youth-art « WordPress.com Tag Feed

• Group of 6 keen students learn all aspects of filmmaking (with key instructor, filmmaker Fred Thorsen) and participate in therapeutic art activities from journaling, drawing to sock monkeys (with youth coordinator/art therapist Kat Thorsen)

• Participate in life skills and employment skills training

• Must attend fully, and be on time, and be respectful of peers and venue

• Will produce (as a group) Public Service Announcement for a non-profit organization

• Will produce individual bio videos

• Program runs 5 weeks Monday-Thursdays 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must express keen interest in filmmaking and creative arts (no previous experience necessary)

• Some computer skill is helpful

• Self-motivation is key

• Applicant has faced barriers to employment

• Must be between ages 19-29 (location of program is upstairs at District 319, a 19+ event venue)

• Must have social insurance number

TO APPLY:

Please get a referral and a case number from employment agency then call Katarina to arrange an interview. Or contact youth coordinator, Katarina (Kat), directly to arrange interview and visit employment centre afterwards get a referral form upon acceptance to program. If you have taken a previous Skills Link Program, you may or may not be eligible. Please consult with your case manager!

CONTACT KATARINA:

604 488 4348 (leave message)

Monkeys and movies. This week at Intersections Media 2012-2013 Intake 1

Katarina (Kat) Thorsen — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:14:28 +0000

Tina’s SpOCK MONKEY!

Intake 1 (2012-2013) underway

Intake 1 (2012-2013) drawing lesson

Intake 1 (2012-2013) anxiety tool

Intake 1 (2012-2013) filming a dramatic scene

Intake 1 (2012-2013) PSA

INTERSECTIONS MEDIA (2011-2012) links

–

Intersections Media Opportunities for Youth Society JOB POSTING:

Participant in filmmaking/visual art/life skills training program

[paid position]

–

We are currently interviewing applicants for:

INTAKE 1 April 16- May 17, 2012- in session. Full.

INTAKE 2 May 28 – June 28, 2012- Full.

Other intake dates coming up:

INTAKE 3 July 9 – August 9, 2012- 2 of 6 spots available.

INTAKE 4 AUG 20- SEPT 20, 2012

INTAKE 5 OCT 1- NOV 1, 2012

INTAKE 6 NOV 12- DEC 13, 2012

INTAKE 7 JAN 14- FEB 14, 2013

INTAKE 8 FEB 25- MAR 28, 2013

DUTIES:

• Participate in 5 week filmmaking/ creative arts/ life skills training program while earning minimum wage!

• Participate in life skills and employment skills training

• Must attend fully, and be on time, and be respectful of peers and venue

• Will produce (as a group) Public Service Announcement for a non-profit organization

• Will produce individual bio videos

• Program runs 5 weeks Monday-Thursdays 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must express keen interest in filmmaking and creative arts (no previous experience necessary)

• Some computer skill is helpful

• Self-motivation is key

• Applicant has faced barriers to employment

• Must be between ages 19-29 (location of program is upstairs at District 319, a 19+ event venue)

• Must have social insurance number

TO APPLY:

CONTACT KATARINA:

604 488 4348 (leave message)

Intersections Media 2012-2013 Intake 1: PSA for Kamala Yonzon Tahrayli Foundation

Katarina (Kat) Thorsen — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:53:48 +0000

Kamala Yonzon

On May 3, 2012, Intersections Media students filmed a public service announcement with Kamala Yonzon, founder, and Georgia Cross, board member, for the local non-profit organization:

Kamala Yonzon is the founder of the Kamala Yonzon Tahrayli Foundation. Kamala grew up in a small village in Nepal called Hiley Chaubas in Kabre Palanchowk District. Presently, the nearest hospital is in the capital city of Kathmandu and can reached only by a day-long journey by foot and by bus rides, only when the weather permits. During the monsoons the buses are not able to run as often and villagers are forced to make the journey down the mountain by foot.

Photo courtesy of the KYT Foundation

Photo courtesy of KYT Foundation

Photo courtesy of the KYT Foundation

Kamala has lived in Canada for over 20 years, but she still has a deep longing to help the villagers in the isolated region of her birth. She has returned many times to visit family members and has witnessed, all too many times, tragic outcomes as a result of birthing complications or illnesses that could have been addressed with easier access to medical attention.

Her plan is to build a hospital in this isolated region on land donated by her family. The hospital would be open to all villagers requiring medical attention.

Photo courtesy of the KYT Foundation

However, before the hospital can be built, equipped and staffed,water being brought to the location is a priority. There is a spring situated approximately 2.5 km from the proposed hospital site. A second water source is approximately 3 kms from the proposed hospital site. The equipment and labour costs for this phase of the project are estimated at $15,000 CAD. The necessity and resources are there, but currently, the funding is not.

Photo courtesy of the KYT Foundation

To achieve Kamala’s goal, she is reaching out to her community and to others who wish to support her dream.

June 16th FUNDRAISER!!!

Intersections Media is truly proud and honored to be part of this wonderful project to bring water to Kamala’s village! The students will now edit the PSA and add music, titles and voiceovers. Stay tuned!

Advisory Board member, Laura Mack

Big THANK YOU to Laura Mack for making this connection!

See also:

Intake 1 (2012-2013) underway

Intake 1 (2012-2013) drawing lesson

Intake 1 (2012-2013) anxiety tool

Intake 1 (2012-2013) filming a dramatic scene

INTERSECTIONS MEDIA (2011-2012) links

–

Intersections Media Opportunities for Youth Society JOB POSTING:

Participant in filmmaking/visual art/life skills training program

[paid position]

–

We are currently interviewing applicants for:

INTAKE 1 April 16- May 17, 2012- in session. Full.

INTAKE 2 May 28 – June 28, 2012- Full.

Other intake dates coming up:

INTAKE 3 July 9 – August 9, 2012- 3 of 6 spots available.

INTAKE 4 AUG 20- SEPT 20, 2012

INTAKE 5 OCT 1- NOV 1, 2012

INTAKE 6 NOV 12- DEC 13, 2012

INTAKE 7 JAN 14- FEB 14, 2013

INTAKE 8 FEB 25- MAR 28, 2013

DUTIES:

• Participate in 5 week filmmaking/ creative arts/ life skills training program while earning minimum wage!

• Participate in life skills and employment skills training

• Must attend fully, and be on time, and be respectful of peers and venue

• Will produce (as a group) Public Service Announcement for a non-profit organization

• Will produce individual bio videos

• Program runs 5 weeks Monday-Thursdays 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must express keen interest in filmmaking and creative arts (no previous experience necessary)

• Some computer skill is helpful

• Self-motivation is key

• Applicant has faced barriers to employment

• Must be between ages 19-29 (location of program is upstairs at District 319, a 19+ event venue)

• Must have social insurance number

TO APPLY:

CONTACT KATARINA:

604 488 4348 (leave message)

Needle Felting

ericagalda — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:57:23 +0000

For some of our recent workshops we taught the youth how to “needle felt”. Needle felting is a very old and popular fiber arts craft that uses special barbed felting needles and wool roving. Using a single needle or a small group of needles (2-5) in a hand-held tool, the needles are used to sculpt the wool fibers. The barbs catch the scales on the fiber and push them through the layers of wool, tangling them and binding them together. The youth used this process on flat pieces of felt to create felted blocks for the quilt project. They came out so great! The youth took advantage of the color and texture along with sharing some positive messages and comforting images.

Intersections Media 2012-2013 Intake 1: filming a short dramatic scene

Katarina (Kat) Thorsen — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:50:08 +0000

See also:

Intake 1 (2012-2013) underway

Intake 1 (2012-2013) drawing lesson

Intake 1 (2012-2013) anxiety tool

INTERSECTIONS MEDIA (2011-2012) links

–

Intersections Media Opportunities for Youth Society JOB POSTING:

Participant in filmmaking/visual art/life skills training program

[paid position]

–

We are currently interviewing applicants for:

INTAKE 1 April 16- May 17, 2012- in session. Full.

INTAKE 2 May 28 – June 28, 2012- Full.

Other intake dates coming up -

INTAKE 3 July 9 – August 9, 2012

INTAKE 4 AUG 20- SEPT 20, 2012

INTAKE 5 OCT 1- NOV 1, 2012

INTAKE 6 NOV 12- DEC 13, 2012

INTAKE 7 JAN 14- FEB 14, 2013

INTAKE 8 FEB 25- MAR 28, 2013

DUTIES:

• Participate in 5 week filmmaking/ creative arts/ life skills training program while earning minimum wage!

• Participate in life skills and employment skills training

• Must attend fully, and be on time, and be respectful of peers and venue

• Will produce (as a group) Public Service Announcement for a non-profit organization

• Will produce individual bio videos

• Program runs 5 weeks Monday-Thursdays 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must express keen interest in filmmaking and creative arts (no previous experience necessary)

• Some computer skill is helpful

• Self-motivation is key

• Applicant has faced barriers to employment

• Must be between ages 19-29 (location of program is upstairs at District 319, a 19+ event venue)

• Must have social insurance number

TO APPLY:

CONTACT KATARINA:

604 488 4348 (leave message)

Intersections Media 2012-2013 Season: Intake 1 drawing intro! #arttherapy

Katarina (Kat) Thorsen — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:57:26 +0000

See also:

Intake 1 (2012-2013) underway

Intake 1 (2012-2013) art therapy- anxiety tool

INTERSECTIONS MEDIA (2011-2012) links

–

Intersections Media Opportunities for Youth Society JOB POSTING:

Participant in filmmaking/visual art/life skills training program

[paid position]

–

We are currently interviewing applicants for:

INTAKE 1 April 16- May 17, 2012- in session. Full.

INTAKE 2 May 28 – June 28, 2012- as of today 1 of 6 spots is available.

Other intake dates coming up -

INTAKE 3 July 9 – August 9, 2012

INTAKE 4 AUG 20- SEPT 20, 2012

INTAKE 5 OCT 1- NOV 1, 2012

INTAKE 6 NOV 12- DEC 13, 2012

INTAKE 7 JAN 14- FEB 14, 2013

INTAKE 8 FEB 25- MAR 28, 2013

DUTIES:

• Participate in 5 week filmmaking/ creative arts/ life skills training program while earning minimum wage!

• Participate in life skills and employment skills training

• Must attend fully, and be on time, and be respectful of peers and venue

• Will produce (as a group) Public Service Announcement for a non-profit organization

• Will produce individual bio videos

• Program runs 5 weeks Monday-Thursdays 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must express keen interest in filmmaking and creative arts (no previous experience necessary)

• Some computer skill is helpful

• Self-motivation is key

• Applicant has faced barriers to employment

• Must be between ages 19-29 (location of program is upstairs at District 319, a 19+ event venue)

• Must have social insurance number

TO APPLY:

CONTACT KATARINA:

604 488 4348 (leave message)

Intersections Media 2012-2013 Season Intake 1 #arttherapy: anxiety journaling tool

Katarina (Kat) Thorsen — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:17:27 +0000

Instructions:

Focus on 3-4 things that are blocking you, that hinder you, frustrate you, nag at you, keep you from living your life peacefully.

E.g. Anxiety, Fear, Money, Low Self-esteem

Write for 10 minutes in your journal about these blocks.

On a drawing/photocopy of an anatomical heart, write your main words repeatedly throughout the nooks and crannies.

Color the heart, cut it out and glue it on a card stock.

Write sentences about your blocks coming out from the vessels.

FLOWING OUTWARD. LET GO. RELEASE.

See also:

Intake 1 (2012-2013) underway

INTERSECTIONS MEDIA (2011-2012) links

–

Intersections Media Opportunities for Youth Society JOB POSTING:

Participant in filmmaking/visual art/life skills training program

[paid position]

–

We are currently interviewing applicants for:

INTAKE 1 April 16- May 17, 2012- in session. Full.

INTAKE 2 May 28 – June 28, 2012- as of today 1 of 6 spots is available.

Other intake dates coming up -

INTAKE 3 July 9 – August 9, 2012

INTAKE 4 AUG 20- SEPT 20, 2012

INTAKE 5 OCT 1- NOV 1, 2012

INTAKE 6 NOV 12- DEC 13, 2012

INTAKE 7 JAN 14- FEB 14, 2013

INTAKE 8 FEB 25- MAR 28, 2013

DUTIES:

• Participate in 5 week filmmaking/ creative arts/ life skills training program while earning minimum wage!

• Participate in life skills and employment skills training

• Must attend fully, and be on time, and be respectful of peers and venue

• Will produce (as a group) Public Service Announcement for a non-profit organization

• Will produce individual bio videos

• Program runs 5 weeks Monday-Thursdays 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must express keen interest in filmmaking and creative arts (no previous experience necessary)

• Some computer skill is helpful

• Self-motivation is key

• Applicant has faced barriers to employment

• Must be between ages 19-29 (location of program is upstairs at District 319, a 19+ event venue)

• Must have social insurance number

TO APPLY:

CONTACT KATARINA:

604 488 4348 (leave message)

Intersections Media 2012-2013 Season: Intake 1 underway! #sockmonkeytherapy

Katarina (Kat) Thorsen — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:22:11 +0000

Day 1 was all about getting to know each other and the program before we get onto filmmaking, and the best way to get break the ice is to spend the afternoon making sock monkeys! Magical!

–

Intersections Media Opportunities for Youth Society JOB POSTING:

Participant in filmmaking/visual art/life skills training program

[paid position]

–

We are currently interviewing applicants for:

INTAKE 1 April 16- May 17, 2012- in session. Full.

INTAKE 2 May 28 – June 28, 2012- as of today 4 of 6 spots available.

DUTIES:

• Participate in 5 week filmmaking/ creative arts/ life skills training program while earning minimum wage!

• Participate in life skills and employment skills training

• Must attend fully, and be on time, and be respectful of peers and venue

• Will produce (as a group) Public Service Announcement for a non-profit organization

• Will produce individual bio videos

• Program runs 5 weeks Monday-Thursdays 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must express keen interest in filmmaking and creative arts (no previous experience necessary)

• Some computer skill is helpful

• Self-motivation is key

• Applicant has faced barriers to employment

• Must be between ages 19-29 (location of program is upstairs at District 319, a 19+ event venue)

• Must have social insurance number

TO APPLY:

CONTACT KATARINA:

604 488 4348 (leave message)

TO READ BLOG POSTS ABOUT OUR PROGRAM GO TO:

INTERSECTIONS MEDIA

–

Other intake dates coming up!!!

INTAKE 3 July 9 – August 9, 2012

INTAKE 4 AUG 20- SEPT 20, 2012

INTAKE 5 OCT 1- NOV 1, 2012

INTAKE 6 NOV 12- DEC 13, 2012

INTAKE 7 JAN 14- FEB 14, 2013

INTAKE 8 FEB 25- MAR 28, 2013

Immigrant Youth Art and Poetry Exhibit (Berkeley and Davis)

La Peña Blog — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:28:14 +0000

Intersections Media 2012-2013 Job Postings for Youth ages 19-29! 5-week sessions! #arttherapy

Katarina (Kat) Thorsen — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:59:41 +0000

Intersections Media Opportunities for Youth Society JOB POSTING:

Participant in filmmaking/visual art/life skills training program

[paid position]

–

We are currently interviewing applicants for:

INTAKE 1 April 16- May 17, 2012- as of today all spots are filled but we are accepting wait-list applicants.

INTAKE 2 May 28 – June 28, 2012- as of today 5 of 6 spots available.

DUTIES:

• Participate in 5 week filmmaking/ creative arts/ life skills training program while earning minimum wage!

• Participate in life skills and employment skills training

• Must attend fully, and be on time, and be respectful of peers and venue

• Will produce (as a group) Public Service Announcement for a non-profit organization

• Will produce individual bio videos

• Program runs 5 weeks Monday-Thursdays 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must express keen interest in filmmaking and creative arts (no previous experience necessary)

• Some computer skill is helpful

• Self-motivation is key

• Applicant has faced barriers to employment

• Must be between ages 19-29 (location of program is upstairs at District 319, a 19+ event venue)

• Must have social insurance number

TO APPLY:

CONTACT KATARINA:

604 488 4348 (leave message)

TO READ BLOG POSTS ABOUT OUR PROGRAM GO TO:

INTERSECTIONS MEDIA

–

Other intake dates coming up:

INTAKE 3 July 9 – August 9, 2012

INTAKE 4 AUG 20- SEPT 20, 2012

INTAKE 5 OCT 1- NOV 1, 2012

INTAKE 6 NOV 12- DEC 13, 2012

INTAKE 7 JAN 14- FEB 14, 2013

INTAKE 8 FEB 25- MAR 28, 2013

Springing Ahead with City Art Lab: Mandalas & Daring to Be

ccnyarted — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:25:58 +0000

Happy Spring!

The warm and sunny weather here in New York brings the fresh promise of … fresh inspiration for Rotation Two of graduate student teachers! Alternative ideas and practices on Risk and Balance will be explored over the next three weeks: Balance students will be working on Mandalas, symbols of unity and complexity, complexity and unity, and Risk students will be looking into themselves and their work to question what Truth is in light of Risk.

This week, Balance students brainstormed and free explored themes inherent in Mandalas to begin the framework for their larger project, using a variety of classic drawing and painting materials.

Meanwhile, Risk students used idea mapping to identify personal risks in their lives, examining artists who took risks in their lives (which granted them fame), and, created Trading Cards based on the themes and instances on their idea post it notes. Artistic Trading Cards originate from Switzerland, as mini artworks to be traded and used for inspiration. Students traded their cards to take home and work on .. can’t wait to see what next week will bring.

Till next time!

Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund has begun!

usltalumni — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:06:05 +0000

The State Department’s Alumni Affairs Division launched the second annual Alumni Engagement Innovati

Sister Cities International Hosts 24th Annual Youth Artist Showcase

City of Santa Clarita — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:00:38 +0000

Since 1988, the Sister Cities International Young Author Showcase has encouraged youth from around the globe to consider the honorable mission of Sister Cities International and express their interpretation of that mission promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding, cooperation through one individual, one community at a time.

The 2012 theme is an opportunity for participants to use artwork to express how communication, technology, and individual initiative can lead to dramatic social change. Submissions can highlight the participants experience with social media, how creating change in their community, or how global communication and exchange has had an impact on their lives.

Click image for more information.

Check out the guidelines and entry forms for the 24th Annual Young Artist Showcase.

Send Entries to:

Santa Clarita Valley International Program

23920 Valencia Boulevard, Suite 295

Santa Clarita, CA 91355

For more information visit the Sister Cities International website.

Make some noise!

jaelchng — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:26:19 +0000

Who says Singapore has no talent? Who says we are too small to be noticed?

While reading Fast Company’s October issue “The United States of Design”, I was pleasantly surprised that Singapore was named twice in one of my favourite magazines. It mentioned that Singapore was investing in design and that the world is starting to notice.

Wow. Now, that’s hope that I see. (Yes, I can hear the whispers of the critics and do acknowledge that not all things are perfect).

Last week, I was invited to get a preview of the Noise Singapore 2012 Festival Showcase – a national platform where young people (if you’re under 35, you still qualify) can showcase their work. There are no prerequisites, no credentials needed, but simply letting your work speak for yourself.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and the tone of the artworks – there were fresh angles, new perspectives and strong execution. I feel a happy warm feeling rising up within me and I think to myself, that perhaps, our sunny little island is indeed making some noise that ripples beyond our shores.

(Noise Singapore 2012 Festival Showcase is on from 18 Feb – 4 March 2012, 10am to 9pm daily @ B4 ION Station (Event Hall), ION Orchard.)

Setting Up for Scholastics

SBMA — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:45:59 +0000

When we arrived at work on Monday, this is how we found our Warner Gallery:

Kind of a mess. But the truth is, it’s the first sign it’s time for one of our favorite exhibits: Scholastics.

The artwork you see strewn about the gallery is actually a collection of hundreds of pieces of art that have been submitted by our region’s 7th-12th graders for this years Scholastics Art Awards competition. Jurors for the program were here all day last Saturday to judge the work which covers a wide array of media—ceramics and pottery, photography, jewelry, and painting to name a few, and in the coming days the Warner Gallery will be transformed into a breathtaking exhibit of creativity and energy, revealed at our “Meet Me in the Gallery” event on Friday, February 3.

Be sure to come out next Friday for this amazing celebration of youth and art!

To find out MORE ABOUT OUR SCHOLASTICS EXHIBIT, CLICK HERE.

Invest in your Cool

naidra — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:18:07 +0000

I know that Kalamazoo positions itself as inclusive, diverse, etc. but what would it be without a stellar organization like Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative.

Fire is a 501(c)3 organization that has as our mission to encourage and respond to people’s desire for authentic expression.We believe that social and cultural awareness generates and sustains social justice. We design our youth development programming to help youth and young adults cultivate the leadership, self-discipline, self-confidence and self-esteem necessary to lead positive and productive lives. We understand that education and participation in the arts and culture contributes to the healthy development of young people, their families and communities.

Fire has been a guiding force for young, emerging talent in Kalamazoo, MI. It’s a safe and open space for people of any demographic. Fire is a staple organization, a premier organization for arts, culture, and history in Kalamazoo, and it needs your investment. Be cool, invest in Fire!

Donate $1, $5, $25…any amount to keep the flame burning! Umm…in case I wasn’t clear (or you somehow think I’m just writing this for my health), Donate, Donate, Donate, Donate, Donate, Donate, Donate.

Friday Finds: Loose Ends, Mustaches, & Creativity

Mindy R — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:25:44 +0000

Local Love:

I posted about Intermedia Arts recent youth art show, but those of you who were unable to get there to see it can enjoy this slideshow. Love this organization!

The HandmadeMN challenge this month has some mustachioed creations from local artisans. Vote for your favorite here. Also, don’t forget to mark your calendar for Stachefest at Cause on Saturday, November 19th.

Thoughts on Creativity:

Sara Zarr, author of How to Save a Life, writes about creativity & failure in a guest post on the What Inspires You series on Distraction no. 99:

“The creative process, and the creative life, is mostly full of moments between the idea and the being done, the spark and the blazing fire, the shimmering magic and the finished piece. We’re always living in the gap between our vision of what could be and what might be, and what is.”

This video looks at what deadlines can do to creativity. You can’t rush art.

And it’s all about me:

My review of Baby-Making: What the New Reproductive Treatments Mean for Families and Society is on Library Journal‘s web site. If you are interested in the ethics behind fertility treatments, this is the book for you.
The first of two reports on what I learned at the recent AASL conference is in a blog post about using picture books to teach character traits for my employer’s blog.

For more interesting stuff, find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Destiny manifesting. Add to this #streetart inspired mural @YouthCO's #ToolsForChange art event! #arttherapy

Katarina (Kat) Thorsen — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:04:35 +0000

We started this mural in art therapy a few years ago and on July 5, 2011, I dragged it to Kirkstone Park, North Vancouver…

Satisfying! Our plan is to display and sell the piece with proceeds going to my new youth retail project! Stay tuned!

The mural was inspired by Doze Green‘s Galeria de la Raza, 1999, as found in the book Street Art San Francisco- Mission Muralismo:

Here’s a photo journey of our interpretation! Thanks one and all who contributed to the piece!

It’s almost finished but it needs some more interaction!

So On October 28, 2011, you can add to it!!!

YOUTHCO

HIV and HEP C Community Outreach

INTERACTIVE ART EVENT

TOOLS FOR CHANGE CAMPAIGN LAUNCH PARTY

OCTOBER 28, 2011 7-10 PM

568 SEYMOUR STREET, VANCOUVER BC

AGES 19+

CASH BAR

INTERACTIVE ART STATIONS

facilitated by Katarina Thorsen

I am collaborating with YOUTHCO to provide drawing lessons and sock monkey therapy. This mural will be on sale at the event and I will be selling a batch of sock monkeys ($20 each) made by youth and community members in North Vancouver as well to help provide funds for art supplies!

CALL FOR ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS! 2ND ANNUAL LAMAR FREE OPEN AIR ART SHOW, SATURDAY JULY 16, 2011

artscouncilofbartoncounty — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 02:03:17 +0000

The Arts Council of Barton County will host a Free Open Air Art Show, featuring works by local fine and folk artists, photographers, sculptors, handcrafted jewelry makers and more, to be held in conjunction with the 2011 Missouri State Chili Cook-off in Lamar, Missouri. This event will benefit the Rebuilding Fund for St Mary’s Catholic Church, which was tragically destroyed by fire in 2009. http://www.catholicextension.org/site/epage/98416_667.htm. The church has been rebuilt and is back in service, but much remains to be paid for! Please help!

When: Saturday, July 16th, 2011, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Where: Moore Pavilion, 103 East 10th St., Lamar Missouri. The Moore Pavilion is one block east of the historic Lamar town square.

How Much?: This event is FREE, but donations to the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Rebuilding Fund will be gratefully accepted.

Contact: To have your work included in the Art Show, please call Chris @ 417-214-5458. For info on the Missouri State Chili Cook-off, call Dixie @ 417-682-5432. For more info on the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Rebuilding Fund, go here. http://www.stmarysfirelamar.com.

Youth, Media, and the Art of Protest in North Africa

reed — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:45:41 +0000

Transculturelles des Abattoirs, Casablanca

Jun 27 2011

by Loubna Hanna Skalli, http://www.jadalliya.com

“Everyone has his own way of fighting, and my weapon is art!” says Milad Faraway, a 20 year-old Libyan who created the rap group Music Masters with another young friend in 2010. Their song “Youth of the Revolution” urges “Moammar [to] get out” and end the violation of Libyans’ rights. “Qadhafi, open your eyes wide” sings another rap group Revolution Beat: “you will see that the Libyan people just broke through the fear barrier.” In neighboring Tunisia, twenty-one year old Hamada Ben Amor, known as El General, circulated on the internet his video song “President: Your people are dying” in an open address to Ben Ali during his last days as a dictator. For singing about peace, justice and freedom, Hamada faced jail time even after Mohammed Bouazizi, the young Tunisian street vendor, sacrificed his life for making the same demands. In Algeria, Rabah Ourrad one of the country’s lead rappers, built his popularity on “breaking silence” around the leaders’ corruption, greed and nepotism. Years prior to the recent revolutions that swept through North Africa and the Middle East, Moroccan youth political dissent transpired through the vibrant cultural movement known as the Nayda, or the Moroccan Movida as others call it. Rappers like H-Kayne, Zanka Flow, Hoba Hoba Spirit, and Bigg, are among many who captured the attention of the young generation in ways no political party or ideological current could.

Yet, the politics of youth sub-cultures in North Africa have largely been overlooked, misunderstood or dismissed by many until the horror of Mohammed Bouazizi’s self-immolation forced all to discover how Maghrebi youth have been articulating their protest. When I started researching the political views and attitudes of North African youth in 2008, virtually all existing surveys and opinion polls about the young generation of Maghrebis were sending alarming signals. Youth, they reported, are nowhere to be found in civil society organizations, political parties, unions or any other political structures; not even when their civic duty calls them to the voting booth. Many older political figures or “leaders” I approached advised me to do something else: “You are wasting your time: there is nothing to research here that we don’t already know. Young people have abandoned politics. They are wasting their life away in cybercafés, talking on the cell, or listening to this thing called rap or hip hop!” They meant their comment to be honest and helpful: they knew I am a Moroccan female researcher who taught in my own country for 15 years before settling in the US in 2003.

Yet, the majority of young people I talked to, regardless of class or gender, revealed a sophisticated political perspective and a keen interest in participation. They spoke the language of human rights, responsibilities, good governance and bad governance. I found them neither politically naïve, nor apathetic or disengaged as many accounts were depicting them. Classic definitions of political participation and activism proved to be abysmally misleading and outdated. If youth were not to be found within traditional political institutions, as I was warned,

they certainly were at the latter’s margins. They were at the margins not because that is where they wanted to be. This is where they have been comfortable doing their own politics. Youth were in dialogue with their political establishment, their leaders and their policies. They communicated with them and about them in old media and within new spaces. They took advantage of the newer technologies and outperformed the system in the art of overcoming censorship and surveillance.

As a young, female Tunisian blogger told me recently, “Mohammed Bouazizi did not have to sacrifice his life to force the world to finally listen to us. We have been screaming exclusion all along … people do not grow ears overnight.” Her comment made realize that, indeed, the young Moroccan mother of two, Fadwa Laroui, did not have to set herself on fire few months ago to draw attention to the plight of poor “single mothers” who are denied government housing because they are single mothers. National statistical categories still hesitate to declare women heads of households and continue to exclude them from the meager benefits governments can still provide in the neoliberal order. But Fadwa, like Mohammed, loved dignity and justice more than life itself. They both turned the flames of their body into burning reminders that poverty should not be confused with absence of dignity.

During all of my academic interactions with youth, I was both inspired and humbled by the extent of their hopes and their faith in democratic change. In documenting young people’s uses of social media, listening to and reading their lyrics, discussing their political views, attending their press conferences, associations meetings and informal gatherings, I discovered the same sense of determination and optimism they demonstrated throughout the recent uprisings. At the same time, they were aware that the world was still stereotyping them (young men) as the world’s most feared terrorists and depicting young women as Islam’s most fragile victims. Even with Qaddafi’s ravaging war machine, youth started networking, organizing and discovery each other’s skills and strengths. They organized themselves in on and off-line civic, charitable and cultural forums to advance the change they want to see. As a young member from “February 17th Spring Forum” put it, getting together “allowed the members to unveil their talents … We discovered among us several painters, writers, demonstration organizers, poets and many other skilled people.” As walls of state security buildings in Benghazi already reveal, artistic expressions are already seeking to write off “years of waste” under Qaddafi.

The names of few rap artists I mentioned earlier are among the young generation of cultural entrepreneurs, as I call them, who started refashioning the youth cultural scene in North Africa since the 1990s. Many were forced to remain underground years before they were permitted to perform in public. Theirs beats, lyrics, drawings and dances were declared “satanic” by those in power because they were the irritants of the system. Many chose the microphone, the chalk or the brush over the guns and bullets to sing about a better world and have their fans imagine a better world. And when state guns and bullets threatened them, they still opted for the microphone and the brush.

The youth music scene should not, therefore, be isolated from other forms of youth expressive cultures and media spaces. Besides rap, metal rock and other “hybridized” music forms, the young generation of Maghrebis has been communicating through blogs, Facebook, YouTube, theatre, and even youth pages in newspapers. In all these forms, they have been calling for change, embracing change and willing to pay the price of change. Neither fear nor censorship succeeded in muzzling their free imagination, sense of creativity or spirit of initiative. Between 2000 and 2007, the number of Internet users in Morocco and Algeria, for instance, increased by 4,500% and 3,740% respectively, placing Morocco ahead of any other country in the Middle East in terms of internet adoption. Mobile phone subscribers reached 73 and 77% of the population in Libya and Tunisia respectively. All the while, leaders dismissed these broader trends as apolitical and obsessed about few bloggers who dared use the words “politics,” “opposition,” “corruption” or any other word that puts the state’s censoring machine in motion. The Tunisian and Libyan dictators were losing the battle against their young citizenry years before youth mobilized to bring them down. In 2007 already, a young Tunisian blogger was sending warnings to his president “We are fed up. We need real change … but what can we lose? [The government] stopping our blogs, we can create a blog for the occasion. We will post our notes in a new blog. We will create an aggregator for the occasion and see what happens. If the 300 blogs and the aggregator are censored; no problem. We will do the same thing with new addresses.”

Since the 1990s a young generation of filmmakers, journalists, playwrights, painters and performers invested their art with the mission of social critique and change. Moroccan filmmakers including Narjiss Nejjar, Laira Marrakchi (Marock), Mohammed Al-Asali (In Casablanca, Angles Do Not Fly), and Nour Eddine Lakhmari (Casa Negra) have adopted an uninhibited approach to tackling issues long silenced. We now talk about sexual orientation, domestic violence, single mothers, rape, street children, homelessness and prostitution. Similar developments can be seen in Algerian and Tunisian cinema where a thriving film industry includes the work of Tunisian Nouri Bouzid (Making of… kamikaze), Fadhel Jaibi (Microphone), and Ahamad Abdalla Basra have won international awards and the admiration of their public.

Not all Maghrebi filmmakers were born or educated in North Africa. Their diasporic identities and negotiation of more than one culture, language and reality have sharpened their artistic talents and critical outlook on their societies. This helped many escape or defy censorship and still reach a large viewership among the young generation. Many short films have been made available for free on the Internet. Many productions sparked heated discussions on and off the Maghrebi blogosphere, inviting the censoring hand of the autocratic machine. But Maghrebis remain loyal to their long oral tradition of interpersonal communication and group interaction. What new media has made available through technology is also shared, discussed and circulated by and among individuals offline.

In 2000, a group of associations and young artists convinced local authorities in Casablanca to transform a former Slaughterhouse, known to all as Lbattoir (French Aboittoirs) into a space for celebrating young artistic talents. Built in 1922, Lbattoir is located in one of the most populated industrial zones of Casablanca, Hay Mohammedi, where real estate speculators usually eye old spaces for new businesses. Years of strategizing and negotiating with the government finally paid off for the artists and the group of associations that backed the project.

Transculturelles des Abattoirs, Casablanca

They succeeded in converting the space into one of the first and finest cultural sites in the Arab world for cultivating, showcasing and celebrating young urban cultures. Since, the same roof has brought together young talents in fine arts, visual and sound arts, performing arts, street arts and much more. New possibilities and initiatives have been created to unlock the imagination of hundreds of children. Round tables, workshops and art sessions have been organized to introduce even younger generations to the art of expression and the power of communicating it.

Initiatives such as these and many more are redefining the meaning of youth cultures, protest and communication in North Africa, a region about which very little is still known. Indeed, it is only recently that researchers have started to recognize youth cultures as worthy of attention, research and publication. A great deal has been said about this generation’s alienation, frustration, and vulnerability to radicalization. The world had yet to discover and appreciate their creativity, ingenuity and determination to rise above all odds to transform their world for the better.

Recent youth uprisings that started in North Africa have not only validated youth’s expressive cultures in parts of the world assumed to have none. They have mostly opened our eyes to the myriad ways in which youth have been negotiating repression, marginalization and boredom. Youth are inviting us today to see their expressive art in a new light: as a tool that serves a bigger and bolder vision of the very ideals of democracy.

SBMA Gets "Ugly"

SBMA — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:40:25 +0000

It’s a tale that we can all somehow relate to, even if we’ve never read the book. Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling” tells the story of a duckling immediately rejected at birth due to his outwardly “ugly” appearance. Ultimately transforming into a graceful swan, “Ugly” teaches everyone that beauty truly is found within.

It is this message of acceptance that was the theme for a community outreach project in which the South Bend Museum of Art teamed up with the City of South Bend, the South Bend Civic Theatre, and the Weed and Seed Alliance to lead children in the creation of a backdrop to complement South Bend Civic Theatre’s production of “Honk!” (a modern adaptation of Andersen’s “Ugly Duckling” story).

Through teamwork, story telling, and the creation of personal drawings, the children, as young as seven and as old as thirteen, developed interesting works of art based on what they took away from “The Ugly Duckling” story: accept people for who they are.

SEE MORE pictures from this project and LEARN MORE about it here.

Getting "Ugly" part 2

SBMA — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 06:00:33 +0000

From ugly eggs hatching beautiful flowers to a black and grey plaid duckling to an egg literally hatching “love,” it seems as though every child who participated in the SBMA’s “Weed-N-Seed” project was able to relate to the message of “The Ugly Duckling”. And though their artwork revealed mixed visual images, in the end, their messages were clear: accept people for who they are, which was actually the title of one child’s artwork.

The fruits of their efforts came to life on Friday May 6^th as the finished 16’ x 7’ backdrop was revealed at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church for performance night. A colorful and childlike creation, the backdrop exists as a combination of everyone’s artwork. It features an “ugly” duckling swimming under a bright yellow sun with the message “accept people for who they are” floating in the clouds. Each child has a bit of him or herself in this artwork, whether it is in the painting, the drawing, or their actual signature as a stamped handprint. In the end, everyone, including the parents, were all smiles, because let’s face it – it just feels good to be a part of something.

Youth Art Retreat this coming week! Savary Island. 14 young women. 4 adult women. 1 papa bear. 3 dogs.

Katarina (Kat) Thorsen — Mon, 30 May 2011 05:01:40 +0000

We’re off to our 3rd annual Savary Island Art Retreat this week to spend time with the incredible inspiring artist/teacher Martin Place. Martin specializes in pottery and watercolor, jewelry and in teaching. His gift of sharing his passion for art inspires me again and again. Blog post in a week! Here are some moments from 2009 and 2010 showing Martin’s art.

Martin very happy with his sock monkey made by the students!

Martin's beautiful daughter, Sara, art teacher at Keith Lynn Alternative Secondary School, at the retreat 2009.

Fiona Found Her Passion - Find Yours Too!

SBMA — Thu, 26 May 2011 04:22:34 +0000

Eight-year-old Fiona Hutchens found her passion at the South Bend Museum of Art.

“Mommy, I just love this!” Fiona’s mother, Erica Fischbach, recalls her saying after coming home from her first pottery class at SBMA. “I want to do this all year next year!”

That’s why Erica was so happy to see the catalog of South Bend Museum of Art Summer Class offerings arrive in her mailbox, and to show Fiona that it is once again time to register for summer camps and classes. “She couldn’t wait until summer,” Erica remembers. It was her opportunity to feed her craving for the hands-on art making she has come to love.

Upon surveying this year’s options, Fiona decided to not only continue with pottery in “Youth Clay – Wheel and Handbuilding” with veteran SBMA instructor, Kari Black, but to try the “International Puppets and Fairy Tales” class too. In this new class offering, students will learn about and create art and puppets from various cultures and fairy tales around the globe.

There’s still time to register for these and other youth summer classes at SBMA. To learn more about our summer offerings, click here: SBMA Summer Youth

Young women transitioning, using art to heal. #arttherapy #youthatrisk

Katarina (Kat) Thorsen — Thu, 12 May 2011 04:25:48 +0000

I am honored to be witness to powerful transitions occurring in the lives of the young women I work with. It is a heavy week for many, and they are lifting themselves out of the hell of abuse, parental neglect, poverty, housing crises and anxiety by using self-advocacy skills. I can see them gathering their resources and support, allowing their masks to drop. Through it all, they use art (both at home and at school) to nourish themselves and deal with extreme stress. Here are some examples of that art work:

Art heals by changing a person’s physiology and attitude. It takes you ‘away’ to some other place… Barbara Timberman