathered with others to find out about this young man's death. This is how the paper read in the morning:

Ronell Davis, 29, was shot in the head and the knee at about 8:30 Saturday night on Franklin Street near Wingohocking, in Hunting Park, police said. Davis was pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital at 9:05 p.m.

Walking to church in the morning, I realized it was the same house that recently had the banner of those who have passed from our neighborhood (see past post). The irony was painful. Today, there's a memorial out for Ronell:
It was a quiet day on Wingohocking Street. We decided to go ahead and have dinner with cake and slowly the word got out. Soon after we started eating, the kids called from the front, "Can we come back yet?" So we opened the gate to the backyard and let the flood of children flow in from the block that heard that it was Miss Michaelanne's birthday and there was mention of a cake. When evening came, the heaviness of Ronell's death was so present and there in the midst of it was the joy cries of our kids playing tag and tossing the football. It is really, really complicated... this whole life thing.

Rilke

2008-08-10T22:55:00.004-04:00

Sifting through some stuff; found this Rilke poem in an old letter my sister, Jessie, wrote to me in 2001. This morning, Manny, my pastor, said some things about suffering that I found to be important to me. This poem echoes some of those notions...

It feels as though I make my way
through massive rock
like a vein of ore
alone, encased.

I am so deep inside it
I can't see the path or any distance.
Everything is close
and everything closing in on me
has turned to stone.

Since I still don't know enough about pain,
this terrible darkness makes me small.
If it's you, though -

press down hard on me, break in
that I may know the weight of your hand,
and you, the fullness of my cry.

The Story of the Mural

2008-08-07T21:39:00.002-04:00

Click the photo above to see my images on Flickr. Read the descriptions to learn more about the collaborative process of painting and installing this mural together as a community. There are also photos of our Mural Celebration held on July 19th, 2008.

Sometimes, I forget about the mural and then as I'm walking to Rt. Aid or going up 6th Street to chat w/ the Courtland folks, I'm so struck... WOW. There it is. It's still new to us here in Hunting Park. I suppose we'll get used to it eventually. Come see it!

Mural is UP!

2008-07-20T13:51:00.003-04:00

Hallelujah! Yesterday's celebration was a great time. It's been a long week; lots to tell. I'll write more soon...

This is my neighborhood

2008-07-10T11:03:00.002-04:00

I passed this banner made out of sheets on my way to work on Monday. Over 4th of July weekend, the neighborhood had a block party to honor those who have died in the past few years. Some of them died of accidents; others were the victims of crimes. I heard there were speeches by loved ones and a moment of silence to remember the lives of those who have passed.

I really love my neighborhood.

a few new mural pix...

2008-07-09T15:19:00.003-04:00

Don't forget to mark your calendars for our Mural Celebration at the corner of 6th St. and Courtland St. on July 19th at Noon! Call me if you have any questions.

Summer Camp has Begun!

2008-07-02T14:46:00.006-04:00

Fun with the water hose in the Courtyard...

Click here to see more photos on Flickr.

Museum Trip to see Frida Kahlo

2008-07-01T12:07:00.011-04:00

Last March, we took the youth in our art program to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. Half of the kids had never been inside the museum before and none of them had ever visited one of the special exhibits that come through the museum. Ordinarily, tickets to see these exhibits are around $25. But the museum had a special group of tickets that they were giving away to community groups. We were thrilled! Most of the kids new a little something about Frida's work. One of my older teens told me he thought she was so arrogant. "She just paints herself over and over again." I asked him to think about why someone would do that as he looked at her work. Before we went, I gave them some background information and we looked at a few of her more famous paintings. They each listened to the audio tour provided by the museum and they learned a lot. When I had them respond a week later, they were each able to speak about her paintings; it was really interesting to me what stuck with them...

“The fruit painting was my favorite and it showed a flag and a bird standing on it. That was my favorite part about it.” Jasmine Rene, age 11

“[I liked] the twins when they were sitting down and have all these things connected to each other.” Markita Jones, age 15

“[I liked] the self portrait when she said that she was very ugly and she made her skin ugly with a crack.” Ikeisha Manson, age 12

“The painting Mother and Child, had a mother on a balcony holding a 2 year old boy and the balcony floor breaks which makes the mother and child fall a couple of feet down. But the irony is that he mother and child don’t die or get hurt badly.” Jazmin Lopez, age 16.

"[I liked] the painting with Frida and her husband. It shows that they are together but separated at the same time.” Rafael Gonzalez, age 17

"There was one painting that showed Frida on a hospital bed. She was naked and bleeding. There were certain symbols in the painting that represented her state. She couldn’t have children: broken uterus. She had to go to the hospital numerous times. She was in an accident that seriously changed her life. She was heartbroken.” Alexis Wright-Whitley, age 15

After viewing the exhibit, I asked they kid who thought that Frida was arrogant what he thought. He responded, "She changed my mind about that."

"Won't see that on channel 6!"

2008-06-30T10:01:00.006-04:00

Walking to work this morning, my neighbor Ron was showing his new Toyota Prius to me and Lettie from across the street... beautiful color. Like some kind of silvery-green. We got to talking about the engagement party that my neighbor, George, threw for his daughter on Saturday and how much fun we all had. It was a great night on the block. The music was awesome. We got to laughing so loud telling stories and suddenly we heard George yell out from his porch, "Look at the community! Neighbors talking and enjoying themselves on this beautiful day. Won't see that on channel 6!" It reminded me of the last letter that our Director of Development wrote concerning headlines about our neighborhood. If you haven't already read it, click on the letter below to enlarge:

Mural Celebration Date Set

2008-06-26T14:18:00.003-04:00

If you're in the neighborhood...The Friends of Hunting Park Community Garden received a grant for $5000 to continue the greening and beautification of our neighborhood. As we celebrate the completion of the mural, we'll also be discussing with our neighbors future projects funded by this grant. Should be a great party! Here's a small preview we're calling "the Andy Nolan Detail":

Introducing Ayuda's Good Works Group

2008-06-25T14:18:00.008-04:00

Join Ayuda's Good Works Group and receive more for your generous donations to support the arts at Ayuda. By giving an annual donation, you will receive "Good Works" in return. You can choose the level that you would like to join and we will send you the "goods" listed below.
(Note: 2009 calenders will be shipped in December 2008.)

$20 - Set of 5 notecards featuring images of good works from our youth artists (designs)

$100 - 2 sets of 5 notecards featuring images of good works from our youth artists (designs)
2009 calender featuring images from Community Arts at Ayuda

$500 - 2 sets of 5 notecards featuring images of good works from our youth artists (designs)
2009 calender featuring images from Community Arts at Ayuda
8 X 10 or 8 X 8 unframed photo taken by our youth photographers (choices)

$1000 - All the good works at the $500 level plus:
Your choice of a framed and matted 11 X 14 photo taken by our youth photographers (choices)
or
a framed printed reproduction of a painting or pastel from our youth artists printed on canvas (choices; sizes indicated)

Most of all, we at Ayuda want you to be connected with the exciting work that we do in Hunting Park. We hope that you'll enjoy choosing a "good work" to receive for your donation as we will celebrate the continuation of the Community Arts Program with your support.

Click to join our Good Works Group!

Indicate your level of membership and list the title(s) of the artwork you select to receive. We will contact you when we receive your membership donation to arrange delivery of your Good Works.

T-Shirt Design by Youth Artist: Nathalie Nunez

2008-06-25T12:22:00.003-04:00

Summer Camp Theme: Celebrating Unity in Diversity: A Tour of 7 Continents

WE MAKE R HOOD

2008-06-25T11:42:00.004-04:00

Last week, I attended the launch event and documentary screening of wemakerhood.com at Esperanza Academy,a local charter high school. This youth-based website provides space for youth in our neighborhood to speak out against .

"With the creation of this website, we hope to change our community as well as our world from a birthplace of to a world of peace and harmony."

We sat before a panel of 7 high school students involved in the Student Council as they talked to the audience about why developing this website was important to them. One of the young men gave one reason that he wanted to be proactive against in N. Philly:

"Because when I am an old, old, old, old, old, old, man, I want my great-grandchildren to be able to go to the corner store and be safe."

I felt very fortunate to be there to hear these creative kids talking about their work. Very inspiring. Once you're on the website, click on Media and watch the documentary made by the students in the film classes at E. Academy. (It takes a while to load, but it is really worth it.)

Program from Youth Art Show

2008-06-19T15:22:00.004-04:00

Click on the document to get a closer look:

Jacob Hoop'n it up at Ayuda

2008-06-17T17:26:00.002-04:00

Family Day 2008

2008-06-17T13:40:00.007-04:00

New Flickr Set from Family Day, Saturday, 14th, 2008.

View the creation of the Hunting Park Community Quilt. The final product will be hung in the front room at Ayuda. Stop by to get a closer look.

Womens Association of Supplee Presbyterian Church

2008-06-11T15:13:00.002-04:00

Ayuda was visited by this women's group earlier this Spring. After their visit, they made a generous donation to help Ayuda provide lunch for our Hunting Park Community Paint Day. I was on their website today and they have a lovely slide show with shots from the mosaic mural at the garden as well as some shots at HPCA (Hunting Park Christian Academy located at Spirt and Truth Fellowship Church). Click here to see it and to read more about what they do. Thanks Supplee!

Article in The Bulletin

2008-05-29T10:58:00.004-04:00

Read about Ayuda Community Arts' partnership with Youthbuild to host the Hunting Park Community Paint Day.
(Click on image to enlarge.)

Only 21 months over due

2008-05-27T23:09:00.002-04:00

A few special pix from Jess and Mike's Wedding in West Virginia 3.06

Trip Pix

2008-05-27T22:17:00.004-04:00

Memorial Day weekend camping with Lauren and Roberto in the Poconos

Waterfalls at Glen Onoko, PA (see more here)

Seattle, WA 3.08 visiting Jess & Mike (see more here)

"Bible Go-Fish" on the Corner of 6th and Cayuga

2008-05-27T15:55:00.005-04:00

"Ms. Regina? Do you have a Mary Magdalene?"
(There's a theological joke in there somewhere...)
Regina is the crossing guard at the corner of 6th and Cayuga Streets. As a neighbor, she is devoted to the well-being of our children and of our community. She belongs to the Hunting Park Civic Association and has participated in almost all of our Adult Art Workshops. Read an article written by Regina at the Hunting Park Herald Online. She's just one of those people who really make your day...

New Ayuda Photos!

2008-05-27T11:07:00.009-04:00

Check out the additions to Ayuda Community Center's Collection on my Flickr Page (specific links in the right margin). In addition to some new sets, I also added more pix to the "Adult Art Workshops" set. More info about our busy spring to come...

Jasmine

2008-04-12T17:36:00.020-04:00

I know, I know... 4 months!
I truly am the worst blogger in the history of blogging. Let's just move on.

Student Spotlight:

Meet Jasmine. Age 12. Most of you may know or have at least heard of her cousin, Daquan (presidential candidate 2032). Jasmine is very quiet. Her aunt lives 2 doors down from Ayuda so her face was familiar to me, but until February, she and I had never spoken. The day I approached her, she was in her usual location on the porch watching the business of Marshall Street after school lets out. "Do you want to take an art class?" She gave just a silent nod in response... but it was an immediate response. Her mother was quick to sign the paperwork and pay the $50 enrollment fee. She said that Jasmine needs something to do. Classes started that week.

The Pastels teacher, Jamie, is a very good friend of mine. She works as an Art Therapist and Ayuda is fortunate to have Jamie volunteering her teaching and prep time to make this class possible. Her insight is invaluable as well. Because we are constantly encountering space challenges at Ayuda, the Pastels class meets in our "common room" on the first floor with the likelihood of frequent interruption and noise from other Ayuda activity. One benefit of this arrangement is that my desk is on the other side of a curtain that is drawn to close off the "classroom" so I get to listen in on the class and hear Jamie and the students' interactions. I rarely hear Jasmine speak. But with each class, she's begun to show her smile more and more. And after class, she and I have begun to know each other a little.

The students in Philadelphia just went through the grueling days of standardized testing. Before they started, Jasmine confided that she was nervous. She said she doesn't do well in math. I asked her what did she most enjoy in school and she quickly responded,"Reading." I asked what was her favorite book and she said she didn't want to tell me and suddenly got very shy. Puzzled, I asked her why she didn't want to tell me and she said, "Because it's old." I told her I liked many old books and finally she whispered "The Secret Garden." Wow... we then had so much fun talking about the book, telling our favorite parts, comparing with the movie, and talking about the musical. Her eyes were so alive. Since that conversation, we have really grown to love each other. Her hugs are long and genuine. One week, she was late for class because of some car trouble that her mom was having. When she arrived, she ran in for a hug and whispered, "I'll never miss a class!"

I'm not making any promises about how consistent I may be, but I would really like to make an effort through this blog to provide regular opportunities for readers to learn about the amazing kids that I am fortunate to work with in Hunting Park. Through this Pastels class, I have really enjoyed getting to know Jasmine. I would like your life to feel the presence of Jasmine's life as she draws the braids in her self-portrait with wild colorful gestures. One evening after class, her mom and I were talking out on the block about how special Jasmine is and she told me that Jasmine talks about the class to her all the time. As I turned that day to go back to Ayuda, I saw Jasmine down the block a ways skipping and skipping, making circles with her braids flying behind her. Creative work does that to us, I suppose.

Community Art Updates

2007-12-18T15:37:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to send regular email updates about the Community Arts Program here at Ayuda. I will be mailing a new one tomorrow. If you do not receive these updates and would like to, please send me an email and I'll add you to the list. The latest update will include some stories from the students in our program. I feel that I am being transformed by sharing the stories of those around me. I would love for you to join in. Email me at: misk77@yahoo.com

Pictures from the Art Show

2007-12-18T15:28:00.000-05:00

I've added pix from the art show here to my Ayuda Collection with descriptions of the projects and quotes from the students.

"Art-making can be extremely relaxing and claming."

2007-12-18T13:58:00.000-05:00

This was my favorite typo for our art show program that I thankfully caught before printing! Click below to read the program post-edits. More writing to come.

New Christmas Video

2007-12-11T15:37:00.001-05:00

Christmas Video
On December 1st, Ayuda joined the Friends of the Hunting Park Community Garden to throw a Christmas Celebration for the community. Wow... we had a blast! Ryan was blasting the Christmas tunes. We put up 3 Christmas Trees in the garden and decorated them as well as wired garland and tinsel all up and down the fence and the mosaic mural. Then we moved inside where Chosen Generation Worship Center set up some space for us to do crafts. We had the kids color and decorate Christmas cards that will be sent to the local nursing home and make an ornament that they could take home or put in the garden. The adults were busy making pine swags and centerpieces with Andy Nolan for them to take home. Once it was dark, we moved back outside for S'mores over an open fire in my firepit. Each child received a gift bag with small toys and goodies as well as a nice book called "His Story." We also celebrated Ikeisha's 12th Birthday with a cake that Ryan bought. There were folks from our after school program, community arts, college access, Spirit and Truth Fellowship Church, families from my block up on Wingohocking as well as families from all over Hunting Park. It was truly quality time spent together as a community.

November Adult Art Workshop

2007-12-11T14:45:00.001-05:00

We gathered together on November 29th to make Handmade Cards. The instructors were Jen Burkhart and Amanda Hatch, two coworkers from my days at People's Light and Theatre Co. They have been making cards professionally for a while and they had several styles for our participants to choose from. Everyone left with 10 finished cards or the supplies to finish them at home. We had a loud, rambunctious group; several renditions of "Let It Snow" broke out. On the response card, one participant remarked, “Thank you for the free time for myself.” Great. That's the idea.

Transformation

2007-10-29T22:19:00.000-04:00

This word plays a pretty important role in the mission statement of Ayuda and the Community Arts Program as well (as stated in an August post). The art programs are developing the creativity that already exists here in Hunting Park and providing a way for that creativity to be expressed. And the overarching goal is this word: Transformation. What needs to be transformed? I was talking to my parents yesterday and they were again attacked by the media as the nightly news had some story about North Philadelphia and the intense violence and poverty that rules the streets. My parents have been here on my block in Hunting Park and know that life here is a mixed bag: true sorrow and tragedy side-by-side with true joy. I had a piece of that on Friday at work and wanted to share.

While Ryan and I were working on a grant proposal, a fight broke out right outside our door. It was Ameere and another little guy (they are probably both 8 or 9) and they were really going at it. Daquan stepped in and broke it up then I walked Ameere home to keep them apart. Daquan is a boy who lives 2 doors down from our community center; he makes daily visits. He loves Ryan. They build model cars together and Ryan takes him along on lunches and such. He's a great kid; he's also spending time at Boone, a disciplinary school, b/c he was kicked out of the local school. He struggles; life is challenging. He's been coming to the Alpha meetings at our church for several years and now he is a helper. I was asking him on Friday, "Why do you think Ameere fights?" I worry about Ameere. He and I worked pretty closely when I did the first mosaic in Hunting Park around the doorway to Ayuda. He was there every day in the cold w/ me and we laughed a lot. It's not just that he fights alot. He beats kids up pretty bad. I had my neighbors bring a young boy to me who was pretty bloody and they told me it was Ameere. He's so young that it feels odd to say so, but I'm afraid he's on his way to prison. Daquan told me that Ameere fights to prove to his older brothers that he's not a punk. I said, "You know Daquan, I don't hear about you fighting much at all." He said, "I used to, but I don't anymore." I asked him why and he said quickly, "Because I'm changing."

There it is. I told Daquan that Ameere needs his help; he needs to see other options than just fighting your way through life w/ your fists. About 5 minutes later, Daquan shows back up w/ Ameere and told him that I wanted to talk to him. It was so hard to talk to him; he quickly climbs nearly up on my lap and I feel so much love for his little life and such weight at what is facing him every day in HP. The quote I put in the margin "Violence and addiction reveals a lack of imagination" came from the Arts in Criminal Justice Conference. I want my days to be about work that exercises imagination in an effort to see the possibility of transformation.

Music Theorist Wanted

2007-10-23T11:52:00.000-04:00

For anyone local in or around Philadelphia, I would really like to offer a Youth Art Class in Music Theory. There are a few budding musicians that I would love to help them expand their skills in performing and writing music. If you're interested or know someone who might be, post a comment. Thanks!

The work that gives life a human face

2007-10-22T18:25:00.000-04:00

My friend Dan pointed out this excerpt from Daniel Berrigan's book Isaiah exploring 33:2. In light of recent struggles we have been experiencing in our neighborhood, I feel a slight struggle to wake up and try it all again. Berrigan captures the ache of waking up, intending to go out again and turning the morning into a prayer of hope for the day ahead:

"One thinks of the difficulty of starting anew each day. One is haunted by a conviction that one's work will never be finished as long as life lasts... What one sees one undoubtedly will continue to see into the indefinite future...
The morning prayer day after day, year after year, makes the long haul bearable. Life, and the work that gives life a human face, must be renewed, started over, again and yet again... To pray... is to taste death, to let go, cut loose. The world is in better hands than ours even though it is also in our hands."

I'm so thankful for the work that gives life a human face.

Thursday Night Art Classes

2007-10-18T18:51:00.000-04:00

We gathered together tonight for Oil Painting and Graphic Arts and we were two students down. One student was left at home to care for her little sibling and wasn't able to leave the house to come to class and the other student's mom said that he didn't have time between school and his job to be taking an art class. Things do come up, I know, but...

After Painting class was over, I was chatting w/ one of the students, Tyshae, (17) about some of the rough stuff that has been happening on our block lately; she lives close by. I was up 4 times last night because of loud fighting and other crazy stuff. Her response was, "All I know is that I was glad to be painting tonight; I feel alot better. I needed that purple!" It's her favorite color.

I hope the other two will be able to make it next week.

Good reviews on the Mosaic Mural

2007-10-18T15:57:00.000-04:00

My friend Randy just sent me this fun news in an email:

"...BTW, I was just admiring your work on the mural at the community garden on Saturday, and another woman from the neighborhood came by to do the same. She had brought a visitor from out of the country to see it--so now you can say that the work has attracted international attention!"

One more post for the day:

2007-10-17T15:26:00.000-04:00

My friend Tyler just let me know that our tickets for Sinead O'Connor just arrived. October 30th. 13 days left.
I'm.
SO.
Excited.
Most of you will know what this means to me... to see Sinead. And our tickets are REALLY good. (I'm trying not to use any exclamation points.)

Ayuda's Fall Newsletter

2007-10-17T15:20:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen it and would like to, email us at newsletter@ayudacc.org and specify whether you would like to receive it by snail mail or email as a PDF file and please include the appropriate address. This newsletter includes lots of pix and a great letter from our Interim Executive Director Kate Perez. (Clicking on the image should opening a larger version in another window.)

"What does your voice look like?"

2007-10-17T13:35:00.000-04:00

This is the theme for our fall youth art classes. We are in week 4: Graphic Arts, Intermediate Drawing, and Oil Painting. We have been talking to the student artist about how creating art is a way to express our thoughts, feelings, and ideas. When we create visual work, we create through our own lens.

I'm continuing my own classes at Fleisher downtown (free for adults!) and I'm taking Oil Painting this semester. I am always glad to do the "classroom walk" after we have all worked on a still life for a couple of hours. We're all painting the same objects and while we're working, we're all in our own zone. When we look around, every painting is different; every painter is different. I remember once during my Figure Drawing class, I asked the model what it was like to see herself on everyone's drawing tablets. She said, "Oh, you all are just beginners. You're not drawing me; you're drawing yourself. It takes a master to draw what is really before you." I find that I look at creative work differently since that conversation.

I was talking with my good friend Dan about the prevailing presence of God in both the light and the dark places, in the joy and in the sorrows that I see in my days here in Hunting Park. He told me he'd be interested to see how the "holding" of all of that is coming out in my own artwork. I told him I'd be interested as well...

I'm now thoroughly saturated...

2007-10-17T13:11:00.000-04:00

in rainbows

Rocky Video

2007-10-17T13:07:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen Ayuda's the new ROCKY VIDEO, check it out. We had a LOT of fun.

Arts In Criminal Justice Conference

2007-10-17T12:42:00.000-04:00

I was there. I'm still processing it all. More to come, but you can read about it here.

Community Art Program Statement of Purpose (recently composed)

2007-08-30T09:45:00.000-04:00

Ayuda Community Center’s Mission Statement:

Our mission is to reveal Jesus’ mercy, restoration, and justice in Hunting Park so that families and neighborhoods are transformed. We seek to accomplish this mission through community development efforts, direct services and advocacy. Restoring lives; rebuilding families, redeeming communities.

Community Art Program’s Mission Statement:

Our mission is to seek the transformation of our neighborhood by developing the existing creativity within the community members of Hunting Park and provide a medium through which that creativity can be expressed.

We seek to accomplish this mission by providing the following direct services:

art training and mentor relationships for youth
art exposure and skill building workshops for adults
coordinating the execution of public works of art for the beautification of our neighborhood which are completed as a collaboration of the residents of Hunting Park and specialized artists

Ayuda Community Center is committed to the families in our neighborhood and their prospects for a hopeful future. We are determined to focus on academic success, educational attainment, spiritual development, and overall enrichment for the residents of Hunting Park, young and old alike, to the absolute best of our ability. As we seek to serve the whole person, we believe that artistic expression plays an important role in the development of the whole person. Ayuda believes access to creative expression helps strengthen struggling communities and contributes to the declination of poverty rates, especially in neighborhoods like Hunting Park. The Community Arts Program at Ayuda seeks to “fill the gap” and become part of the city-wide effort in Philadelphia to provide mediums of artistic and cultural expression to all of its residents.

Summer Camp Fun

2007-08-29T17:29:00.001-04:00

Summer Camp is over and we're registering kids for the S.O.S. (Support Our Students) After School Program. I've got three really talented teachers for the fall youth art classes and I will start registering students soon. I love the fall. It just makes me want to buy a new folder and maybe a new pencil case. In advance for the weekend: Happy September!

Home

2007-08-29T17:14:00.000-04:00

A quote from a letter from Linford from Over the Rhine as the revel in their home after lots of touring:

"Maybe home has more to do with the work we've all done as individuals to increasingly become people we can live with. Maybe home is the desire to live soulfully, the tiny ongoing decisions we make that allow the soul room to breathe.

That's our prayer for our extended musical family: that we would all find lives that allow the soul to thrive."

...allowing the soul room to breathe.

OTR on November 1st at the Keswick.

Ayuda Albums Too!

2007-08-16T17:55:00.000-04:00

Two albums that display a little of the fun we have been having this year. Our 5th Annual Family Day was a blast. We closed down the block to traffic and had a ball. Water slide, inflatable bouncing thing, face painting, art show, and tons more as you will see in the pictures! The Youth Programs album will introduce you to some of the awesome kids I've been working with in the after school program here at Ayuda. Enjoy!

New Flickr Albums

2007-08-16T16:46:00.000-04:00

Check out my new album of my trip to the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.

Wall #2 in Yonkers, NY

2007-07-30T15:23:00.000-04:00

Lance, Lourdes, Sara and I worked a few weekends ago to mosaic the 2nd retaining wall in Lourdes' backyard in Yonkers. The lower wall was done Memorial Day Weekend 2006; it was much larger. This upper wall ran almost as long but was not as tall. The terrain presented quite the challenge though. Thought I'd share some pix. We were lovin' that blue!

The Grand Tetons, Wyoming

2007-07-30T13:11:00.001-04:00

I just returned from being there for a week. It was an amazing place to get away and gain some head-space. I went with 3 friends of mine and we did about 35 miles of hiking and lots of relaxing and soaking in the sights of those mountains. The mountain range is pretty unique and I found myself constantly reaching for my camera in an effort to capture what was before me; impossible, but I kept trying. I took over 500 photos while I was there. The whole trip was truly a gift. I thought about the beauty of those mountains; whether I or anyone else was there to take it in or not, they were always that spectacular. It didn't take a human eye to call it beautiful for the mountains to be so beautiful. They are created by a God who seems to find joy in creating beauty for the sake of beauty. After climbing up "Hanging Canyon" (ouch, my quads!), we came upon a field lavished with many different kinds of wildflowers. I felt like I was being let in on a wonderful secret. I thought about the kids on my block and how when Isaiah smiles and waves "hello" or Makia siddles up for a hug, I feel the same emotion... like I'm getting a precious opportunity to see something that not everyone get the chance to see.

It's all making me think about the creative process. Most of our creativity is squelched or paralyzed by the thought of what an observer will have to say about the product. Creating for the sake of "correct-ness;" seeking to make the beauty that others will call beautiful. In fact, these types of inhibitions can be transferred over into the way we live our lives; we're paralyzed by our fear of failure in the eyes of any observer that may have an opinion about what we have done. I know that I fall prey to that sort of mental struggle whether I am working on an art project or even picking out an outfit for the day. I would like to gain the freedom to take more risks; I would like to spend more time creating for the sake of the process as opposed to the product. How can this be part of the character of the community arts at Ayuda?

How can we spend our days as those wildflowers? Bloom... just fully go there and lay it all out whether anyone passes by to take note or not, enjoying the beauty of being and the beauty of the surroundings we find ourselves in, and then pass when the time comes. Shine simply for the sake of the glory of the One who created us; find pleasure in seeing the work of God in other's faces and in where we find ourselves planted. Driving into Philly at 1AM early Sunday morning, I was glad to see the familiar skyline (although returning to the Philly humidity was quite a shock). It's good to be back on our block and good to be back at my work here at Ayuda. I'm feeling excited to be here, create here, and partake of the creative work of those around me.

My new curriculum available online

2007-07-13T12:43:00.000-04:00

www.buildabridge.org/resources/curriculum

The theme for our summer camp this year is "Opening Doors to New Beginnings through Literacy." I worked with my friend Matthew Miller to compile a packet for the summer camp staff to give them some methods for exploring literacy through various avenues of art. I met recently with Dr. Nathan Corbitt who is the President, CEO and C0-founder of Buildabridge International. I have done some painting for BI in the past and have attended some of their excellent trainings provide for their teaching artists. Dr. Corbitt was discussing the new expansions of BI and the latest additions to their website and requested to post some of the curriculum that I've written this year under their resource page for their teaching artists. It's really great to be able to work with people of like-mind and be able to share our research and our resources. Dr. Corbitt is a true visionary; when you check out the link, explore the site. BI is growing by leaps and bounds!

Check out this video about the recent fire in Kensington, Philadelphia. www.thesimpleway.org.

2007-07-12T23:04:00.000-04:00

2007-2008 Ayuda Community Art Goals

2007-07-12T12:57:00.000-04:00

I've been doing some writing about my goals for my next year as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Ayuda. Check them out and let me know your thoughts:

Goal #1: Create a sustainable Community Arts Program which will include three components:

advanced art training for youth ages12-18
monthly community art workshops for ages 18+ taught by local artists
the creation of public art work by the members of the community for the ongoing beautification of the neighborhood of Hunting Park

Activities from August 07 - August08 to accomplish this goal: Recruit volunteer art teachers to teach 2 - 10 weeks sessions of art classes for the fall and spring. Recruit students to take these classes (2 students per instructor). Recruit instructors from the community to teach the monthly art workshops and advertise these events. Request in-kind and cash donations for the creation of the public works of art. Compile a resource manual to effectively establish time-lines, contact lists, recruitment techniques, form templates, and assessment tools to be used for future programing. Pursue sources of sustainable funding which will provide a yearly budget for supplies for the youth art classes and the monthly art workshops as well as provide a part-time salary for an Art Director to supervise the community arts program after August 2008.

Goal #2: Develop a business plan to purchase and renovate a "Community Art House" which will house the art programs of Ayuda Community Center in the future and provide for an expansion of its existing programs.

Intended result: Ayuda Community Center will be able to use the business plan to begin a fundraising campaign in the future.

Ayuda Benefit Pancake Breakfast

2007-07-12T12:23:00.000-04:00

Community Arts July Update

2007-07-12T10:48:00.000-04:00

I know, it's been way too long; I am the worst blogger... but I'm working on it! I've added a feature to my blog to alleviate frustrations when I post so infrequently. You can subscribe to my blog over on the right; when I actually do post, you'll get an email of the post and can visit the blog for new pix and such. Hopefully, this will keep all interested parties involved!

As you can see, we finally added the lines back into the mosaic mural in the signature Isaiah Zagar technique (http://www.isaiahzagar.com/); it really changed the look of the mural! We are all very happy. We had a potluck celebration on Sunday, July 8th where we were hosted by the Mansons yet again. Great food and lots of good conversations about what we are excited about for the future of the garden. The next art project: a removable mural to be attached to the wall that is adjacent to the garden. Two local artist volunteered to render a design for this mural, Bernie Wilkie and Matthew Miller, and we have been gathering reactions to the design from community members with suggestions for improvement. Due to current financial circumstances, I am projecting that we will focus on this project in Spring 2008.

I have recently decided to do a second year as an volunteer with AmeriCorps VISTA. This means that the VISTA program will continue to fund my position here at Ayuda Community Center until August 2008. I felt that because community art is such different work for me, my first year was spent learning so much. Often I spent time focusing on something that headed in the entirely wrong direction; once I'd realize this, I would stop, re-evaluate, and re-direct. I have spent some time this week setting up goals for my next year and I am getting pretty excited about the possibilities. I have outlined the new goals in a separate post for you to check out. Also, once I post my goal on the www, that means it's for real, right?

Making the decision to stay here at Ayuda took some time. When I asked myself what I would do if I left, I knew some things that I didn't want to do: I didn't want to seek a full-time scenic art job at a theatre and go back to that work (I truly miss the work of painting; I don't miss the rest.) I didn't want to seek a job that would pull me out of the community I live in for 40 hours/week. My work here at Ayuda involves much more than what happens when I'm in the building on Cayuga and N. Marshall; everything seems to inform and contribute to my work: my walks to and from work, my time on my neighbors' porches, the fun w/ my kids on the block (dodgeball, bowling, summer movies projected on the side of houses, etc.), conversations with block captains about their dreams for our neighborhood, time spent with my church, the many guests and roommates that come and go at our house... it feels kind of like a new way to live life; so intertwined. I'm loving it. So let's keep going. Let's see what happens here in Hunting Park...

Sorting it out

2007-05-31T23:26:00.000-04:00

It has been a great few weeks getting ready to do this project, going through it, and now living in the aftermath. We finished all of the tiling on Saturday, May 26th and then grouted the mosaic mural on Sunday, May 27th. We were all cleaned up by 4PM! Everyone left very tired, but also very full. I said before that I was most excited about the gathering of a whole bunch of people coming together to create something beautiful. Now looking back on the two days of doing the mosaic, I reflect most on conversations that were had, interactions that others tell me about, time w/ some old friends and getting to know new ones, and the "looky-lou's" as the block captain, Jeff, calls those who slow down as they drive by to check it out. There was, and still is, a ton of enthusiasm for the project. A woman in the neighborhood told me that this is the most beautiful thing she has seen happen in our neighborhood since she moved her 11 years ago. It did "happen." It's not just piece of public art work for all to enjoy; the process was quite a creative, beautiful thing itself.

I said in the intro to my blog that I started blogging b/c life is very full here in Hunting Park. My main struggle is that it is all passing me by too fast and too full for me to make attempts to grasp it all for reflection and growth. There is just so much to think about, pray about, talk about, laugh about... This mosaic mural simply has my head spinning. I have never witnessed such a diverse group of people creating art together. I loved the points of tension as well as the points of connection for they both teach me so much about myself and about those who are different than me.

I am learning that I am a very controlling person; I like to know exactly what to expect and I have very strong opinions how things should be done. Maybe you all knew, but I didn't really know that about myself before I started working at Ayuda Community Center. Being involved in Community Arts could be one of the most "out of control" environments possible! Various artists within and without of the community, children, other community members... all together trying to do something... who knows what to expect?? When I was working in the theatre, I always had such a strong framework to work within. There were certain structures in place (budget, industry standards, expectations of collaboration, etc) that I could expect and strive for when they were not there. Now, as I am striving to develop an arts program at Ayuda, everything seems a bit up for grabs. I'm beginning to see the whole POINT of doing are projects within the community setting is to let go of that need to control and let the creativity evolve because of the people who have gathered. I definitely got a taste of that from doing the workshop w/ Isaiah Zagar in South Philly (Spring 06). He is all about the process and holds the product very loosely.

As I do more projects like this, I hope to learn to let go of that need to control my circumstances, bit-by-bit. I think that this is why I am so drawn by this type of work. I have faith in a God that seeks to provide uncomfortable, unfamiliar, and yes even "out-of-control" circumstances for me in order to teach me to look towards Him for transformation. I want to become more loving. I want to choose more often to be kind and gentle. I want to provide a safe place for people to be who they are. I want to be generous and to be a good listener. I think I'm in the right line of work to practice all of the above.

Check out this video!

2007-05-29T16:04:00.000-04:00

My friend Ryan put this together with our pictures and videos from our weekend. Ryan is our Director of Development at Ayuda Community Center. It takes a while to load but it's worth it. Nice tunes, too. (By the way, I posted a few pictures at the end of the blogs; scroll down to check them out.)
http://tinyurl.com/2gy564

Posting some more pix

2007-05-28T23:35:00.000-04:00

Update on mosaic mural

2007-05-28T09:01:00.000-04:00

Just a note to let you all know that the mosaic mural at the Hunting Park Community Garden is DONE! We had a tremendously successful weekend: weather, participation, food and beverages, and lots of good conversation and fun! I'll get some pictures posted soon and try to tell some of the stories of the two days. We are all pretty excited and it is truly beautiful. More to come...

Project Details:

2007-05-23T01:46:00.000-04:00

Location:
Hunting Park Community Garden, North Philadelphia
Corner of W. Courtland Street and 6th Street.
Dates and Times:
Saturday, May 26th; 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday, May 27th; 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Rain date: Monday, May 28th (Memorial Day); same times.

Preparations for the weekend

2007-05-23T00:53:00.000-04:00

(Photo: Last Memorial Day's Mosaic Mural. Located in my friend Lourdes' backyard.)

Well, I admit that as Saturday approaches, I am becoming more and more anxious. It's not the task of doing the mosaic mural that worries me. I feel pretty confident that with all of the people gathering together to do this project, something will be created which will be stunning. It's the details of the preparations that I am consumed with and that are keeping me up late at night. I have never been the point person before: the one hosting the project, making all of the arrangements, buying all of the supplies, organizing food, etc. I keep telling myself, "when it all falls through, (because it always will, whether majorly or a little bit), just roll with it." That is one thing I have learned these past 9 months working at Ayuda Community Center: gotta stay flexible!

But I'm not just anxious; I am really getting excited. I am ready for my hands to be busy doing; I am ready to glue some stuff to a wall! I'm also ready to enjoy learning more about Community Arts by doing. I am so grateful for the past 9 months and the opportunities I have had to glean from the years of experience of other organizations and artists through networking meetings, conferences, site visits, lectures, or just great conversations. As I go into this first community arts project with Ayuda Community Center, I feel certain that the only 2 things I can count on are chaos and greatness! It's really the WHO of the day that I'm most excited about: the residents of W. Courtland St., my after-school kids, mosaic artist friends, soon-to-be mosaic artist friends, W. Wingohocking kids, Spirit and Truth people (my church), and all in between. Let's gather to create; let's respond to each other; let's try out the ideas of those next to us; let us invite the kids surrounding us into our "zone" as we place our tesserae; let's be together.

Side note: When I called Isaiah Zagar with some detail questions and I told him about our project he said, "That's beautiful; decorate the world, honey." Yes. Let's. Come on out!

(If you're unfamiliar with Isaiah's work, check out his site: http://www.isaiahzagar.com/. I did a workshop with him in Spring 2006 along with two of my friends, Lourdes and Lance, who will be joining us this weekend.)

Title: Tesserae to Invest

2007-05-17T00:16:00.000-04:00

Tesserae refers to one of the small pieces used in mosaic arts to create a larger work of art. Most tesserae are gathered fragments of some object that has been broken... sometimes accidentally... sometimes for the purpose of creating. A conversation that I recently had with my housemate got me thinking about investments. I was expressing to her my feeling that as I turn 30 this year, I should be establishing some sort of goal or path or plan or whathaveyou in order to further my career/self as an person and as an artist and to begin to make some sort of financial progress. Investments for the future. Then she began to speak about investments: time, care, space, of self in others, from others in self, within, toward God... Invest in a person that interrupts you. Allow a child to invest in you by telling the WHOLE story. Light a candle and invest in you soul for a moment. Read; invest in your brain. Paint, draw, and capture to invest in the object at hand. It is true that nothing is free; each investment costs something. Especially time: If you spend 15 minutes talking to the neighbor, that is 15 minutes you have invested in that relationship that can be spent nowhere else. If alone, you spend 15 minutes in prayer or simply being alone, that is 15 minutes you cannot give to someone else.

Why Tessarae to Invest? Anything we have worth investing usually comes from brokenness. From that broken place, lasting investments become possible to both give and receive.