art180.org/blog http://art180.org/blog Change through art. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:56:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 What do you stand for? http://art180.org/blog/2011/07/07/what-do-you-stand-for/ http://art180.org/blog/2011/07/07/what-do-you-stand-for/#comments Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:47:01 +0000 ART 180 http://art180.org/blog/2011/07/07/what-do-you-stand-for/ "What do you stand for"

Program leader self-portraits

We are in week 2 of our summer 2011 public art project, “What do you stand for?” The youth at Boushall and Henderson middle schools have begun to paint their large format self-portraits! A total of 30 youth, 15 from each school,will work for a few weeks, once a week, to complete 4′x8′ self-portraits on plywood depicting their personality, dreams and beliefs. These unique works of art will have a public unveiling at October First Fridays, travel as an exhibition for 8 months and then be installed across the city through 2012! And it looks as though Virginia Currents MAY do a piece on the project and ART 180 too!

Above, check out the program leader self-portraits completed a few weeks ago that were used at the schools to recruit youth to the program. Top (left to right): Lizzie Gray, Rob Gibsun, Jess Norris. Bottom (left to right): Stanley Rayfield, Julia Scott, Hamilton Glass.

We owe a huge THANKS to the following: Home Depot on West Broad for donating plywood, Siewers Lumber & Millwork for donating and discounting plywood and all of our volunteers (and wonderful intern Katherine!) who have hauled the boards to and fro and readied them with multiple coats of primer and paint! We could not do this without all of your help and support!

Take a moment and respond here: What do YOU stand for? or What do you think of this project?

]]> http://art180.org/blog/2011/07/07/what-do-you-stand-for/feed/ 187 Countdown to The Big Show – 1 Day! http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/07/countdown-to-the-big-show-1-day-3/ http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/07/countdown-to-the-big-show-1-day-3/#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:00:58 +0000 ART 180 http://art180.org/blog/?p=1148 Stone Farrior (pictured) and the other young artists from Charity Family Life were in the studio just yesterday recording the two original songs they wrote this semester, which they will perform live June 8 at The Big Show. We think you’ll agree that their musical creations are both powerful and ear-catching.

The excitement is building for tomorrow’s spectacular event.  If you haven’t already, it’s time to invite your friends and make your plans to join us. You don’t want to miss this show of all shows…and we can’t wait to share the creative and moving stories of our amazingly wonderful young people.  See you at The Biiiiig Show!

Stone, 11

]]> http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/07/countdown-to-the-big-show-1-day-3/feed/ 155 Countdown to The Big Show – 2 Days! http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/06/countdown-to-the-big-show-2-days-3/ http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/06/countdown-to-the-big-show-2-days-3/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:00:44 +0000 ART 180 http://art180.org/blog/?p=1139 This spring, Mar’Qwan Martin (pictured) and other ART 180 documentary filmmakers have trained their cameras on themselves and their community at Boushall Middle School. The artists’ final piece, to premier at The Big Show, offers a look at the lives of young people in Richmond through interviews with peers, school staff and parents. You won’t find these stories anywhere else–so join us at The Big Show and hear what they have to say!

Mar'Qwan, 12

]]> http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/06/countdown-to-the-big-show-2-days-3/feed/ 0 Countdown to The Big Show – 3 Days! http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/05/countdown-to-the-big-show-3-days-3/ http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/05/countdown-to-the-big-show-3-days-3/#comments Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:00:18 +0000 ART 180 http://art180.org/blog/?p=1135 It’s hard to say whether the T-shirt or the face says it best:  Positively Vibrant. That is the feeling Brian Estrada (pictured) and his fellow muralists from George Wythe High School hoped to capture in their piece at The Positive Vibe Café, a nonprofit restaurant in Southside that provides training to young people with disabilities. The mural, located in the patio area, was designed to illustrate people socializing and supporting one another in a peaceful way–something the artists themselves have demonstrated throughout their 12-week program. We hope you will come to Plant Zero at 6pm on June 8 to meet them and get a preview of their mural, which will be officially “unveiled” on June 17.

Brian, 16

]]> http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/05/countdown-to-the-big-show-3-days-3/feed/ 119 Countdown to The Big Show – 4 Days! http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/04/countdown-to-the-big-show-4-days-3/ http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/04/countdown-to-the-big-show-4-days-3/#comments Sat, 04 Jun 2011 19:44:45 +0000 ART 180 http://art180.org/blog/?p=1132 Writing and illustration have been the focus of Jhadaí Mealy (pictured) and the other young people in our spring program at William Byrd Community House. At The Big Show, they will present a book that captures their diverse thoughts and emotions, as well as imagined characters and stories–all under the title Unique Art. In the words of the artists’ group poem:

No matter who, what, when, where
Your perspective is still there.
We envision it differently.
Everybody is unique.

Jhadaí, 11

]]> http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/04/countdown-to-the-big-show-4-days-3/feed/ 1 Countdown to The Big Show – 5 Days! http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/03/countdown-to-the-big-show-5-days-3/ http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/03/countdown-to-the-big-show-5-days-3/#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2011 23:40:58 +0000 ART 180 http://art180.org/blog/?p=1128 The young artists and program leaders at Broad Rock Elementary describe themselves as a family, all of whom encourage the other members to share what is inside their hearts. Working with photographs, drawings, words and found images, Jourdan Brown (pictured) and the other young people have created collage “windows” that illustrate their own unique interests, beauty, and personality. Join us to see them and learn more about Richmond’s young people at The Big Show on June 8!

Jourdan, 11

]]> http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/03/countdown-to-the-big-show-5-days-3/feed/ 0 Countdown to The Big Show – 6 Days! http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/02/countdown-to-the-big-show-6-days-3/ http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/02/countdown-to-the-big-show-6-days-3/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:00:37 +0000 ART 180 http://art180.org/blog/?p=1124 Dahlia Dent (pictured) and the other young artists at the Falling Creek Boys & Girls Club have been the mad scientists of ART 180’s spring semester, exploring media as varied as moss graffiti, woven sculpture and homemade paint. At The Big Show, they will exhibit both their finished pieces and documentation of their experiments in progress. Come see what happens when creativity and unconventional materials collide!

Dahlia, 13

]]> http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/02/countdown-to-the-big-show-6-days-3/feed/ 57 Countdown to The Big Show – 7 Days! http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/01/countdown-to-the-big-show-7-days-3/ http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/01/countdown-to-the-big-show-7-days-3/#comments Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:00:58 +0000 ART 180 http://art180.org/blog/?p=1111 “It’s hard for me to listen or speak to my heart.”

These words are part of a cyclic play created over 12 weeks by the artists in our program at Huguenot High School. Guided by Joe Carlson of The Conciliation Project, Christopher Valdez (pictured) and the other young people in the program have nonetheless learned to trust and encourage one other to be fearless on the page, not to mention on the stage.

Because as one of the artists says, “I love when someone tells me something I can’t do and I do it.”

Joe and Christopher, 17

]]> http://art180.org/blog/2011/06/01/countdown-to-the-big-show-7-days-3/feed/ 70 Countdown to The Big Show – 8 Days! http://art180.org/blog/2011/05/31/countdown-to-the-big-show-8-days-3/ http://art180.org/blog/2011/05/31/countdown-to-the-big-show-8-days-3/#comments Tue, 31 May 2011 16:12:23 +0000 ART 180 http://art180.org/blog/?p=1115 “Creative Minds” is one of two ART 180 murals in progress this spring. Begun in the fall of 2010, this colorful mural at The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club is a playful collage designed and executed by Brandon Pleasants (pictured) and the other young people in the program. The artists say the piece–which includes images of the earth, puzzle pieces, robots, and a heart with wings–is intended to illustrate creativity and the sense of connectedness among the young people who visit the Club each day. We will preview the finished mural at The Big Show, and host a special dedication event the following day, June 9, on-site in Church Hill.

Brandon, 12

]]> http://art180.org/blog/2011/05/31/countdown-to-the-big-show-8-days-3/feed/ 148 Countdown to The Big Show – 9 Days! http://art180.org/blog/2011/05/30/countdown-to-the-big-show-9-days-2/ http://art180.org/blog/2011/05/30/countdown-to-the-big-show-9-days-2/#comments Mon, 30 May 2011 15:00:19 +0000 ART 180 http://art180.org/blog/?p=1105 Tanya McBride and Moniko Harris (pictured) are two young MCs in our hip hop program at Henderson Middle School, where participants have the opportunity to express themselves through rhymes, beats and dance. The artists will be recording two original songs on CD, and performing them live at The Big Show. A let’s rock, y’all…

Tanya, 13 and Moniko, 15

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